The post is a the latest iteration of the Xbox Excellence Awards, which was created last year to celebrate how players engaged with various releases on Xbox. The Store Rating category lists 2025 games with the best ratings on the Microsoft Store, with an added requirement of the title having at least 500 ratings. Player Engagements is about the average number of hours spent on a game by each player within the first six weeks of a game’s release. Daily Active Users celebrates titles, expansions or updates with the highest single-day active users throughout the year. And finally Units Sold is fairly self-explanatory.

Going down the lists, you’ll find many of the biggest releases of the year, from ARC Raiders and Battlefield 6, as well as award-winning RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Indie titles have also been well-represented, with games like Crime Scene Cleaner and Satisfactory making it into the lists. There also doesn’t seem to have been a singular genre to dominate the lists, since everything from sports games like EA Sports Madden NFL 26, to fantasy adventure life sims like Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, and even fighting games like Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics are well represented.

Curiously, none of the games was present in all four of the categories. At most, we got to see titles like Borderlands 4 being able to make it on to three of them: Player Engagement, Daily Active Users and Units Sold. Even ARC Raiders, which has seen quite a bit of success, is only on the Units Sold and Daily Active Users lists.

Microsoft has also emphasized that the lists represent a diverse collection of games developed by studios of varying sizes. All in all, it represents 48 unique developers based out of 13 countries, with 24 publishers having had a hand in their release. 19 of the games were self-published. “Taken as a whole, it’s an encapsulation of development on Xbox – we want gaming to reach you wherever you are, and for the teams making those games to find you from wherever they are,” wrote the company.

Full list of games:

Store Rating:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Crime Scene Cleaner
• Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2
• Digimon Story: Time Stranger
• Dreamcore
• Dynasty Warriors: Origins
• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Lies of P: Overture
• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
• Little Nightmares III
• Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
• Minami Lane
• Mullet MadJack
• Poppy Playtime Chapter 4
• Satisfactory
• Silent Hill 2
• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
• The First Berserker: Khazan

Player Engagement:

• Borderlands 4
• Digimon Story: Time Stranger
• Dynasty Warriors: Origins
• EA Sports College Football 26
• EA Sports FC 26
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
• Farm Together 2
• Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
• Helldivers 2
• Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
• MLB The Show 25
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• NBA 2K26
• NHL 26
• Rust
• Satisfactory
• The First Berserker: Khazan

Daily Active Users:

• Arc Raiders
• Avowed
• Battlefield 6
• Borderlands 4
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• DOOM: The Dark Ages
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Fortnite
• Forza Horizon 5
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Grounded 2
• Helldivers 2
• Marvel Rivals
• Minecraft
• NBA 2K26
• Rematch
• Roblox
• Rocket League
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Units Sold:

• Arc Raiders
• Assassin’s Creed Shadows
• Battlefield 6
• Borderlands 4
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• EA Sports Madden NFL 26
• EA Sports College Football 26
• EA Sports FC 26
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Helldivers 2
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• MLB The Show 25
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• NBA 2K26
• PGA Tour 2K25
• Ready or Not
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
• WWE 2K25

Battlefield 6 contributed to most of the net bookings, though Apex Legends and EA Sports FC also saw some growth. The latter saw “increased high single digits year-over-year in Q3, excluding the benefit of deluxe edition content timing, driven by strength in Ultimate Team and FC Mobile.” Meanwhile, Respawn’s long-running battle royale shooter was “up double-digits year-over-year driven by innovative new features and events.”

Of course, Battlefield 6 is the star. Not only did it emerge as the best-selling shooter of last year – if selling more than seven million units within three days didn’t tip you off – but it also elevated the franchise to new engagement heights.

Following the announcement of its acquisition by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Affinity Partners, and Silver Lake, Electronic Arts won’t host a quarterly conference call to discuss its earnings. The publisher’s board approved the $55 billion deal, which will close sometime between April and June. However, US Congress members recently requested the Federal Trade Commission investigate the same, which could lead to impediments. Stay tuned for updates in the meantime.

Taking a closer look at software sales for the month of December, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 took the lead, with Battlefield 6 being ranked third. Other titles in the best-seller charts for the month are a mix of newer games like Donkey Kong Bananza and older titles like Grand Theft Auto 5, Minecraft and Red Dead Redemption 2.

While other console makers might have started struggling with console sales last year, Nintendo has been doing quite well with the release of the Switch 2. Piscatella had confirmed, the Switch 2 ended up being the best-selling console of the year in the US, with the country accounting for 4.4 million units. Along with this, the new console is also noted as selling faster than the original Switch from back in 2017.

As he noted, the Switch 2’s hardware sales single-handedly managed to offset industry-wide downward trends in console hardware sales. Sony’s PS5 ranked second for the period. The Switch 2 has also been described by Piscatella as being the “fastest selling video game console hardware platform” in history so far.

