Much like Career mode, Ultimate Team is also receiving plenty of updates and additions in FC 26. It is the bread-and-butter mode of the series, so several sweeping changes for modes like Rivals and Champions are long overdue.
Highlights are a better checkpoint system for Rivals and a new low-tier mode for Champions. Keep reading to learn all that has changed for the most competitive mode in FC 26.
All New Rivals Changes And Features In FC 26
The first notable addition for Rivals mode in FC 26 is Bounties. They're essentially randomly triggered objectives that provide different rewards like Rivals Points, Coins, Packs, Season XP, and even Rivals Stage Skips.
Some examples of Bounties given in the recent deep dive include:
- Score the first goal
- Score the last goal
- Win by two or more
- Keep a clean sheet
There is also a special version of these Bounties called Duels. In Duels, you'll be competing for the objective with your opponent. Like, "Score the first goal" can only be done by one player, and it is only that player who will walk away with the reward. All of this brings an added twist and also provides an opportunity to earn rewards and progress without winning.
Another significant change for Rivals is a revamped Checkpoint system. FC 25 had flagged checkpoints from which, no matter the number of matches you lose, you'll never go below that point. This made it possible to drag yourself to higher divisions, even if you were not ready. With the new breakable checkpoint, called Limited Checkpoints, you'll face relegation once you lose a certain number of matches.
Outside of these two changes, EA also pointed out that they're working on tweaking the rewards for the mode. They did not share specifics on the changes but did acknowledge that there are "too many matches to play" for good rewards.
All New Champions Changes And Features In FC 26
The biggest change for the Champions mode in FC 26 is the addition of a brand-new Challengers tier and no more playoffs.
Now there will be two tiers, Champions and Challengers, with Challengers being the lower tier. Where you'll be placed will be decided based on your Division in Rivals. The exact Rivals Division to qualify for Champions is not yet revealed.
Challengers is essentially the Europa League for Champs, which further increases the prestige of Champs as the highest level of competition in FUT. Of course, rewards will likely be different between them, and Challengers is said to have its own format.
With players already being segmented based on division, there is little use in having a playoff, and EA has decided to remove it altogether. You'll still need points from Rivals to earn a qualification, however.
That's all the changes coming to Rivals and Champions with FC 26.
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