EA FC Ultimate Team Glossary
Ultimate Team is the card-collecting mode of EA SPORTS FC. Its vocabulary mixes real mode features (Team of the Season, the Ultimate Pack, the Transfer Market tax) with words from other parts of the game that get searched alongside it (Archetypes, House Rules, Co-op Seasons) and with items that no longer exist (position modifiers). This page sorts them out and says what each term means in EA SPORTS FC 27, released on 25 September 2026, with FC 26 facts named where they differ.
FC 27 changed Ultimate Team in several ways that touch the terms below. The list comes from EA's FUT Deep Dive of 2 August 2026:
| FC 27 change | What it means |
|---|---|
| Streamlined SBCs | Instead of building a full squad around chemistry, you submit eligible items toward a target score; duplicates and partial progress count, and squad rating requirements are being phased out. Traditional SBCs remain for Challenge SBCs |
| Holographic items | When an eligible special item is in a pack, a Holographic version of it may be too. Regular and Pristine versions exist; the player and in-match attributes are the same as the normal item |
| FUT Gallery | A record of player items that pass through your club, grouped into sets by nation, league, club or campaign and graded by the items you add |
| PlayStyle+ cap | The maximum PlayStyle+ on a single item drops from five to three |
| Evolutions | Pathways give some Evolutions branching upgrade choices, and a chain preview shows where one Evolution leads before you commit |
| Base items and packs | Base items are just Bronze, Silver or Gold, without Common or Rare labels, and packs no longer state a minimum number of Rare items |
| End of Match Rewards | Part of the weekly and event rewards moves into coins and Season Points paid after each match in select modes |
Archetypes
Archetypes are not an Ultimate Team item. They are the player types you build in the career-style modes. EA introduced 13 Archetypes in FC 26 for Player Career and Clubs, each inspired by an ICON of world football, each with its own strengths, weaknesses and unique abilities. In FC 27 the same 13 Archetypes sit in The Grounds, the hub that includes Clubs, split into 2 goalkeeper, 3 defender, 4 midfielder and 4 attacker types.
FC 27 has already reworked them once: EA announced on 19 October 2026 that upgrade costs and requirements were changing, and reset all Archetype Attribute Points in an update deployed by 22 October 2026, 2:00 am PT, so every Pro could be rebuilt. If your build feels different after that date, this is the reason.
The word is confused with two Ultimate Team systems. PlayStyles are traits printed on every card (for example Anticipate or Incisive Pass; see the gameplay glossary), and chemistry styles are consumables that boost attributes (see Chemistry Styles). Roles, the third neighbour, also changed in FC 27: all special items released during the year get Role++ familiarity across every role in their primary and secondary positions.
For build ideas, see our FC 26 Clubs guide and the FC 27 Clubs guide.
Classic XI
Classic XI was an FC 26 initiative with two parts. First, EA added ten Classic XI squads built from Icons, Heroes and other standout players, among them club sides such as Chelsea, Juventus, Bayern and Liverpool and league sides such as the Premier League, Bundesliga, LALIGA and Serie A. They were made for local play in Kick Off and Kick Off Rush, so friends could play a strong team without building one.
Second, EA ran a Classic XI Heroes offer in Ultimate Team: 11 club and league Heroes, among them Vincent Kompany, Gianluca Vialli and Jean-Pierre Papin, claimed by logging into Ultimate Team before 12 January 2026, 9:59 am PT. The Classic XI Hero Pack appeared under My Packs in the store, and the Heroes later upgraded into Team of the Year Honourable Mention Heroes when Team of the Year started.
Old descriptions of Classic XI as a fixed "Pele, Maradona, Cruyff" line-up do not match what EA released. EA has not announced a Classic XI campaign for FC 27, so the closest current way to field retired stars is through Icons and Heroes in Ultimate Team.
Co-op Seasons
Co-op Seasons is a top-level mode in FC 27, not part of Ultimate Team. It uses the same division ladder as Seasons (see the game modes glossary), but you team up with a friend and play ranked 2v2 matches against other online duos, using authentic club or national teams rather than your Ultimate Team squad.