While things might be going well for Nintendo for the time being, research firm Niko Partners has predicted that the company will end up raising the price of the Switch 2 thanks to the worldwide memory shortages affecting manufacturing. The firm noted that, while the Switch 2 is priced competitively when compared to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo might have to bring its latest console in line with its competitors to maintain profitability.

In the meantime, Battlefield Studios has been working hard on creating and testing more content for the upcoming second season of Battlefield 6. While it hasn’t yet revealed too many details aside from its February 17 launch date, the developers provided a few hints about what kind of content we can expect when Season 2 of Battlefield 6 is kicked off.

Among the new content coming to the game is a brand new map, dubbed Contagion, that will also feature its own unique gameplay mechanics. No details have been provided about these mechanics, aside from vague hints about players needing to use equipment to interact with them, a soldier wearing a gas mask in the teaser trailer, and the fact that the map’s name implies some sort of contagious infection will be involved.

Battlefield 6 is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. For more details, check out our review from back when it first came out.

2025 Top 20 Best-Selling Premium Games – U.S. (Dollar Sales, Physical and Digital from digital data sharing publishers, excludes add-on content)

— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2026-01-22T14:00:07.506Z

December 2025 Top 20 Best-Selling Premium Games – U.S. (Dollar Sales, Physical and Digital from digital data sharing publishers, excludes add-on content)

— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2026-01-22T14:00:07.505Z

Along with ARC Raiders, games like Battlefield 6, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Dispatch, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 were also among the top releases in the charts. Some older games could also be seen, with 2023’s Baldur’s Gate 3, 2020’s Cyberpunk 2077, and 2013’s Grand Theft Auto 5 also being represented, albeit with its Enhanced Edition release.

Valve has also seen continued success with the Steam Deck, with SteamDB ranking the handheld gaming PC as the second-best-selling Steam item, just under ARC Raiders. Check out the list below.

Embark Studios itself hasn’t revealed recent sales data for ARC Raiders, rumours from back in November indicated that it was close to hitting 7 million sales just a month after its release.

ARC Raiders art director Robert Sammelin had recently spoken about Embark Studios’ plans to support the extraction shooter for “the longest time.” In an interview from last month, he noted that the studio has a 10-year plan and that as long as players continue to engage with the title, support will continue.

“Our ambition is to keep this game alive for the longest time. It is a live game,” said Sammelin. “It’s something that we want to keep alive for the longest time possible, as long as players engage with it and have fun and see that it is evolving in a good way.”

The art director also spoke about how the community of ARC Raiders plays a vital role in the game’s evolution, since a major reason for the extraction shooter’s success hinges on how players interact with each other.

“I think games like this will evolve depending on community behaviours, feedback, and how we pick out the things we see people engage really well with. But also throw things into the mix that sort of afford new challenges and opportunities within the game,” he explained.

“I think there’s a wide range of routes that we can take with this, and time will tell how we sort of dig into it. But we for sure have a pretty long-standing plan of where we want to take it.”

As part of the studio’s plans to support ARC Raiders, the Cold Snap update was released last month, bringing with it a new Winter-themed weather condition which also affects gameplay by prompting players to seek shelter (or die trying). It also affects visibility and movement, making some surfaces much more challenging to traverse.

ARC Raiders is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. For more details, check out our review. Also check out our guide on all ARC machines and how you can beat them in battle.

Top ten best-sellers on Steam from December 23 to December 30:

1. ARC Raiders
2. Steam Deck
3. Battlefield 6
4. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
5. Baldur’s Gate 3
6. EA Sports FC 26
7. Dispatch
8. Cyberpunk 2077
9. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
10. Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced

Many of these games are so addictive and well-designed, you’re probably going to be thinking about them when you’re not playing them. Let’s get started!

1. Where Winds Meet

This wuxia-based RPG is simply unmatched when it comes to the number of activities it offers you, the quality of each one, and the variety you can find. It’s an open world where exploration without having a specific destination in mind is the best possible way to experience it, with a lot of great side content baked into the game aside from a compelling main campaign.

With online multiplayer and MMO elements integrated into the gameplay loop, and combat and gear systems that are great for creating unique PvP characters, there’s just so much to do in this game, and so much more to come with subsequent updates, that hitting triple figures on your playtime is almost an inevitability.

2. EA Sports FC 26

The football simulator that’s been around forever continues to be a viable option for a game that has you coming back to it every chance you get, for a very long time after you first boot it up. With a very detailed Career mode, regular online events, the option to pit your team against your friend, or perhaps have a buddy join your team instead, there’s a lot to experience.

The gameplay on offer is also quite solid, with a lot of realism baked into the experience to make you feel like you’re on the pitch and not staring at it through a screen. However, its systems and some of its challenges are going to require that you literally put your best foot forward on the pitch. If you decide to dive into this one, the game is on and is going to stay that way for a while.

