Ultimate Team has always been the heart of the EA Sports FC experience, and in EA Sports FC 27, the mode is receiving one of its biggest updates in years. Instead of simply chasing better-rated cards, players will have more meaningful ways to collect, upgrade, customize, and use their squads throughout the season.
While Ultimate Team has often been criticized for encouraging players to spend money on packs, EA Sports FC 26 already introduced more alternative ways to earn rewards through gameplay. With FC 27, Electronic Arts is pushing this idea even further by adding new progression systems, improving player customization, and creating more opportunities for both online and offline players to build competitive teams.
From the new FUT Gallery collection system to redesigned Evolutions and improved rewards, here are the biggest Ultimate Team changes coming to EA Sports FC 27.
FUT Gallery: A New Way to Collect and Showcase Cards
One of the most interesting additions in EA Sports FC 27 is the FUT Gallery, a new collection system that changes how players interact with their cards.
Every player item you obtain will automatically be stored in your FUT Gallery, even if you later sell the card or use it in an SBC. The system works similarly to a digital football sticker album, allowing you to track your collection progress over time.
Players can complete different Gallery Sets based on themes such as:
• Specific leagues
• Clubs
• Special card categories
Each card contributes a certain number of points depending on its rarity and value. These points determine your Gallery Set ranking, with grades ranging from D to S. As you complete more collections and increase your Gallery level, you will unlock additional rewards.
Possible rewards include:
• Cosmetic items such as kits and badges
• Gallery Tokens
• Exclusive Holographic cards
Holographic cards are a brand-new card type in EA Sports FC 27. These items feature a unique visual design, including the player’s signature, and provide extra value when used to complete Gallery Sets.
Gallery Tokens can also be spent in a dedicated store to unlock special Hall of Fame FUT cards, featuring fan-favorite players from football history. EA has confirmed that 17 Hall of Fame cards will be available at launch, giving collectors another reason to complete their FUT Gallery.
Base Icons Receive a Major Upgrade
Icons are among the most popular cards in Ultimate Team, but EA Sports FC 27 aims to make them feel more authentic.
Base Icons will receive improved ratings and more suitable PlayStyles based on each player’s real-life strengths and playing style. The minimum overall rating for Base Icons will also increase, moving from 86 to 88.
This should make Icon cards more competitive at different stages of the game and help them better represent the legends they are based on.
More Rewards for Single-Player Ultimate Team Fans
In previous Ultimate Team titles, many of the best rewards were connected to online modes such as Rivals, Champions, and Live Events. Players who preferred offline gameplay often had fewer opportunities to earn premium rewards.
EA Sports FC 27 is changing that with new single-player Live Events.
These events will allow players to participate in special competitions against AI opponents, including tournament-style challenges inspired by major football competitions.
For example, players may progress through a Champions League-style knockout tournament. The difficulty will increase as they advance, with the final challenge offering the toughest AI opposition.
This change gives offline-focused players more reasons to continue playing Ultimate Team while still earning valuable rewards.
SBCs Become Faster and Easier to Complete
Squad Building Challenges remain one of the best ways to earn packs, FC 27 coins, special players, and other rewards. However, completing SBCs can sometimes become frustrating due to strict squad rating and chemistry requirements. EA Sports FC 27 introduces a simpler SBC system.
Instead of managing multiple requirements like:
• Overall squad rating
• Chemistry limits
Players will only need to reach a required Squad Score. Every player's card rating will contribute points toward the total score. This streamlined approach should make SBC completion faster and reduce unnecessary squad management.
PlayStyle+ Limit Brings Longer Card Lifespans
EA Sports is capping the maximum number of PlayStyle Plus (PS+) slots at 3 for FC 27, reversing the trend from previous years where end-game items featured up to 5 PlayStyle Pluses. This major gameplay adjustment is part of a broader effort by EA to intentionally slow down the Ultimate Team power curve and keep player base stats more relevant throughout the yearly cycle.
Fewer Campaign Squads, More Meaningful Ultimate Team Content
When EA mentions five fewer campaign squads, it means that FC 27 will have approximately five additional weeks during the year without a new promotional squad being released in packs (meaning there will be no traditional Friday campaign team launch).
The exact number may still change slightly, as the overall content schedule is still being finalized. Therefore, the final reduction could be a few weeks more or fewer depending on the completed plan.
However, these non-campaign weeks will not mean a lack of content. Players will still have plenty of activities to participate in, including Squad Building Challenges (SBCs), Objectives, Evolutions, Live Events, and other gameplay features.
For example, EA could introduce a Gallery-focused week where players complete special Objectives linked to their FUT Gallery progress. Instead of chasing a new promotional squad, the weekly focus could shift toward completing Gallery Sets, earning rewards, and progressing through the collection system.
Slower Progression, Better Early Rewards
EA is also changing how player progression works in FC 27.
At the beginning of the game cycle, squads will improve at a slower pace. However, progression will accelerate later in the season. EA describes this approach as: "Slower to strong, faster to elite."
The idea is to create a stronger connection between players and their squads. Instead of replacing your entire team every few weeks, your favorite cards should remain useful for a longer period.
To balance slower progression, EA is increasing early reward opportunities. Players will earn rewards from more activities, including:
• Completing matches
• Earning Season Points
• Unlocking Season Pass rewards
• Receiving more tradable packs
This should provide more consistent progress for active players.
FUT Swap Tokens Return in EA Sports FC 27
After appearing in EA Sports FC 26, FUT Swap Tokens will continue in FC 27.
During selected periods of the game cycle, players will be able to earn tokens and exchange them in special FUT Swap stores for rewards such as:
• Exclusive players
• Packs
• Evolution upgrades
The return of this system gives players another long-term goal beyond simply opening packs or completing objectives.
Evolutions Become More Flexible Than Ever
Evolutions are arguably receiving the biggest improvement in EA Sports FC 27.
Previously, Evolutions followed a fixed upgrade path. In FC 27, every Evolution stage will include branching choices, allowing players to decide how their card develops.
Depending on the path selected, upgrades may focus on:
• Specific attributes
• New PlayStyles
• Visual changes
This means two players could evolve the same footballer but end up with completely different versions of that card.
EA is also adding the ability to preview the entire Evolution path before committing, helping players make better upgrade decisions.
The PlayStyle Labs feature will also return throughout the year, providing additional customization options. Furthermore, every player will have access to Roles++ for primary and secondary positions from launch, creating even more tactical flexibility.
EA Sports FC 27 Ultimate Team Could Be the Most Player-Friendly Version Yet
With more customization, improved rewards, and new collection systems, EA Sports FC 27 Ultimate Team looks set to deliver a more flexible experience for different types of players.
The introduction of FUT Gallery, expanded Evolutions, improved offline rewards, and slower card progression all aim to make squads feel more personal and meaningful.
Whether you are a competitive FUT player, a casual collector, or someone who enjoys building unique squads, FC 27 appears ready to offer more ways to enjoy Ultimate Team.
EA Sports FC 27 is scheduled to launch on September 25, 2026, across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms.
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