Today, publisher Electronic Arts put out a deep dive on the coming changes and improvements being made to the Clubs feature in their coming football simulation title ‘EA SPORTS FC 26’. Below you’ll find a slimmed down version of the whole blog post, but you can check out the full thing right this way. EA SPORTS FC 26 is set to launch on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and cloud providers on the 26th of September. Players who pick up the Ultimate Edition will be able to play as early as the 18th, however.
Revamped player progression is coming with Archetypes, a new system that will have players unluck, progress, and develop 13 distinct player Archetypes that give you options for your playstyle. Each of the 13 Archetypes comes with its own set of unique characteristics, and the new customization experience gives you more control over how you develop your Pro.
Now each Archetype in EA SPORTS FC 26 comes with its own set of unique Signature PlayStyles that reflect that Archetype’s style of play. These PlayStyles are automatically unlocked and equipped when you unlock your Archetype, and they’ll upgrade to PlayStyle+ as you progress with that Archetype. While Signature PlayStyles cannot be removed, you do have the option to swap them out for a different PlayStyle+ once you unlock and equip a Specialization for that Archetype, giving you some flexibility in customizing your items as you advance.
On top of all this, each Archetype has a unique set of minimum and maximum values for all attributes, as well as unique ranges for Weak Foot and Skill Moves. When you level up your Archetype, you receive Attribute Points (AP) that can be used to improve any attribute directly from the Edit Attributes screen. As you increase an attribute, the AP cost for further upgrades will also rise, making higher values tougher to reach. Any upgrades you make are permanent, but if you want to reallocate your points, you can request an Archetype Reset (using Clubs Coins or a Reset Consumable), which returns all previously spent AP to your wallet.
Each Archetype comes designated with four specific Key Attributes that complement the way your selected Archetype is built to play. These Key Attributes cost less AP to upgrade for that Archetype compared to others, making it more efficient to develop that Archetype in a way that suits its strengths. Key Attributes are highlighted by default when entering the Edit Attributes screen, making them easy to identify whenever you want to upgrade.
Signature Perks are new on-pitch abilities designed to encourage you to embody your chosen Archetype or Specialization whenever you step on the pitch.
Each Archetype comes with two Signature Perks that are unlocked through the course of your Archetype progression, while a third is equipped whenever you have a Specialization active.
There are three types of Perks:
- Action-based perks activate after you perform a specific action and provide you with a temporary attribute boost. For example, the Press and Pass perk assigned to the Recycler Archetype delivers a temporary boost to Short Passing, Reactions, and Vision after regaining possession in your own half.
- Mechanic-based perks trigger when using a certain control or technique. A Creator Archetype, for instance, gets a boost to Curve, Short Passing, and Long Passing when making Precision Passes in the middle third via the Precise Pass perk.
- Team-focused perks benefit your teammates. If a Creator+ Specialization completes a through pass in the opponent’s half, the receiver temporarily gains boosts in Finishing, Balance, and Ball Control via the Assistant perk.
And lastly, we get a look at the revamped Live Events system. You can team up and compete in new ways with Live Events, delivering dynamic Clubs Rush tournament experiences. Each Live Event will bring new challenges with varying entry requirements, modified Rush gameplay, and alternate rules, creating fresh opportunities for you to earn rewards throughout the season.
Each Live Event comes in the form of a single-elimination knockout tournament, where your skill will be tested across a max of four Rush knockout rounds. There’s also a brand new Rush Stadium, to give each tournament a more focused, intense atmosphere. Plus, you can celebrate on stage with your squad after a trophy win. Each player starts with a limited number of attempts to win the tournament. Winning a match allows you to move on to the next round, while losing a match costs you an attempt and sends you back to the first round.
Using up all your attempts will see you are eliminated from the event, though some events will reset your available attempts after a certain period, giving you another chance to participate. The tournament can only be won by claiming victory in consecutive matches across all rounds up to and including the Final. Event progress is tracked individually and not as a squad, and there is no time limit for starting your next match. So, you can take your time editing your Archetype before attempting the next round with a new batch of teammates, just don’t wait too long, as each event will eventually expire.
There are a lot of updates to the Be-A-Goalkeeper (BAG) experience in FC 26, including new controls and assistance levels, PlayStyles for BAG, revamped UI components and updated presentation, featuring unique camera and audio treatments. For full details of the revamped Be-A-Goalkeeper experience, check out the Gameplay Deep Dive Pitch Notes.
Facilities are being expanded in FC 26 with the introduction of AI Facilities that boost the attributes for your AI teammates. With the Facility budget now shared between AI and Player Facility upgrades, club managers now have a lot more to think about when deciding how to best allocate their resources.
The Clubs CPU AI has received some improvements to the Call-for-Pass system, making the CPU more intelligent when considering pass requests and preferring better options when multiple requests come in at the same time. This improvement extends to both Clubs and Rush, ensuring the CPU Goalkeeper will choose better pass options when players spam the pass request.
