EA Sports FC 26
Released 26 September 2025 Developer EA Canada (EA Vancouver), EA Romania Publisher Electronic Arts
FC 26 is the 2025 edition of EA's annual football game, with licensed leagues, clubs and players. You can play single matches, manage or play through a career, join online club teams, or build a squad in Ultimate Team, where players are collected from packs and challenges and used in online matches. It is made for football fans of all ages, though its card-pack side is the part parents should know about.
Money health
HarmfulChance, compulsion or exploitation
Addictive design
High4 of 5 — counts the hooks designed in
Average price
A$74.48average of 2 store prices
Spending ceiling
No ceilingRepeat purchases, no limit
Australian rating
Chance-based in-game purchases
How it makes money
Harmful: chance, compulsion or exploitation
FC 26 is a paid game that also sells a virtual currency, FC Points, in packs from 100 points (A$1.85) up to 18,500 points (A$239.95). In the Ultimate Team mode, points buy packs of randomly chosen players, and there is a Season Pass with a paid Premium ladder. The game costs A$109.95 on Xbox, while the Steam store lists it at A$39.00 now that FC 27 has come out (late September 2026), so prices differ by store. EA's own opt-in Playtime tool lets players track and set weekly limits for matches, FC Points purchases and packs opened. Australia rates the game M because of its chance-based purchases.
How you pay
- Loot boxes
Ultimate Team Packs bought with FC Points or earned Coins contain randomly chosen players and items. The Xbox store states that purchases include 'a random selection of virtual in-game items' and the ACB rates the game M for 'chance-based in-game purchases'. EA's Playtime tool tracks the packs a player opens; Pack Previews also exist and are not counted in those limits.
- Battle pass
FC 26 has a game-wide Season Pass with a Standard (free) ladder and a Premium ladder that needs real money; GameSpot noted this replaced the series' earlier free season pass.
minor part of the game - Editions
A new numbered game arrives each year (FC 27 followed in late September 2026), and the Ultimate Edition offered seven days of early access plus extras. Only limited carryover rewards go forward from FC 26 to FC 27.
- Game library
The game is also offered through EA Play, shown on its Steam page as 'unlimited access with EA Play', as an alternative to buying it.
minor part of the game - Pay once
The game itself is a paid purchase: A$109.95 on the Xbox store, and A$39.00 on Steam as of 22 October 2026 after FC 27 launched.
Techniques it uses to keep you paying or playing
- FOMO timers
EA runs weekly Ultimate Team promotions with limited-time player cards, such as Summer Stars, Phenoms and FUTTIES in July 2026, and Season 10 Pre-Season from 13 August 2026.
- Pay to win
In Ultimate Team, better players come from packs, so spending can build a stronger team. GameSpot noted people willing to spend can buy numerous packs and earn more from the Premium pass, and Tom's Guide said FUT rewards extra spending more than ever.
- Game currency
FC Points are sold for A$1.85 (100) to A$239.95 (18,500); Ultimate Team Coins are earned in play and also open packs.
- Collect all
Ultimate Team is built around collecting player cards, and completing groups of objectives earns extra 'Completionist' rewards.
minor part of the game
Fairer alternatives
Similar games with a healthier money model
What it costs
Price: A$74.48
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Edition FC 27 Standard Edition is also A$109.95. |
Microsoft Store (AU) · Xbox Series | A$109.95 | Oct 2026 |
| Standard Edition Current Steam list price after FC 27's release; not shown as a sale discount. |
Steam (AU) · PC | A$39 | Oct 2026 |
| 100 FC Points (smallest pack) | Steam (AU) · PC | A$1.85 | Oct 2026 |
| 1,050 FC Points 500 points is A$8.45; 2,800 points is A$41.95; 5,900 points is A$79.95. |
Steam (AU) · PC | A$16.95 | Oct 2026 |
| 18,500 FC Points (largest pack) 12,000 points is A$159.95. The Xbox store lists the same pack prices. |
Steam (AU) · PC | A$239.95 | Oct 2026 |
Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.
Reviews from across the web
What the critics said
-
7/ 10
IGN
Rated the on-pitch play as the best in a long time but criticised the Season Pass as very aggressive monetisation.
