EA Sports FC 26 early access starts mid-September launch a week later

EA Sports FC 26 will begin rolling out to players in mid-September with early access for some buyers and a full global launch a week later, publisher Electronic Arts confirmed, with timings varying by platform and region. Owners of the Ultimate Edition will be able to play first, consoles unlocking at midnight local time on September 19 and PC versions becoming available from September 18, while the Standard Edition goes live for consoles at midnight local time on September 26 and for PC one day earlier, according to EA and regional release information.

EA has said the early-access schedule depends on edition and platform. The publisher’s blog post and regional guides state that Ultimate Edition console users can start at local midnight on September 19. For PC, an EA Sports community manager posted on EA’s forums that the early PC release will align with New Zealand’s timing, effectively putting the PC early-access window on September 18 for many time zones. Some reporting converts that to 1pm British Summer Time for PC early access, although other outlets have cited a 2pm BST start; regional clocks will determine the precise moment for individual players.