Ultimate Team is the most popular game mode in the EA Sports FC series, engaging millions of players worldwide. Unsurprisingly, anticipation for the 2026 season is already high—especially with several much-needed improvements on the way.
Although the game mode evolves significantly year after year, some longstanding issues have gone unaddressed by EA. However, it seems that EA FC 26 will finally introduce penalties for one of the most frustrating problems players have faced.
One of the most criticized aspects of FUT in recent years has been the tendency of players to leave matches early—whether due to losing or simply disliking how the game was going.
This behavior disrupted fair play and made it harder for others to gain experience or enjoy competitive and exciting matches.
But it appears things will change in EA FC 26. According to the well-known FGZ Twitter account, which often shares reliable insider information, the developers will introduce a penalty system for players who consistently quit matches prematurely.
If a player leaves multiple matches in a row, they’ll have to wait before starting another one. Exact details of how this system will work are still unknown.
While the exact number of forfeited matches required to trigger a penalty hasn't been confirmed, it could start from as few as two and scale up.
The type of penalty is also unclear. The FGZ source mentioned a 15-minute timeout as a possible example—but it’s not confirmed. Still, it’s likely that EA is considering similar penalty lengths.
Players have long asked for such a system to be added to FUT, citing the frustration of having matches cut short by opponents who exit prematurely.
In many cases, the match doesn’t even begin—opponents quit at the team preview screen, after seeing your player cards. This too is expected to be addressed this year. Though serious players rarely engage in this, it's a common issue among casual users.
It’s worth noting that even a lost match can be beneficial in FUT. It allows players to gain experience, test new tactics against stronger opponents, and do so without significant risk.
More importantly, matchmaking algorithms rely on complete performance data to pair you with the right opponents. If you quit early, the system can’t evaluate your performance properly, making future matches less balanced.
With EA FC 26 launching in September, this—and other rumored changes—suggest that developers are finally listening more closely to community feedback than ever before.
