We are seeing an absolute flood of information regarding the upcoming FUT Birthday promo in FC 26. EA dropped a highly revealing loading screen in the game, confirming what many of us suspected about the direction of the power curve. However, a massive new leak just surfaced on Twitter that completely changes how we will look at promo cards this year. You need to know exactly what is coming so you can prepare your club and your coin balance before Friday. The defining feature of this event is that every single player item, hero, and icon included will feature five star skills and a five star weak foot.
Normal FUT Birthday players will not have a PlayStyle plus
This is the biggest news of the week. Leakers just confirmed that normal FUT Birthday team players will drop into packs without a single PlayStyle Plus assigned to them. Instead, EA is introducing a system where we will be able to build our own perfect combinations through specific Evolutions while the players are still in packs. You will have full control over crafting the exact meta traits your squad needs.
This opens up a massive debate for the community. If you pack a tradable Cristiano Ronaldo or Federico Valverde from Team 1, will putting them into these custom Evolutions make them untradable? In past promos, evolving a tradable item locks it to your account forever. If EA keeps this mechanic, the supply of tradable top tier promo cards will vanish instantly as people lock them into custom Evos. The market dynamics will be chaotic. You will have to decide between cashing out for millions of coins or building a custom five star, five star monster for your own club. People who run first owner setups will absolutely love this feature, but traders will have a nightmare trying to predict supply.
New FUT Birthday heroes and icons keep their preassigned traits
While normal players get the custom Evolution treatment, the leakers also confirmed that FUT Birthday Heroes and Icons will still have their PlayStyle Pluses natively on the cards. The in game loading screen confirmed three new heroes are arriving. We know Mario Mandzukic is coming as an SBC, while Andrea Barzagli and Esteban Cambiasso will be in packs. Barzagli looks incredibly strong, boasting the Anticipate and Long Ball Pass Plus traits on the teaser graphic.
We also have strong hints at new icons joining the roster. The loading screen showed an Argentinian striker with Power Shot and Low Driven Plus, pointing straight to Gabriel Batistuta. We also spotted a German central midfielder with Incisive Pass, which is almost certianly Toni Kroos. Kroos with a pace boost and five star skills is the exact type of card that dominates the midfeild in this current patch.
Huge FUT Birthday leaks outline the full Team 1
The leakers did not hold back this week. We already have the full list of players dropping in packs for Team 1, and the roster is gigantic. You can expect massive names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lamine Yamal, Federico Valverde, and Kobbie Mainoo. Valverde just received a special card recently, but this new customizable version will immediately become one of the most sought after items on the market. We are also seeing the return of serious fan favorites. Allan Saint-Maximin is back with a heavily boosted promo card. Now playing for Lens, he brings excellent Ligue 1 links to the table. A fully upgraded Saint-Maximin is going to be an absolute nightmare for defenders in FUT Champs this weekend.
The leaked list goes much deeper than just the headline names. We also have Ivan Perisic, Rolfo, Beth Mead, and Jeremy Doku confirmed for the team. EA is also including defensive stalwarts like Bacha and Bensebaini to round out the backline options. With so many high tier cards entering packs, pack weight might actually feel decent simply due to the sheer volume of promo items available.
There is also a very weird situation brewing regarding a specific leak that has the community confused. Early rumors suggested Lionel Messi was locked in for the promo. However, recent posts from reliable leakers showed Rayane Messi, the French bronze player, instead. We do not know if EA is actively trying to trick the leakers or if we are looking at another situation where a lesser known player gets a massively boosted troll card.
Leaked FUT Birthday SBCs crash the FC 26 market
The biggest news impacting the game prior to the custom Evolution leak was the Frenkie de Jong SBC. When his rare gold card was popular at the start of the year, he ran the matches with his passing traits. A five star, five star version of de Jong linking to Joao Cancelo and other top tier Barcelona items is causing mass panic on the market. People are liquidating their clubs and selling off their meta central players in anticipation.
We have seen players drop heavily in price. Rodri plummeted from 660,000 coins to around 565,000 in just a few days. If you hold expensive central players, you are definetely carrying a massive amount of risk right now. We expect this de Jong SBC to be incredibly expensive. EA will likely demand high rated squads to push the price over a million coins instead of asking for forty different low rated squads.
Because of this expectation, high rated fodder is flying up in price. Jude Bellingham went from 17,000 coins to 23,000 rapidly, while 91 rated cards like Mohamed Salah spiked from 35,000 to 44,000 coins immediately following the leak. If you have coins to spend, looking at 89 rated cards around 12,000 coins is still a smart play before the content drops. We also have a leaked Gelson Martins SBC. He will be tough to link, but he fits the perfect profile of a cheap and overpowered FUT Birthday SBC. He reminds us heavily of the classic Ricardo Quaresma SBCs from previous years. You should complete him just to have a fun super sub off the bench.
FUT Birthday promo in FC 26 FAQs
Will regular promo cards have native PlayStyle plus traits
No, leakers confirmed normal players will require Evolutions to gain their specific PlayStyle Plus upgrades.
Do FUT Birthday icons still have preassigned traits
Yes, both Heroes and Icons will drop into packs with their PlayStyle Pluses already assigned by EA.
Will evolving a tradable player make them untradable
This remains the biggest question, as past Evolutions have permanently locked tradable items to your account.
Is Frenkie de Jong getting an SBC
Yes, leakers confirmed a premium Frenkie de Jong SBC is coming during the FUT Birthday event.
