EA Sports FC 27 arrives in three flavors this year, and the gap between them is mostly about early access, FC Points, and Ultimate Team rewards rather than the football itself. Every edition ships the same full game and core modes. The catch is that some of the best pre-order bonuses disappear on set dates, and one edition can only be bought during a short window before it vanishes for good.
Quick answer: FC 27 launches worldwide on Friday, September 25, 2026 in Standard ($69.99 / £69.99), Ultimate ($99.99 / £99.99), and Ultimate Plus ($149.99 / £139.99) editions. Ultimate and Ultimate Plus grant up to seven days of early access starting September 18, and Ultimate Plus is only sold through August 31, 2026.
The three FC 27 editions and prices
The main decision comes down to how much you plan to play Football Ultimate Team. If you mainly stick to Career Mode, Clubs, or kickabouts, the base game covers you. If you build a FUT club every year, the pricier editions front-load FC Points and Premium Passes that would otherwise cost extra over the season.
| Edition | Price (USD / GBP) | Core extras |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $69.99 / £69.99 | Full game and pre-order Career and The Grounds bonuses; no early access |
| Ultimate | $99.99 / £99.99 | Up to 7 days early access, Season 1 Premium Pass, up to 6,000 FC Points |
| Ultimate Plus | $149.99 / £139.99 | Up to 7 days early access, Premium Passes for Seasons 1–5, up to 10,000 FC Points, Hall of FUT pick |
Prices differ on Nintendo hardware. The Standard Edition costs $59.99 on the original Switch and $69.99 on Switch 2, while the Ultimate Edition is $79.99 on Switch and $89.99 on Switch 2. Ultimate Plus is not sold on either Nintendo platform or the Epic Games Store.
Note: Active EA Play subscribers, or anyone who owns FC 26 on their chosen platform, get a 10% discount on the price of FC 27.
What the Standard Edition includes
The Standard Edition is more than just the game in a box. Pre-order it by September 24, 2026 and you also unlock a set of Career Mode and The Grounds bonuses, delivered the first time you play each mode.
- Pre-order Career Mode challenges
- Three ICONs or Heroes for Career Mode
- A 5-star coach and a 5-star youth scout for Manager Career
- The Grounds signature sweatsuit for your Avatar
- A Tier 3 AMP inspired by Kylian Mbappé
- Two double AXP consumables for ten matches each
- A 92+ overall untradeable ICON player item for FC 26 Ultimate Team
Two caveats apply. The 92+ FC 26 ICON does not come with the Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 versions, and The Grounds is only playable on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch 2, so any bonus tied to that mode only applies on those platforms. The disc version is Standard-only this year, so a physical copy means the Standard Edition.
Ultimate Edition contents and the early-bird deadline
The Ultimate Edition carries everything in Standard, then layers on early access and Ultimate Team perks. Its rewards shrink after the early-bird window closes, so timing matters.
- Up to seven days of early access from September 18
- Season 1 Premium Pass
- Up to 6,000 FC Points delivered in three monthly drops of 2,000
- Dynamic OVR pre-season boost and a 5-star senior scout for Manager Career
- Five extra Manager Live challenge creation slots
- An additional Player Evolution slot in FC 27 Ultimate Team
- A 99 DRI stat Evolution and a 93+ overall ICON pick for FC 26
Pre-order by August 31, 2026 (16:00 UTC) and you also get an 85+ overall International ICON player item plus a 1-of-4 93+ overall ICON pick for FC 26. Order after that but before September 24 and you keep a single 93+ ICON for FC 26 but lose the International ICON. Buy the Ultimate Edition after September 24 and the FC 26 bonuses drop away entirely. The early-bird ICON offer is not available on the Epic Games Store, Switch, or Switch 2. FC 26 rewards require you to own FC 26 separately.
Ultimate Plus Edition and its limited window
Ultimate Plus is the top tier and it is time-limited. It is only sold during the early pre-order window that runs through August 31, 2026 (16:00 UTC), and there is no upgrade path from Ultimate to Ultimate Plus once that deadline passes.
It bundles the Ultimate Edition’s early-bird content, then swaps in bigger totals and adds a few exclusives:
- Up to 10,000 FC Points across five monthly drops of 2,000, replacing the 6,000 total
- Premium Passes for Seasons 1 through 5, instead of just Season 1
- A 1-of-5 Hall of FUT player pick (Adebayo Akinfenwa, Giovani dos Santos, Loïc Rémy, Marouane Fellaini, or Eljero Elia)
- A 99 PHY stat Evolution for FC 26, on top of the 99 DRI Evolution
The extra 4,000 FC Points and four additional Premium Passes are the main reason the price climbs past the Ultimate Edition. Like Ultimate’s early-bird perks, Ultimate Plus is not offered on the Epic Games Store, Switch, or Switch 2.
You can choose and pre-order any edition from the official store.
Pre-order deadlines that change your rewards
| Deadline | What happens |
|---|---|
| August 31, 2026 (16:00 UTC) | Last chance to buy Ultimate Plus; final day for Ultimate’s early-bird International ICON and 1-of-4 FC 26 ICON pick |
| September 24, 2026 | Last day for Standard pre-order bonuses; Ultimate still grants a single 93+ FC 26 ICON but not the International ICON |
| After September 24, 2026 | Ultimate loses all FC 26 bonuses; Ultimate Plus is no longer available |
FC Points are not handed over all at once. The first grant lands when you first log in to FC 27 Ultimate Team, with the remaining drops arriving on the 15th of each following month. To collect all of them, complete the initial distribution by August 1, 2027 for the Ultimate Edition or June 1, 2027 for Ultimate Plus. Redeem after September 26, 2027 and you receive no FC Points at all.
Launch and early access dates
The worldwide launch holds to the series’ usual late-September Friday. Early access is identical for both premium editions, so Ultimate Plus does not start any earlier than Ultimate.
| Event | Date and time |
|---|---|
| PC early access (Ultimate / Ultimate Plus) | September 17, 23:00 UTC |
| Console early access (Ultimate / Ultimate Plus) | September 18, 00:00 local time |
| Worldwide release (Standard and all) | September 25, 2026 |
| FC 27 Lite free preview | September 25, 16:00 UTC |
Standard Edition players wait for the September 25 launch. FC 27 Lite is a free, limited download that opens up select modes such as Kick-Off on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, the EA App, Steam, and the Epic Games Store, with an upgrade path to the full game. Nintendo platforms are not part of the Lite lineup. PS4-to-PS5 and Xbox One-to-Series X|S upgrades are included at no extra cost.
Ultimate Team promo dates to watch
Live content usually begins almost as soon as the game is out, and Team of the Week can even start before the wider launch. Week 1 of TOTW is expected to be announced on either Wednesday, September 16 or Wednesday, September 23 at 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. GMT, then it repeats every Wednesday while the football seasons run, including during international breaks.
The first major promo is Destined for Glory, a fan-voted event where players choose who they think is heading for a breakout season, with those picks receiving special cards. It is expected to go live on the September 25 release date. From there, the typical promo cycle rotates every two weeks with two drops per event, a Team One at release and a Team Two the following week, though marquee campaigns such as Team of the Year and Team of the Season break that pattern.
The short version: if you only want the football, Standard is enough and its bonuses stay live until September 24. If you play Ultimate Team seriously, the August 31 deadline is the one to circle, since it decides whether Ultimate Plus is even an option and whether the Ultimate Edition’s biggest FC 26 rewards land in your account.
