
EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition pre-order bonuses revealed with free Icon and more FC Points
We now know the official EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition pre-order bonuses, with Paris Saint-Germain revealing what rewards players will get before EA Sports.
We're finally starting to find out all there is to know about EA FC 26 from official sources, with EA Sports starting to release information on the latest EA Sports FC instalment after weeks of never-ending EA FC 26 leaks. EA revealed Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the new EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition cover star earlier this week, while a countdown has begun on EA Sports FC's YouTube channel for the EA FC 26 reveal trailer.
But now, the official EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition pre-order bonuses have been revealed, but instead of coming from EA, they've come from one of its partner clubs, PSG. Here's all we know so far about the EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition pre-order bonuses.
EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition pre-order bonuses
PSG posted a video to its @PSG_inside Twitter account, showing some of the PSG squad, including Desire Doue, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Bradley Barcola, all reacting to the news of Ibrahimovic's return in EA FC 26. After all the players are done praising the Swedish striker, the video cuts to a graphic of the EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition pre-order bonuses, confirming what players will get for pre-ordering the new game.
It also confirms that if you want all of the pre-order bonuses, then you must pre-order the EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition by August 26, 2025.
The confirmed EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition pre-order details are as follows:
x1 Icon player item (untradeable)
6,000 FC Points over two months
Seven days of early access
Season 1 Premium Pass access
x1 93+ Icon player pick (1 of 5) & x1 Evolution (both rewards given in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team)
At the bottom of the graphic, a few little icons are displaying other bonuses you can get for pre-ordering the EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition, including what looks to be kits and two Evolution slots. But, there is also an Icon that looks like the SP logo from EA FC 25, but with the letters 'AXP' instead of 'SP'. There's also a small rectangle with the letter 'A' inside, which may somehow link to the 'AXP' logo.
In the small print, EA claims that the pre-order offers for EA FC 26 on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 will not include the bonuses that are given in EA FC 25, while Switch players won't receive 6,000 FC Points, but instead, 4,600 FC Points.
EA has increased the FC Points from 4,600 to 6,000 for players on PlayStation, Xbox and PC, while even though Switch players will get less in EA FC 26, it's still an upgrade on the 3,850 given in EA FC 25.
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Player marking - adjusted positioning of defenders to now man mark opponents when close and inside the box. Defensive Line Height - the defensive line will not automatically push up as far when trying to keep players offside. Physicality Protecting the ball and keeping it is an essential part of football, and we agree that this is an area with lots of room for improvement. Our goal is to give you added consistency with the shield button, allowing you to protect the ball, be it when receiving a pass, when the opponent presses against you when controlling the ball, or when bumping a marker with your shoulder as you dribble to make a bit of space. Shielding Improvements In FC 26, Shielding has been fully reworked to provide you with more consistent options and extra authentic physicality across the pitch. Shield Trapping - our objective was to give players a new tool when trapping the ball and wanting to stand their ground instead of immediately moving. Improved positioning when receiving the ball and Shielding Hold L2 || Hold LT. Increased Strength-based differentiation when Shield trapping. Prioritized getting in the way of incoming opponents instead of getting the perfect touch on the ball. Rebalanced and improved outcomes of several scenarios and timings when starting to Shield before and after receiving the ball. New Shielding trap animations, to increase shielding coverage and effectiveness Shield Dribbling - Dribble shielding has been fully reworked to make it more consistent and better at respecting your input. Improved consistency of player positioning relative to the ball when Shielding. Improved transition from Shielding to Sprint. Re-tuned how long you can Shield depending on how much short-term fatigue you have. New Shielding movement animations. Shield Entries We added multiple new ways to perform one-off Shield actions while moving. These actions can be used to quickly and physically get in front of the opponent