EA Sports has unveiled improvements and changes made to Ultimate Team in EA FC 26. Better known as FUT, the mode is the series’ core multiplayer experience and golden goose, with players having to purchase card packs to obtain athletes for their squads.
FC 26 hopes to bring more variety to FUT with the introduction of Live Events. These themed competitions will challenge players to build completely different squads thanks to customized entry requirements and match rules, making even niche athletes potentially valuable to have.
EA is also streamlining the menu structure, making it easier and faster for players to claim any in-game rewards from completing objectives.
The classic Tournament mode also returns in FC 26. These competitions will use a regular knock-out format and appear periodically, each having its own entry requirements and rewards.
Completely new to the mode are Gauntlets. Each Gauntlet consists of up to five matches and players will have to field a completely different squad for each one — similar to Live Events, it wants to promote varied rosters and give additional value to all the card pulls that may not be top-of-the-line. Instead of aiming for only the best cards, players will have to build up clubs with the ability to field several competitive squads.
At launch, the Ultimate Gauntlet will be available every two weeks and require three unique squads, but those rules will change over the course of the game’s lifecycle. Rewards are up for grabs and depend on how well the players do in their Gauntlet.
Rivals, a core experience of the mode, will be overhauled in FC 26 to address fan concerns. Bounties — random challenges or side objectives that attach themselves to matches — will provide players the chance to earn extra rewards. Limited Checkpoints allow for mid-season relegation, preventing players from being stuck outside of their actual skill bracket for long, making them miss out on rewards.
Playoffs have been removed from Champions to reduce the number of required matches. Players can instead qualify for this competition by earning Qualification Points directly from Rivals matches. Outside of top divisions, players can enter the Challengers competitions, essentially a sub-division of Champions with its own rewards and format.
All of these structural changes are underpinned by FUT using the new Competitive Gameplay preset, which has been specifically crafted for skill-based multiplayer matches. This ruleset will be quicker and snappier than the single-player mode’s Authentic Gameplay, offer a higher level of player responsiveness and cut down on random elements like rebounds.
The popular Evolution mechanic will be extended to goalkeepers in FC 26 and there will be Repeatable Evolutions to give users more leeway when it comes to choosing the right enhancements.