-
8/ 10
GameSpot
Saw a positive step forward from the two playstyles and many improvements, while disliking the new paid pass.
-
77/ 100
PC Gamer
Liked the gameplay a lot but felt it was let down by an awkward menu design and extra clutter.
-
4/ 5
GamesRadar+
Said the gameplay changes aimed at pace and goals would divide Ultimate Team players more than pack opening does.
-
8/ 10
Nintendo Life
Called the Switch 2 version a big step up from the earlier Switch editions, although it runs at 30fps and has a restricted Ultimate Team.
Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.
Age ratings & content
What's in it
The rating boards list no content warnings for this game beyond notices such as in-game purchases or online play.
Classification
Age ratings judge content (violence, language, gambling themes), summed up in the content labels above. They say little about how hard a game pushes spending — that's what the money badges are for. About rating boards
Safety & parental controls
Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?
- Chat: not recorded
- Players can interact with strangers
- No user-made content
- Needs an online account
- Terms of service minimum age: 13
An EA account is needed and EA's terms set a minimum age of 13 (or the minimum age where the player lives), with a parent reviewing the terms if under 18. Online matches and Clubs put players in contact with others, and the ACB lists 'online interactivity and chat'. EA's child accounts cannot make purchases, and in some countries EA asks for an age check before premium currency for games with random-content mechanics can be bought. EA's FC Playtime is opt-in (it is not on by default) and lets a player set weekly limits on matches, FC Points purchases and Ultimate Team packs opened. Overseas boards rate it E (ESRB) and PEGI 3, but in Australia it is M because of the chance-based purchases.
Who makes it
The company behind it, and its track record
- Loot-box action
Loot-box enforcement
Belgium's Gaming Commission found paid FIFA packs were gambling in 2018 and EA stopped selling FIFA Points there in 2019; a 2019 Dutch regulator order was revoked on appeal in 2022. - Crunch
Crunch reports
2005-2006: EA settled overtime class actions by artists ($15.6 million) and engineers ($14.9 million) amid reporting on long unpaid hours. - Large layoffs
Large layoffs
October 2026: EA announced the closure of BioWare amid about 400 reported job cuts; it had earlier disclosed cuts of about 6% of staff in March 2023 and about 5% in February 2024. - Shut down paid games
Shut down games people paid for
EA shut down the servers of online-only Anthem on 12 January 2026, after which the game could not be played. - Competition law
Competition-law action
Pecover v. Electronic Arts: EA paid $27 million under an antitrust class-action settlement over exclusive football licences, approved in May 2013.
Latest on the record
- Labour
Announced closure of BioWare amid about 400 job cuts
Shacknews - Court case
Brazilian first-instance court ordered R$20 million in loot-box damages, subject to appeal
Brazil Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Technical Note 55/2026) - Game preservation
Announced shutdown of Anthem's servers, ending play for owners
Electronic Arts
A company's history doesn't change this game's money verdict, which rates only how the game itself makes money. About company track records
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch 2 Ultimate Team on Switch is gated off from the wider crossplay community, per Nintendo Life |
26 September 2025 | — |
| Nintendo Switch | 26 September 2025 | — |
| PlayStation 5 | 26 September 2025 | — |
| PlayStation 4 | 26 September 2025 | — |
| Xbox Series X|S | 26 September 2025 | Store page |
| Xbox One | 26 September 2025 | — |
| Windows PC Steam and the EA app |
26 September 2025 | Store page |
Further reading
- Official website
- EA: how to set up and use FC Playtime (limits on matches, FC Points and packs)
- EA player and parental tools
- EA: how parental controls affect child accounts
- FC 26 Season 10 Pre-Season and carryover rewards for FC 27 (Aug 2026)
- EA SPORTS FC 27 Lite, a free preview version (Xbox, Australia)
- Wikipedia: EA Sports FC 26
- Wikipedia
Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: www.xbox.com, www.xbox.com, www.xbox.com, store.steampowered.com, store.steampowered.com, store.steampowered.com, www.ea.com, www.ea.com, help.ea.com, help.ea.com, www.ea.com, www.ea.com, www.gamespot.com, en.wikipedia.org, www.metacritic.com, opencritic.com. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.