EA Sports FC 26 Early Access Release Date
Early access to EA Sports FC 26 kicks off on Friday, September 19, 2025. That’s the day when those of us who obsessively check countdown timers (a little too often—I know, I know) can finally boot up the game and get our hands on new features, play a few matches, and maybe even stumble into bugs before anyone else does.
FUT POLICE LEAKS (@FutPoliceLeaks) shared on Twitter a roundup of FC26 leaks, crediting FutDetective for most of the details, including its release date set for September 19:
The official worldwide release is a few days later, so if you need bragging rights for your friend group (“Already packed Erling Haaland in my first Ultimate Team pack, sorry not sorry”), early access gets you there first. I remember last year’s early access: my living room basically turned into a snack-and-controller fort for three long nights. Nostalgic already.
How to Get EA FC 26 Early Access?
It’s not rocket science—or VAR, thank goodness. To get early access, pre-order the EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition before launch day—preferably by August 26, 2025, if you want all the extra “early bird” in-game bonuses. Ultimate Edition is pricier, but in return, you get up to 7 days early access, piles of FC Points, those flashy Icon Player picks, and sometimes weird but oddly cool bonus features (does anyone else lowkey live for those random Evolutions upgrades?).
Anecdotally, a cousin who never pays for extras finally caved and bought the Ultimate Edition last year. At first, he called it a “ridiculous move,” then scored two top-rated loans in his first pack and suddenly, he was smug for a month straight. Sometimes, FOMO truly wins.
Here’s a quick, not-too-serious cheat sheet for Early Access:
-
Pre-order Ultimate Edition (PS5, Xbox, PC, or Nintendo Switch).
-
Ideally, do it before August 26, so as not to miss extra “early bird” FC 25 bonuses that roll over into FC 26.
-
Download as soon as preload opens—some of us stay up for midnight launches with snacks ready.
-
Log in on September 19. Brag to your friends when you unlock Ultimate Team before the masses (optional, highly recommended).