Ultimate Team has its own co-op options, which is where the confusion comes from. Rivals can be played in co-op, and matchmaking then uses the higher-rated partner's Skill Rating. Couch Play and Play a Friend let you play together without ranking. If you want to climb with a friend using your own cards, that is Rivals co-op; if you want licensed teams and no squad building, that is Co-op Seasons.
Both players need to be online and accept the invitation before a Co-op Seasons match starts.
Daily Deals
"Daily deals" is a player name for rotating store offers, not an Ultimate Team store tab. The store is open around the clock from the main Ultimate Team screen and carries limited-time promo packs next to the regular packs. Those promo packs rotate with the content calendar, so a pack that is there today may be gone tomorrow, which is where the "daily deal" feeling comes from.
For scale, FC 26 store prices recorded by a tracking site:
| Pack (FC 26) | Coins | FC Points | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Gold Players Pack | 25,000 | 350 | 12 |
| Premium Gold Players Pack Plus | 25,000 | 350 | 24 |
Two points to keep in mind. Pack contents are random, and in FC 27 packs no longer state a minimum number of Rare items, so judge any offer by its Pack Probability screen. And FC Points cost real money, while coins come from matches, rewards and the Transfer Market.
EA Tax
EA tax is the 5% fee taken from every successful sale on the Transfer Market. A 5,000-coin sale pays you 4,750 coins, and a 10,000-coin sale pays 9,500. There is no tax when you buy, when you list an item, or when a listing expires unsold. The fee applies to tradeable player items, consumables and other eligible items regardless of value.
Because of the fee, a flip must gain more than about 5.3% to make a profit: buy at 10,000 and you need to sell above 10,526 to break even. EA also sets a minimum and maximum price for each item, so you cannot list below or above that range. New FC 27 accounts unlock the Transfer Market through EA's Graduated Access system, which also gates Champions, so a fresh club may not be able to trade on day one. The 5% rate is the same as in FC 26.
House Rules
House Rules belong to Kick Off, not Ultimate Team. On the Kick Off match selection screen, press R1 or RB to browse match types and pick House Rules. The FC 27 list:
| Rule | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mystery Ball | When the ball goes out it returns as a Shooting, Passing, Dribbling, Speed or All-Boost ball that boosts the player and team; goal values rise later in the match |
| King of the Hill | Keep possession inside zones on the pitch to raise the value of your next goal; outside the zones it drops back to zero |
| No Rules | No fouls, offsides or bookings |
| Headers and Volleys | Only headers and volleys count |
| Survival | Each time a team scores, one of its outfield players is removed at random (never the goalkeeper, AI players before user players), up to four |
| Long Range | Goals from outside the box count double |
| First To | The first goal wins |
Rush, a quick 5v5 match, is a separate Kick Off type opened the same way. Ultimate Team has its own Rush mode with your squad, which is a different thing from House Rules.
Inverted Modifiers
Inverted modifiers is a player term for swapping the modifier buttons, the shoulder buttons and triggers you hold to change what a face button does. There is no toggle with that name. EA's accessibility pages for FC 27 list what you can change:
| Input | Layouts | Remapping |
|---|---|---|
| Controller | Classic (default), Alternate, Two Button, One Button | In Classic and Alternate: face buttons swap with face buttons, shoulder buttons and triggers swap with each other, left-stick movement can swap with the d-pad tactics inputs |
| Mouse and keyboard (PC) | Classic (default), Alternate, Two Button | Keyboard keys can be swapped in Classic and Alternate; mouse movement and buttons cannot |
So the usual "inverted" setup, for example putting sprint and finesse on swapped shoulder buttons, is possible through the shoulder and trigger swap. The One and Two Button layouts automate actions and cannot be used in competitive online games, and competitive online play does not allow mouse and keyboard at all.
Position Modifier
A Position Modifier was a consumable that changed a player's preferred position. In FIFA 22 and earlier there were specific cards such as CAM to CM; FIFA 23 replaced them with a single card that switched only to an alternative position already listed on the item, so a left-back could not become a left wing-back unless that position was on his card.
