If you’ve yet to pre-order EA Sports FC 26, here’s all the need-to-know details about how much it costs and its complicated release date.
After the disappointment of EA Sports FC 25, which EA admits has underperformed sales-wise, EA Sports FC 26 feels like a concerted effort to address fan complaints and get the franchise back on track, as we saw in our hands-on preview last month.
This year’s launch is also a big deal for Nintendo fans, since the Nintendo Switch 2 version will offer feature parity with the other versions and won’t be a mere roster update, like previous entries on the original Switch.
With the game close to launch, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about EA Sports FC 26 here, including how you can start playing it before it’s even officially out.
What platforms is EA Sports FC 26 available on?
EA Sports FC 26 is launching on every major platform you can think of: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
However, small print in this trailer does mention that certain features won’t be available on the Switch 1 version, and the Switch 2 version is reportedly locked to 30 frames per second. So, it’s not quite at the same level as its contemporaries, no matter what some devs say.
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What is the release date for EA Sports FC 26?
Technically, EA Sports FC 26 launches tonight at midnight in early access, meaning you can start playing first thing on September 19.
However, the public launch is not due until Friday, September 26. Console players can access the game from the stroke of midnight, but PC players will need to wait a bit later until 1am BST.
How much is EA Sports FC 26?
EA Sports FC 26’s price varies depending on your platform and whether you want the standard edition or the Ultimate Edition. For the standard edition, we’ve listed its prices across each platform below:
- £54.99 – Nintendo Switch
- £59.99 – Nintendo Switch 2, PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and EA app
- £69.99 – PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One
For what it’s worth, buying the game on PlayStation or Xbox nets you two versions of the game across both console generations. So, PlayStation 5 customers get the PlayStation 4 version (and vice versa) and Xbox Series X/S customers get the Xbox One version (and vice versa).
As for the Ultimate Edition, it costs:
- £69.99 – Nintendo Switch
- £79.99 – Nintendo Switch 2
- £89.99 – PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and EA app
- £99.99 – PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
For the higher price tag, pre-ordering the Ultimate Edition includes:
- Premium season 1 pass
- Up to 6,000 FC Points delivered across two months (4,500 points on Switch)
- Ultimate Edition EVO Slot
- One Archetype Unlock Consumable
- Two Double AXP consumables for 10 Matches
- Three ICON Career players
- 5-Star coach in Manager Career
- 5-Star youth scout in Manager Career
- Manager Live Challenge content
How can you join the EA Sports FC 26 early access period?
EA Sports FC 26’s early access period is only available for those who purchase the Ultimate Edition of the game.
As we noted earlier, this version of the game is very expensive, but there is a cheaper alternative that still lets you play the game early.
How do you play the EA Sports FC 26 trial?
Anyone who is subscribed to EA Play – EA’s own online service – can access a trial version of EA Sports FC 26. One month’s subscription is £5.99, which is certainly cheaper than the Ultimate Edition, and you can carry over any progress you make to the full version once it launches.
The trial is available right now, but you’ll only be able to play it for 10 hours. However, if you subscribe to the EA Play Pro tier, which is £16.99 a month, you can play the trial for as long as you want.
You can subscribe to EA Play via EA’s website, but it also comes included if you’re subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass.
For a more in-depth breakdown of everything EA Sports FC 26 will have to offer, check EA’s website.
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