Anyone who’s played Ultimate Team knows the grind at the start. You log in with a bare-bones squad and slowly inch forward with trades, match rewards, and whatever scraps the game hands you. This year though, EA FC 26 might shake things up. Word is that players could get a free 100k pack during launch week. That’s huge—it means even a single good pull could flip your first few days entirely. Add in a little boost from FC 26 Coins and you’re suddenly not scraping by, but actually competing from match one.

The most believable theory floating around is that EA will link this reward to a set of “Welcome to FC 26” objectives. It fits their style—they like funneling players into new features while rewarding them along the way. Instead of just dropping the pack in your account, they’ll nudge you through some simple steps that double as a tutorial. It’s clever: players learn the mechanics, while also feeling like they’ve earned something big right out of the gate.

What would those objectives look like? Think of small, approachable tasks. Score a goal with the new Effort Shot mechanic. Play a full match in one of the updated modes. Apply a chemistry style to a player. Maybe even add a bit of flair by customizing your stadium. It’s stuff that feels bite-sized but gives everyone a chance to dip into the new systems. By the time you’re done ticking them off, that Jumbo Rare Players Pack is sitting there, waiting to be opened.

Another angle is through Squad Building Challenges. EA has leaned on SBCs before to introduce launch rewards, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they rolled out a “Foundations” or “Launch Week” group this time. These usually require a mix of bronze, silver, and gold players from different leagues. Nothing too punishing, but just enough to make you hit the market and think about squad construction early. At the end of it, the payoff would be that coveted 100k pack—a strong hook for anyone diving in at release.

There’s a catch, though. Offers like this never stick around forever. If it happens, it’ll almost certainly be time-limited—probably just the first week after global launch. That creates urgency. You either log in, get moving, and clear the objectives, or risk missing one of the best early-game boosts you’ll see all year. And players know it; the first week is always the wildest on the market because of rewards like this.

Handled right, this move would give every player a fair shot at a dream start, regardless of whether they bought the Standard or Ultimate Edition. It’s not just about fairness, though—it’s about getting people hooked fast. And if finishing the objectives or SBCs feels like too much of a grind? Well, there’s always the option to buy FC 26 Coins and breeze through the requirements without stressing the market.