Free FC 26 packs confirmed and market panic begins ⇒ FUTFC

EA has confirmed free packs are coming to FC 26 this Friday just for logging into the game. What sounds like a reward could actually trigger a deeper crash in an already unstable market, just two days into the game’s full release.

Here’s how these free packs work and why they might push FC 26 prices even lower.

Free FC 26 packs for logging in explained

The upcoming Cornerstones promo arrives this Friday and will bring with it early engagement rewards. These free packs are given to any player who has logged into Ultimate Team on at least three different days. No SBCs or match requirements. Simply log in.

These are the two confirmed packs:

Mini Energizer Pack
Includes one rare gold player (untradeable)
First Choice Player Pick Pack
One of two players rated 82+ (untradeable)

Both packs are extremely easy to unlock. The only condition is that players must access Ultimate Team directly from a console or PC. The web app and companion app do not count.

This type of reward structure usually appears mid-cycle during events like FUT Birthday or Team of the Season. In FC 26, EA is bringing it in immediately. That could have a bigger impact than many players expect.

Guide: Claim your secret free FC 26 Icon pack today

Extra free packs from objectives

EA has also added another free pack tied to an existing in-game objective. If you have completed the ‘On Your Way’ foundations objective, you will receive the Opening Bell Pack. This is different because it is fully tradable and contains:

3 tradable Gold Premium Player Packs
Each pack has 12 gold player items
3 rare players per pack
1 guaranteed to be 80+ rated

This is by far the most valuable pack of the three. If you quick sell everything, you will likely make 10,000 coins or more. If you hit anything meta or usable, you could make far more.

It is unclear whether players who already completed the objective will be rewarded retroactively. Most likely they will. If not, it could be worth waiting to finish the final piece of the objective on Friday after the packs go live.

How free packs will crash the FC 26 market

Untradeable rewards usually don’t crash the market directly but they reduce buying demand. If players pack usable items from these early free packs, they will be less likely to purchase other players off the market. That causes price drops without any extra supply.

However, the Opening Bell Pack is fully tradable. This is where the real risk comes in. If hundreds of thousands of players receive this pack, the market will be flooded with low to mid-tier gold players.

The result could be:

Sudden dips in cards priced between 10k and 30k
A race to sell cards before prices drop even further
Increased competition in low-tier SBC fodder

Even players with no interest in trading will feel the effect. Popular starter players like Rashford, Konate, Van de Ven and Marmoush are already dropping quickly.

Rashford is under 19k
Konate is around 43k
Van de Ven is below 80k
Marmoush has fallen to 39k

These drops happened before the packs were even granted. Imagine what will happen once they are.

Video: TheFutAccountant

Price ranges and EA mistakes have added to the panic

On top of pack-related pressure, EA made several price range changes that caused immediate market confusion.

For example:

Doure had her price cap reduced to 65k while she was selling for over 78k
Deina dropped from 40k to 35k
Lucio was cut from a 6 million max to just 1.8 million coins

These updates made several cards temporarily unlistable. EA later corrected the errors but the damage was already done. Many players lost coins selling low or were stuck holding cards they couldn’t trade.

This created a sense of panic throughout the community, especially among traders and investors. With the upcoming supply from free packs, that panic is spreading quickly.

Track the latest price changes and caps on FUTBIN’s price range tracker.

What to expect after the free packs drop

Here’s how the market could move in the hours after the packs go live:

Prices for fodder cards will likely dip
Mid-range golds may crash if packed in high volume
Rare meta items may hold better value due to low pack weight

There is also a chance that Thursday’s Division Rivals rewards provide a temporary boost. These rewards are mostly coins and untradeable packs, which typically don’t add much supply but do increase club value.

Still, the impact of three tradable player packs arriving in everyone’s store on Friday should not be ignored. Most players will either use the cards or quick sell them. Either way, it adds coin flow and player supply.

If you are holding untradeable cards, there is no reason to worry. If your squad is mostly tradable though, consider taking profit before Friday. Coins in hand give you flexibility to buy back later if the market falls further.