Football fans with an Xbox Game Pass subscription can look forward to an exciting opportunity this weekend. The latest iteration of EA's renowned soccer series, EA Sports FC 26, is set to be accessible for free play. This special event runs from January 15th through Monday, January 18th, and is available to Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential subscribers. Despite some user criticisms regarding in-game issues and monetization practices, this offers a chance to experience the title firsthand.
Football Frenzy: EA Sports FC 26 Hits Xbox Game Pass for Limited Free Period
From January 15th to January 18th, 2025, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential subscribers will have the chance to dive into the world of virtual football with EA Sports FC 26, entirely free of charge. To promote this event, Xbox even enlisted the help of former German football star Toni Kroos in an announcement video. This installment, which continues the legacy of the former FIFA series, boasts an impressive roster of over 20,000 licensed players, spanning more than 750 national and club teams across 35 leagues. Players can engage in various modes, including the competitive Football Ultimate Team, participate in Live Events and Tournaments, or develop their custom player in Career mode using new Player Archetypes inspired by legendary athletes. While the game achieved a respectable Metascore of 77 upon its September 2025 release, user reviews on Metacritic currently average 2.9, often citing prevalent bugs and the game's use of microtransactions, a common point of contention in modern sports titles. This free play weekend provides a perfect opportunity for curious players to form their own opinions on the game's quality and features.
This limited-time offer highlights the evolving landscape of gaming subscriptions, where platforms like Xbox Game Pass continue to add popular titles to their libraries, providing immense value to their members. It also underscores the ongoing dialogue within the gaming community about in-game purchases and the initial quality of releases. Players now have a direct pathway to evaluate whether the excitement of virtual football outweighs the reported issues, reinforcing the importance of experiential gameplay in forming critical assessments.