before going into a rapid burst of speed, or they can be a way to start shielding when out of position. Dribbling Shoulder Challenges - new type of Shielding action that allows you to better protect the ball while dribbling. Physics - improved physics effects for both the shielder and the shieldee, to accentuate the physicality of the action. New Animations - multiple new animations added for Step-ins, Seal Outs, and Shield Turns. Enforcer PlayStyle - new animations added for players with the new Enforcer PlayStyle and PlayStyle+. Contested Box Outs On top of all the improvements to physicality in FC 26, we are adding a new mechanic called Contested Box Outs. Stronger players are able to keep opponents away when fighting for an incoming air ball. This allows players to use Shield when in front of their opponent, triggering a strong physical action that provides more space to either trap the ball or set up for a header. The effectiveness of the Box Out is based on the Strength difference between the two players. It can only be triggered if your player is in a good position when waiting for the ball. Following a Box Out, you can transition into any action to allow a fluid continuation of play. Other Physics Changes We've spent a lot of time ensuring that we've reduced physics-based frustrating scenarios that could sometimes occur. Jumping over fallen players will now be much more reliable and effective.. Players getting stuck together when stumbling will be moved to the side to allow them to detach and continue play. When trying to avoid other players, we have made them more slippery. This is so that player avoidance doesn't cause players to get stuck on each other. Controlling the Ball and First Touches Similar to physicality and defending, first touches could have been frustrating in the past when they felt sluggish, non-urgent, or when they fell back to the opponent. Our goal with these improvements is to make players feel more agile and in control of the ball, especially when trapping it. Controlling the Ball - Responsiveness First Touch Responsiveness - significantly improved responsiveness of first touch ball control to seamlessly transition into dribbling right after contact with the ball. Ball Control - refined players' ability to control the ball after a pass or interception to maintain possession. Factors influencing the difficulty of a first touch include ball speed relative to the player's speed, ball height, requested exit angle, opponent pressure, the part of the body used for the touch, the extent of stretching, and player attributes such as Ball Control, Interceptions, and Composure. 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Gameplay Animation Improvements Animation transitions and branching have been re-evaluated and retuned across most areas of Gameplay to improve consistency and responsiveness. Adjusted the following areas across all animations to make them more internally consistent: time to contact ball, ball trajectories better aligned with animation, pose fidelity, and animation exit speed. Improved selection of animations to better match the player's current speed and animation speed. Relaxed the coverage required for animations, allowing them to start faster in many situations. Fatigue Redesigned When investigating responsiveness, one common piece of feedback was that players would sometimes not feel the same across the course of a match. For Competitive Gameplay purposes, we decided to redesign some elements of the Fatigue system. Our goal with this change is responsiveness; a player should always feel and play well when you are controlling them. Note: the changes below only apply to Competitive tuning, though Clubs has a slightly different design. Short-term and long-term fatigue only affects AI-controlled players User-controlled players are NOT AFFECTED while being controlled. CPU-controlled players in Competitive tuning are also not affected by fatigue. An example is when playing Squad Battles. When controlling a player, the effect of fatigue on the Sprint Speed and Acceleration attributes is not in effect. Meaning a user-controlled player acts as if they have full stamina when controlled. For AI players, they will have a reduction in Sprint Speed and Acceleration when fatigued (proportional to the fatigue level). Relentless and Relentless+ PlayStyles have been changed to increase how quickly your short-term fatigue recovers (more details in the PlayStyles section). For Authentic Gameplay, fatigue works as before. For Clubs, short-term fatigue works as before, however, long-term fatigue doesn't accumulate for any player. For example, when short-term stamina depletes, the player is slower when running until the fatigue bar recovers. Note: this design is subject to change. Inputs, Indicators, and Overlays Improved the Input Processing System. More info in the Responsiveness Deep Dive: Fixed Skill Move detection issues. We made the Player Indicator more responsive during gameplay. Created a new overlay to better display connection status (visuals subject to change): Competitive and