A look at how Ultimate Team has evolved over the past decadeāand why many players believe the mode has become oversaturated with promotions and special cards.
The dramatic increase in promotions has changed how Ultimate Team feels. With new campaigns arriving almost every week, special cards no longer generate the same excitement they once did. Many items become outdated within days, while the constant flow of new content can feel overwhelming for both casual and dedicated players.
The issue isn't just the number of promotions, but the sheer amount of content each one delivers. A single campaign in EA Sports FC 26 can include dozens of player items, SBCs, Objectives, Evolutions, Team 2, Team 3, and Sunday Mini Releases. Rather than building anticipation, players often move on to the next release almost immediately.
This shift becomes even more apparent when compared to Madden Ultimate Team, another EA Sports title. There, promotions are less frequent and more focused, allowing special cards to retain their value for much longer. In EA Sports FC 26, even FUTTIESāonce considered the highlight of the Ultimate Team calendarācan feel like just another weekly event.
Evolutions have also played a role. While they are one of the mode's best additions, they often produce cards that outperform players released in concurrent promotions. Instead of complementing new campaigns, Evolutions can sometimes overshadow them, reducing the impact of promotional squads.
šUltimate Team Promotions Comparison
| Game |
Main Promotions |
Cycle |
| FIFA 17 |
11-13 |
September 2016 ā August 2017 |
| EA Sports FC 26 |
35-40+ |
September 2025 ā August 2026 |
Ā¹ā· FIFA 17 Promotions
During the FIFA 17 cycle, promotions typically lasted around two weeks, and it was common for several weeks to pass without any special event.
| Major FIFA 17 Promotions |
| Ones to Watch |
| Halloween |
| Movember |
| Black Friday |
| FUTMAS |
| Team of the Group Stage |
| Team of the Year |
| FUT Birthday |
| Man of the Match |
| Team of the Season (TOTS) |
| Ultimate TOTS |
| Additional campaigns (Carniball, Record Breakers, etc.) |
Ā²ā¶ EA Sports FC 26 Promotions
EA Sports FC 26 adopted a completely different content strategy, introducing new campaigns almost every week. In addition to the major promotions, the game also featured Team 2, Team 3, Sunday Mini Releases, and other limited-time events, pushing the total number of promotions well beyond 35 throughout the season.
| Major EA Sports FC 26 Promotions |
| Ones to Watch |
| Road to the Knockouts |
| Total Rush |
| Trailblazers |
| Triple Threat |
| Centurions |
| Thunderstruck |
| Globetrotters |
| Winter Wildcards |
| NumeroFUT |
| Team of the Year |
| Future Stars |
| Fantasy FC |
| FUT Birthday |
| Dreamchasers |
| Team of the Season |
| Summer Stars |
| FUTTIES |
| PlayStyle Lab |
| National Pride |
| Glory Hunters |
| And many more... |
ā How Ultimate Team Changed
| FIFA 17 |
EA Sports FC 26 |
| One promotion every 2-4 weeks |
A new promotion almost every week |
| Special cards were relatively rare |
Hundreds of special cards released every month |
| Team of the Week cards remained relevant for months |
Team of the Week cards become outdated quickly |
| Pulling a special card felt exciting |
Multiple promotions often run simultaneously |
| Gold cards stayed competitive for much of the year |
Gold cards lose their value within weeks |
šThree Times More Promotions
| Game |
Approximate Promotions |
| FIFA 17 |
~12 |
| EA Sports FC 26 |
~38 |
| Difference |
More than 3x |
š«£Too Much Content?
The increase isn't just about the number of promotions. Modern Ultimate Team also includes Heroes, ICONs, Evolutions, multiple promotional versions of the same player, live upgrades, and numerous special item variants. As a result, EA Sports FC 26 featured several thousand special cards throughout a single game cycle. Many veteran players argue that this content overload has reduced the excitement of new releases, as special cards are often replaced by even better versions just days or weeks later.