EA Sports FC 26 brings tweaks to on-field gameplay, updated rosters, and some new ways to play and upgrade your players over time across various core game modes. As has become the norm with the series, there are two editions for players to choose from: the standard edition, and the Ultimate Edition. But which one is right for you? In this guide, I'll explain what comes in EA FC 26's Ultimate Edition, how much it costs, and whether it's worth picking up depending on how you typically spend your time in the game.
EA Sports FC 26 Reveals Ultimate Edition Cover Athlete
EA Sports FC 26 reveals the cover athlete for its Ultimate Edition and announces when players can learn more about the upcoming game.
What's in EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition?
The Ultimate Edition has a bunch of content that makes the higher cost worth it for certain types of players. This includes:
- 7 Days Early Access (beginning September 19)
- 6,000 FC Points over 2 months
- Season 1 Premium Pass
- One additional Ultimate Team Player Evolution Slot
- Early Access Rush Rewards in Ultimate Team and Clubs Game Modes
- 3x ICONs for Player and Manager Careers, 5-Star Coach, 5-Star Youth Scout, Manager Live Challenge content
- 1 Archetype Unlock Consumable for Clubs Game Mode
- 2 Double Archetype XP Consumables for Clubs Game Mode
The Career and Clubs content listed above is also included as a preorder bonus for the standard edition of the game.
In addition to the above, if you preordered the Ultimate Edition before August 20, you'll also receive the following:
- Untradeable Hero Player in EA FC 26 Ultimate Team
How Much Does EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition Cost?
If all of this content sounds appealing, it'll cost you $99.99/£99.99. This can be made cheaper, as having an EA Play subscription on Xbox (part of Game Pass Ultimate) will save you $10/£10.
In comparison, the standard edition of EA FC 26 will cost you $69.99/£69.99. Preordering this edition can get you the Career and Clubs mode content as noted above, but the real value of the Ultimate Edition arguably lies elsewhere.
Is EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition Worth It?
The answer depends on how you typically spend your time playing EA FC 26. I'd argue that unless you're desperate for those ICONs for your player and manager careers, if you don't spend much time playing Ultimate Team, then the Ultimate Edition isn't really worth it. As the edition's name suggests, the real value comes in what it offers die-hard Ultimate Team fans. 6,000 FC Points currently costs around $49.99.
If you typically find yourself spending money on FC Points to open packs or buy Draft Tokens, then you may find that buying the Ultimate Edition actually saves you money in the long run. About $20, to be clear, which is hardly something to turn your nose up at.
In addition to that, you get the Season 1 Premium pass and an additional player evolution slot. The premium pass can unlock extra in-game rewards, while the player evolution slot can be used to help further upgrade your team.
On top of all of that, you get to play the game seven days earlier than you would with the standard edition. During this time, Ultimate Team has some early access—exclusive challenges, tournaments, and game modes to complete, so there's plenty more to grind out ahead of the official launch. This can also be a great way to bag yourself some of the fastest players in EA FC 26, which are typically part of the meta each year.
To summarize, if you're a big Ultimate Team, then buying the EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition is probably worth it, especially if you normally spend money on EA FC Points. However, unless you're desperate for the clubs and career mode rewards or early access, and you don't play Ultimate Team all that much, you're probably better off saving your cash.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
- Released
- September 26, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone / In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- EA Vancouver, EA Romania
- Publisher(s)
- EA
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Sports