Authentic Gameplay Let's dive into one of the most significant changes we've ever done to gameplay - splitting it into two separate experiences based on how and where you play the game. Online modes like Football Ultimate Team and Clubs will have their own gameplay type called Competitive Gameplay, while offline modes like Manager Career and Player Career will use Authentic Gameplay as default. This change is a direct result of your feedback, from the comments, posts, and threads, to the hours of conversations we've had with the community about how our game could improve. And yes, this means that we can tweak, tune, and change the gameplay for each type without affecting the other. If we add a more realistic feature like slower skill moves, we can make sure they only happen in Authentic, while something like removing the fatigue from user-controlled players can be tailored to Football Ultimate Team. We know that Online and Offline players have different priorities, and we want to showcase that by creating two enjoyable, separate ways to play FC 26. Competitive Gameplay Made for FUT and Clubs Competitive Gameplay is mandatory/locked in FUT, Clubs, Online Seasons, and Online Friendlies. It is optional in Kick-Off and Career Mode. Our goal with Competitive Gameplay is to create a more skill-driven competitive experience by reducing the impact of randomness and assistance. This is an experience tailored for those who enjoy fast-paced, responsive gameplay. The changes to Competitive Gameplay aim to deliver on the three 'competitive community' priorities: Responsiveness, Consistency, and Control. Here are the main differences in Competitive Gameplay: All GK deflections try to get away from danger, reducing rebound goals Reduced tackles/blocks/interceptions bouncing back to your opponent Less AI defending, resulting in looser defensive lines Fewer auto tackles and auto blocks Redesigned Fatigue feature More responsive and smoother transitions in and out of specific animations Increased passing speed and responsiveness Tighter control and more speed while dribbling, and skill moves are faster Increased variability on crosses, to favour player skill over repetitive wide play Increased heading error relative to Authentic Increase variability in Corner Kicks outcomes, with fewer attacking players involved by default Less authentic visuals when avoiding a ball, to resolve these situations more effectively Players get up quickly after being tackled to the ground Players show no reaction animations when hit by a fast incoming ball Note that while some of the effects above were mentioned in the Fundamentals section, they were increased/tuned up for Competitive gameplay. UT Competitive Camera [NG] We also created a new UT Competitive Camera that is exclusive to the Ultimate Team Stadiums. This camera provides a way to see more of the pitch, while still showing off the stadium and its atmosphere. This camera is on a rail, ensuring more predictable pad angle behavior to aid Competitive Gameplay. Authentic Gameplay Bringing Realism and Choice to EA SPORTS FC Authentic Gameplay is the default for Manager and Player Career Mode and optional in Kick Off. You'll still be able to toggle between both presets in Kick Off and Career to tailor your gameplay experience. Authentic gameplay is not playable in Ultimate Team or Clubs. Our goal with Authentic Gameplay is to create a true-to-football experience with a heavy emphasis on realism, strategy, and immersion. This is an experience tailored for those who enjoy methodical and less predictable gameplay. What allows us to achieve the above is not just the Competitive mechanic toggle, but also the Authentic Gameplay Sliders. We have carefully tuned them to accomplish that true-to-football experience with a heavy focus on realism and immersion. Weather Effects are also turned on by default. The changes to Authentic Gameplay aim to deliver on three authentic community priorities: Immersion, Realism, and Less Predictability. The main differences in Authentic Gameplay are: Authentic Sliders Weather Effects, including Wind, Rain, and Snow Lower speeds for dribbling and skill moves More physics-based GK rebounds, blocks, and bounces More realistic tackle accuracy Greater AI defending enabled, with tighter defensive lines and defenders reacting realistically when a ball is nearby More realistic and tighter positioning in midfield More realistic header passing and shooting accuracy Corner kicks and Crossing tuned to match real-world success rates Players avoiding a ball might occasionally be hit by it instead More realistic animation transitions Human-like reactions and get up animations Authenticity Features Toggle Article continues below This setting activates a set of features that are specifically designed to support the Authentic gameplay type, such as the increased influence of physics in ball movement, or the increased assistance with AI defending. This toggle is locked when in Authentic Gameplay, but can be turned on/off when customizing your gameplay type. It cannot be turned on in Competitive.


