Opinion: EA Sports FC 26 makes Ultimate Team unfair for anyone who doesn’t want to pay constantly.
Every year in September, the same ritual begins: You throw yourself into a new Ultimate Team season full of anticipation, make plans, dream of the perfect team. And every year, I feel like publisher Electronic Arts is putting more and more hurdles in our way. With FC 26, however, this is no longer just a vague suspicion. Here, it’s made crystal clear: If you don’t pay, you’re at a significant disadvantage from the start.
Greed has a new name: Premium Pass at launch
Do you remember 2024? The outcry when rumors of a paid premium pass for FC 25 began to circulate? The fan protests were so loud that EA apparently got cold feet and the pass was not released.
Instead, it was quietly introduced months later, in April 2025 with Season 7, presumably to test the reaction once most players had already finalized their teams or long since put the game aside.
There is no sign of this restraint in FC 26: The controversial real-money Premium Pass is back, and it’s being thrust in front of us right from the early access release. Those who pre-order the expensive Ultimate Edition will get it right away.
But everyone else who has only spent $70 on the Standard Edition will immediately see that their game progress is worth less than that of others.
In addition to the normal level system, there is a premium track from the start that promises paying players more and better rewards. EA’s calculation seems clear: after the feature was criticized in FC 25, it was removed.
In addition to the normal level system, there is a premium track from the outset that promises paying players more and better rewards. EA’s calculation seems clear: after the feature was only tested last year, it is now set to become the norm. This is simply another built-in advantage for paying customers. In a full-price game.
The calculated disadvantage for non-payers
As if that weren’t enough, the developers have tightened the screws on anyone who wants to resist. Important milestone goals that gave us a solid, free head start in previous years have been removed.
- Packs for wins with bronze or silver teams?
- The extremely valuable 50k and 100k packs for a certain number of goals and assists?
- SBCs such as Hybrid Nations, Hybrid League, or Puzzlemaster with big rewards?
All gone.
This is no coincidence; in my opinion, it’s a conscious decision. Electronic Arts is taking away the most basic tools we need to build a solid team without spending real money. The manufacturer is systematically drying up the non-paying route in order to increase the pressure to reach for the credit card. Not only does this make the grind in EA Sports FC 26 longer, it also creates a huge gap between paying and non-paying players right from the start.
The early bird gets the credit card
What fits perfectly with this strategy is the staggered release: Getting started early is a decisive advantage in Ultimate Team. The transfer markets are fresh, and the chances of finding affordable stars are greatest.
EA knows this very well, of course. And so, early access to EA Play no longer seems like a nice service, but rather like the first toll booth on the way to the game.
You paid $100 for the Ultimate Edition to be one of the first to start on September 19? Great. Thanks for your money. But for the real start on September 18, we’d like another $6 for a month of EA Play.
Of course, I can’t prove this. Maybe there really are some technical inconsistencies behind it. Nevertheless, to me, the whole thing seems like a blunt attempt to squeeze a few extra euros out of the pockets of everyone who is serious about Ultimate Team – and there are many of them – for the very first kick-off.
The Premium Pass, the reduced F2P rewards, and the purchased early start are definitely more than just minor annoyances to me. They are a clear signal of where things are headed. If this is the new normal in FC 26, where will we be in FC 27?
Ultimate Team has always been Pay2Win, no question about it. But with enough time and skill, I’ve always been able to hold my own in recent years. But slowly, I’m starting to feel like the air is getting pretty thin for players like me.
