Another year means another Ultimate Team season, and EA FC 26 brings plenty of major changes to the game’s biggest and most lucrative mode.
Both Clubs and Career Mode are getting important overhauls in EA FC 26, with plenty of new features and refinements to the gameplay. But while both of these modes have their die-hard fans, nothing compares to Ultimate Team in terms of popularity.
As you’d expect, the mode is also on the receiving end of some major changes this season, in an effort to make it the biggest and best year to date, whether you’re a veteran or a more casual player.
Here’s everything new in EA FC 26 Ultimate Team.
Live events
One of the biggest additions this year is live events, limited-time competitions that challenge players to experiment with different types of teams. These are broken into two distinct types: Gauntlets and Tournaments.
Gauntlets take place over five rounds and require a new squad for each one. You always progress to the next round, even if you lose, but there are better rewards up for grabs if you win more games.
Meanwhile, Tournaments are played over four rounds, where a loss eliminates you from that run. You can still go back to the start and try again, but as soon as you win the final, you won’t be able to re-enter the Tournament.
These events will be released throughout the season, and some will even require you to complete certain objectives to qualify, such as winning a certain number of Rivals matches.
Rivals changes
Rivals is the main Ultimate Team mode to play during the week, and it’s going to look a little different this time around.
Although the format remains the same, there will now be greater bonuses for winning multiple matches in a row, such as climbing two stages at once or earning double the Rivals Points. To add an extra wrinkle, your opponent will also know if you’re on a streak, giving them extra incentive to snatch the win.
The devs have also addressed a long-running issue where players would get stuck in high divisions, unable to progress. This year, the game tracks the number of games you’re losing and will relegate you to a lower rank if you lose too many, even if you’ve reached a checkpoint.
Arguably, the biggest Rivals change is the addition of Bounties. These provide extra objectives to complete within in match that still help you progress, even if you don’t win. These can range from keeping a clean sheet to scoring the last goal.
The aim is to give players more of a reason to stay in a match even if they don’t start well. So, even if a win isn’t looking likely, you’ve still got something to play towards.
Champions Play-Offs removed
After years of requests, you’ll no longer need to make it through the Play-Offs to enter the Champions Weekend League. If you’re in Division 5 or higher, as long as you have the required Qualification Points, you’ll be entered automatically.
This means you can spend the week focusing on your Rivals matches instead of having to take a break to qualify for Champs.
FUT Challengers Weekend League
Another major complaint over the last few years is that FUT Champs is too difficult for the average player. This has been addressed in EA FC 26 with the addition of Challengers, a brand-new Weekend League for more casual fans.
This will be open to anyone below Division 5 and runs at the same time as Champs. The format is virtually identical, win matches to reach milestones and earn rewards, but the packs and coins will be significantly lower.
So, lower-skill players will still have a place to improve and earn rewards away from the die-hard players, and the slightly less valuable rewards should deter Top 100 demons from dropping their rank to try and get in.
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