Position modifiers were removed in FC 24 and have not returned. Since then a player can start in any of his listed preferred positions without a consumable, and being in one of those positions makes him eligible for chemistry. The ways to change where a player can play today:
- pick an item whose listed positions already include the slot you need;
- apply an Evolution with a "New Alt. Position" reward, which adds that position to the card permanently (FC 26 examples: The Eighth King of Rome turned strikers into CAMs, Party at the Back turned centre-backs into full-backs);
- in FC 27, use special items, which come with Role++ familiarity in their primary and secondary positions.
FC 27 Career Mode also lets a player hold up to seven positions, but that is a separate system from Ultimate Team items.
Team Of The Season
Team of the Season (TOTS) is the spring promo that honours each league's best performers with upgraded items. In FC 26 it ran from 17 April to 22 May 2026: it opened with Serie A, the Premier League TOTS arrived on Friday 24 April at 6 pm BST, and the final drop was Ultimate TOTS, which brought back a selection of the season's best players in one team.
TOTS items are released league by league over those five weeks, so the strongest version of a player depends on when his league's team drops. Do not confuse TOTS with Team of the Year (TOTY), which starts in January, or with Team of the Week (see below). The FC 27 TOTS has not started; the FC 26 dates show the usual April to May window, not a confirmed schedule.
Ultimate Pack
The Ultimate Pack is one of the most expensive packs in the Ultimate Team store. FC 26 prices recorded by a tracking site:
| Pack (FC 26) | Coins | FC Points | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Pack | 125,000 | 2,500 | 30 |
| Ultimate Pack Plus | 125,000 | 2,500 | 60 |
| Untradeable Ultimate Pack | 90,000 | 1,800 | 30 |
What changed in FC 27 is how packs are described. Base items no longer carry Common or Rare labels, and packs no longer state a minimum number of Rare items; EA says the odds for base items rated 82 and below are meant to stay in line with FC 26. The old claim that an Ultimate Pack holds "30 Gold cards, all Rare" no longer describes anything in the game. Check the in-game Pack Probability screen for the exact odds of each store pack before buying.
Related Ultimate Team terms
- Team of the Week (TOTW). A special player item for players picked for the weekly Team of the Week, released as a new squad each week. See Team of the Week.
- Heroes. Historic player items celebrating footballers remembered for their performances in a particular league. Base Heroes sit in the regular item pool and Campaign Heroes arrive with selected campaigns. In FC 27, Heroes can also raise the grade of a FUT Gallery set. See Heroes.
Guides and services
Our Ultimate Team explained guide covers the basics, and the FC 27 coins guide looks at trading with the 5% tax in mind. Onlyfarms also lists Ultimate Team services and FC coins.
Related terms
- Team of the Week
- Heroes
- EA FC Chemistry Styles Explained
- EA FC Game Modes Glossary
- Game economy and cosmetics glossary
FAQ
How much is the EA tax in FC 27?
It is 5% of the sale price on every successful Transfer Market sale. Selling a card for 5,000 coins pays you 4,750. Buying, listing and expired listings are not taxed.
Are Archetypes part of Ultimate Team?
No. Archetypes are the 13 player types you build in Clubs and The Grounds (and in Player Career in FC 26). Ultimate Team cards use PlayStyles, Roles and chemistry styles instead.
Do position modifiers still exist?
No. They were removed in FC 24. A player can start in any of his listed positions without a consumable, and new positions come from Evolutions or special items.
When does Team of the Season happen?
In FC 26 it ran from 17 April to 22 May 2026, starting with Serie A and ending with Ultimate TOTS. EA has not announced FC 27 TOTS dates yet.
Is Co-op Seasons an Ultimate Team mode?
No. It is a separate top-level mode where you and a friend play ranked 2v2 matches with licensed teams. Inside Ultimate Team, co-op play runs through Rivals, Couch Play and Play a Friend.
Fifa services on Onlyfarms
- FC 27 Coins
- FC 27 Champions Finals Boost
- Divisions Rivals
- Evolutions Boost
- FUT Champions Playoffs
- Divisions Rivals Points