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- Daily Mirror
Premier League's 8 bizarre loan transfers as Man Utd fail with Emi Martinez offer
Manchester United tried and failed with a loan move for Emi Martinez but the Premier League has seen some bizarre temporary switches over the years - involving the likes of Renato Sanches, Grant Holt and David Pizarro Manchester United's audacious bid for Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez, surprisingly, did not come off, but they aren't the only club to chance their arm with a temporary move like that. The Red Devils are weighing up what to do at No 1 with Andre Onana injured and facing a race against time to be fit for the Premier League's opening weekend. Martinez has been linked with a move away from Villa Park, but on a permanent basis. United attempted to see whether they could get the Argentine on a short-term basis. For Villa though there was nothing to gain and the offer was hit with a quick no. It wouldn't have been the weirdest loan move to ever take place however. Throughout the history of England's top flight clubs have looked to plug gaps, be it for a couple of months or for a season, and that has led to players making the most surprising of moves. Martinez, a World Cup winner and first choice goalkeeper where he is, would've had to swap the team who finished sixth for one who ended in 15th. It would've been a switched that wouldn't have suited his parent club, who valued him at around £40m. The most eye-raising loan moves have often stemmed from a club needing to get a player, no matter how big his reputation, back into form. We take a look at some of the short-term switches that have happened over the years - some proving rather unsuccessful. Jese - PSG to Stoke A career path that goes Real Madrid, PSG, Stoke City is always going to make people ask questions. The Spaniard had fallen down the pecking order at both clubs but things started with a bang as he scored the winner on his debut against Arsenal. That was about as good as it got though and he walked out of the stadium when then manager Mark Hughes left him on the bench on one occasion. He experienced personal issues himself and couldn't stop the Trotters being relegated. Steven Caulker - QPR to Liverpool So the centre-half was on the books of QPR and couldn't prevent them going down, but his stock was high enough that Southampton offered the defender the chance to stay in the Premier League. His loan was cancelled mid-season and his Championship club sanctioned a loan to the Reds, where Jurgen Klopp was in charge. He only played four times, but two of those had him as a makeshift striker. Andy Goram - Motherwell to Man Utd In March 2021 Sir Alex Ferguson had a bit of an injury crisis with Fabien Barthez and Raimond van der Gouw struggling for fitness. His next move? Give Motherwell a call and go after Goram, then into his mid-30s. United received UEFA's permission to sign a goalkeeper on loan and came up with £100,000 to get Goram from north of the border. The player actually thought it was Ally McCoist playing a prank on him such was his shock and initially hung up. He would play just twice for the Red Devils and was subbed off in both games having failed to keep a clean sheet in either outing. Andy Booth - Sheffield Wednesday to Tottenham When the north London side needed a striker in January they took the unusual step of turning to the old Division One, now the Championship, for a striker who hadn't scored a league goal since August. Nevertheless, they went after the Owls star. Booth moved to Spurs for a month as cover for the injured trio of Les Ferdinand, Steffen Iversen and Chris Armstrong. Director of football David Pleat claimed he had the opportunity to make a real point, but he failed to make it. Rules at the time didn't allow loan deals between top-flight sides, but Booth returned to Sheffield without scoring. Renato Sanches - Bayern Munich to Swansea The teenage sensation won Euro 2016 with Portugal, was named the Young Player of the Tournament and won the Golden Boy award which sealed a move to Bayern Munich. He was tipped to take European football but storm but struggled and eventually found himself in Wales. The Swans thought it was a coup when they landed him, but he was anything but and Sanches flopped, playing just 12 times in the league. Roque Junior - AC Milan to Leeds One of those deals that, on the face of it, looked a good bit of business. A World Cup winner with Brazil and a Champions League winner at AC Milan. His move to Elland Road would be a disaster and the centre-half was sent-off on his Leeds debut against Birmingham. He would play six more times and across those Leeds conceded 25 times in those seven games, losing six. His loan move ended within months of him moving to Yorkshire. Grant Holt - Wigan to Aston Villa The veteran striker defied all his doubters when it first came into the Premier League with Norwich, scoring 15 times. He went from League Two to the top flight in three years, but later left the Canaries to join Wigan. He was by no means prolific, but Villa still chose to come calling as they looked for goals in their attack. Sitting in mid-table, they landed Holt, who would only score once in ten games. David Pizarro - Roma to Man City If you struggle to remember a loan move, that's never a great gauge of how its gone. David Pizarro had been a regular for years at a competitive Roma side and the midfielder signed for City on loan in January 2012, back when Roberto Mancini was in charge. He would only make seven appearances in all competitions, scoring just the once.