EA Sports has taken FC 26 offline for scheduled maintenance on July 29, cutting access to every mode that relies on the servers. The work covers FC 26 along with the older FC 25 and FC 24 on all platforms, so Ultimate Team, Clubs, and online seasons are unavailable while it runs.
Quick answer: The servers come back at 12:00 UTC (8am ET / 5am PT / 1pm BST). You will be able to matchmake again once the window closes.
FC 26 maintenance times for July 29
The maintenance is staggered by title, but every game returns to service at the same time. FC 24 goes down first at 07:00 UTC, while FC 25 and FC 26 follow an hour later at 08:00 UTC. All three come back online at 12:00 UTC.
| Title | Start (UTC) | End (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| FC 24 | 07:00 | 12:00 |
| FC 25 | 08:00 | 12:00 |
| FC 26 | 08:00 | 12:00 |
Match creation is disabled 30 minutes before each start time, so you cannot queue new online matches shortly ahead of the window. The 12:00 UTC end time is an estimate, and downtime can occasionally run longer if EA hits an unexpected issue.
When the servers come back in your time zone
The return time is fixed at 12:00 UTC. Convert that to your local clock to know exactly when online play resumes.
| Region | Servers back online |
|---|---|
| Pacific (PT) | 5:00 AM |
| Central (CT) | 7:00 AM |
| Eastern (ET) | 8:00 AM |
| UTC | 12:00 PM |
| UK (BST) | 1:00 PM |
What stops working during maintenance
Anything that needs a connection to EA’s servers is out of order until the window ends. That means the full Ultimate Team mode is unavailable, including sub-modes like Squad Battles. If you do reach the mode, matchmaking will fail with an error.
- Ultimate Team and all its sub-modes
- Clubs and Online Seasons
- Any mode that requires online matchmaking
Note: Avoid running SBCs on the web app while the servers are down, since submitting during downtime carries a risk of data loss. It is safer to wait until service is fully restored.
What you can still play offline
Offline modes remain fully playable while the servers are offline. Career Mode is the main option, and you can keep building a club or working through a season without any interruption. Kick-Off and Tournament Mode also stay available since they do not need a server connection.
Career Mode also has its own objectives that reward extra progression, so time spent there is not wasted while you wait for online play to return.
How to confirm the servers are back
You know maintenance is over when you can log in and start an online match without an error. Until then, the in-game notice will list the affected titles and the estimated end time. Keep in mind the listed time is an estimate, not a guarantee.
This maintenance is routine, and matchmaking behaves normally again as soon as the servers are back. If EA pushes the end time past 12:00 UTC, the updated window will show on the login notice.
