EA FC 26 Cornerstones — what the first promo changes (Sep 26)

EA’s first campaign for FC 26 Ultimate Team is Cornerstones, a launch-window promo built around the players clubs rely on most — established leaders, long-term signings, and young talents who’ve become indispensable. In the Launch Update, EA sets out how Cornerstones fit a broader plan to slow the early power curve, diversify squad-building, and make chemistry decisions matter again.

Quick overview

When it starts

Cornerstones is slated to go live on Friday, September 26, at 10 AM PT (1 PM ET / 6 PM BST). Expect a standard rollout: Team 1 items in packs at launch, with some content arriving through SBCs and Objectives soon after.

What Cornerstones cards actually do

• Permanent upgrades: items arrive with boosted ratings and stats — they’re designed to be foundational options for early squads.
• +2 Club chemistry links: each item provides enhanced Club links to glue together hybrids and reduce early-game chemistry friction.

That +2 Club bonus is the noteworthy twist. It directly supports the slower power curve by letting you field more balanced, chemistry-sound teams without racing into extreme stat inflation.

The bigger context: a deliberate slow start

EA is pacing upgrades more gradually this year. Base Rare Golds, ICONs, and Heroes are intended to anchor competitive squads deeper into the season, while most weekly campaign items will deliver smaller, more lateral boosts. The heavier lifts are still earmarked for tentpoles like Black Friday, Team of the Year, and Team of the Season. Cornerstones aligns with that philosophy — useful, but not game-breaking.

Chemistry changes amplify Cornerstones’ role

Chemistry Styles have been rebalanced to a tighter 3/6/9-point boost model with clearer trade-offs on pace-heavy setups. That reduces stat spiking and encourages more varied builds. In practice, Cornerstones’ +2 Club link smooths the path to full chem while you experiment with styles that prioritize composure, reactions, or stamina over raw speed.

How it fits alongside launch content

• Early Access (from September 19 for Ultimate Edition) brings a Daily Knockout Tournament, Evolutions, World Tour/Squad Foundations drops, and early TOTW squads.
• Cornerstones is the first campaign after Early Access, arriving alongside the Standard Edition’s worldwide launch window.
• Ultimate Gauntlet debuts shortly after launch weekend, testing club depth by forcing multiple, unique lineups across rounds — an environment where chemistry flexibility and mid-tier depth matter.

What to do on day one

• Build around Club links: target 2–3 Club cores that benefit from the +2 link and bridge leagues/nations with a Cornerstone item.
• Set Chemistry Styles with intention: if you opt for pace, accept the trade-offs elsewhere; otherwise, lean into control stats (e.g., reactions, composure) to stabilize early meta matchups.
• Prioritize SBCs that return squads or packs: early fodder is scarcer with a slower curve, so value repeatable, low-tax routes.
• Use Evolutions to raise your floor: iterative upgrades for bottom/mid-tier items complement Cornerstones without pushing you into power creep.

How much impact to expect

Cornerstones will make early squads more coherent rather than wildly stronger. You should feel the chemistry benefits immediately; the stat boosts will be helpful but measured. If you’re chasing massive overall jumps, you’ll likely wait for later-season tentpoles.

Champions and rewards pacing

Rewards have been tuned to match the slower progression. For reference, Rank 1 Champs Finals loot in Season 1 includes:

• 85,000 Coins
• 2x current Campaign Guarantee (Untradeable)
• 3x 83+ TOTW Player Pack
• 3x 88+ Rare Gold Player Pack
• 10x 84+ Rare Gold Players Pack
• 10x 83+ Rare Gold Players Pack
• 10x 84+ Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable)

Expect similarly restrained rewards across tiers — still meaningful, just calibrated to keep the market and power curve stable.

Players to expect — and what’s unknown

EA hasn’t announced the Cornerstones squad at time of writing. The theme points toward stalwarts and central figures (think defensive anchors, creators who knit a system together, or breakout talents who’ve become indispensable). Plan squads around roles rather than chasing speculative leaks — the chemistry and style changes reward cohesion as much as any single rating line.

Practical squad-building templates

• Club spine hybrid: stack GK–CB–CM from one club for easy chem, then use a Cornerstones attacker to extend links into a second league.
• Wing bridge: run one club’s fullback–winger pair on max chem, then slot a Cornerstones CAM/CF to bind the opposite flank across leagues.
• Gauntlet-ready depth: duplicate key roles (e.g., destroyer CM and box-to-box CM) from different clubs so you can rotate entire midfields without breaking chem in multi-round events.

Key dates to keep in mind

• Web App: September 17
• Companion refresh: September 18
• Early Access (Ultimate Edition): September 19 on console (midnight local), September 18 on PC (1 PM BST)
• Standard Edition worldwide launch: September 26 on console (midnight local), September 25 on PC (1 PM BST)
• Cornerstones: September 26, 10 AM PT (1 PM ET / 6 PM BST)

Cornerstones is less about headline-grabbing ratings and more about infrastructure — chemistry flexibility, sustainable upgrades, and viable choices across the squad. If FC 26 sticks to this cadence, early months should feature broader team variety and a healthier market, with the biggest spikes reserved for the season’s marquee moments.