3. Fortnite

Once again, there’s so much to do in Fortnite, which is more of a platform than a game at this point. With so many modes on offer, regular content being added into the game, social features that make it a blast when it’s enjoyed in company, and a PvP Battle Royale mode that has become quite popular in its own right, this one’s definitely a game where 200 hours might go by before you even notice.

Dive in and you’re going to find a lot of freedom for self-expression, and a lot of fun to be had on the islands. Just be careful not to put too much of a strain on your wallet, as those outfits and goodies can be very tempting indeed.

4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim + Expansions

Step into the shoes of the Dragonborn and begin your journey into Skyrim, and you’re probably not going to look at another video game until you’ve explored every corner of its sprawling map. Anything can happen along the road to your next point of interest, and with some of the finest RPG mechanics to grace the genre, you’re going to spend a lot of time tinkering with your build.

This is an RPG that has more than earned its popularity and ranks high among modern gaming’s finest for a reason. It’s also smart to dive in now and perhaps brush up on the story ahead of the sequel that’s eventually coming our way. The expansions are worth a mention, and can add a significant amount of hours to your total playtime. Every second of them is going to be worth it, though.

5. GTA Online

A thriving community of players, a massive map to explore in San Andreas, and interesting activities to engage with. GTA Online was kind of a no-brainer for this list. With heists to plan and execute, quests to carry out for some of the main story’s characters, and a reputation to build for your silent protagonist, this one’s going to have you avoiding plans and spending your weekends indoors for a while.

It’s GTA at its finest, and if the delay to GTA VI has had you feeling down, perhaps this one can act as a suitable placebo until the real thing gets here.

6. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt + Story Expansions

Geralt’s search for Ciri, and all the shenanigans he can get up to in the process, continues to be among the best open-world games we’ve played despite it being a decade old at this point. CDPR’s ability to hide a frankly overwhelming amount of secrets across three vast maps, and a whole lot of quality side content to distract the Witcher from looking for his adoptive daughter, is nothing short of a marvel.

The story expansions are a whole other ball game, bringing some very satisfying arcs full of possibilities to change the narrative’s direction, along with excellent new monsters to hunt and more secrets and lore to uncover. You might not be able to get enough of this one, if we’re being honest.

7. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

The first open-world Metal Gear Solid is a great option for those of you who like a game that takes a while to outstay its welcome. Big Boss’s adventures continue in a main campaign that works very well as a bridge between previous entries, while side ops, Metal Gear Online, and the Forward Operating Base systems are all reasons for this one to have you enjoying many entertaining hours of espionage and skullduggery.

Indeed, a significant part of your playtime is going to be planning the best possible route to your objectives without your enemies being none the wiser to your presence. This is a hunt that takes a satisfyingly long time and is definitely worth considering.

8. Destiny 2

This award-winning online FPS title from Bungie has a staggering amount of content for you to take on in its story-based PvE mode, while your multiplayer options range from cooperative three-player missions to PvP battles. There’s a lot to take in, both in terms of the game’s lore and the amount of gear and potential build options you can find.

With a lot of content to get through, and a lot of fun to be had as you dive into all it has to offer, Destiny 2 is a dream come true if you’re an FPS player who wants a game that can take over their holidays.

9. Elden Ring + Shadow of the Erdtree

FromSoftware’s ambitious open-world and the Tarnished’s incredible journey is nothing short of a masterpiece. The Lands Between are full of places to explore, mysteries to uncover, NPCs with haunting stories, and a lot of weapons, armor, gear, and loot to plunder as you try to become Queen Marika’s consort and impose your will on the world.

It’s easy to forget about all that as you ride your horse through the Lands Between, and that feeling only intensifies when you finally make your way to the Land of Shadow in the game’s DLC. Tracing the steps of Miquella is an adventure worth taking on, and coupled with the base game, this one’s a behemoth.

10. Monster Hunter: World + Expansions

Taking on the role of a representative of the Research Commission and exploring every region and zone of the New World was a fun and engaging experience from start to finish. There are so many monsters to hunt, so much to discover, and a whole lot of activities to engage in at your camp and the main base.

Quests flow from one to another almost as smoothly as the water in some parts of the New World, and you’re going to be helping your fellow companions and NPCs while having tons of fun along the way. It helps that this is a game that’s both charming in its writing and enchanting on the visual front. You can’t go wrong with this one, and it’s going to have you getting very creative in your approach to each distinct monster you’re tasked with bringing down.

11. Dragon’s Dogma 2

This sequel was an excellent new addition to Dragon’s Dogma. It was a pleasure to step into the shoes of the Arisen once again, and each of the playable classes brought something interesting to the table. But it’s when you begin to dive deeper into the world’s mysteries and begin to discover more about it that this one’s true depth shows itself.

You’re going to want to place your teleporting stones quite carefully, as the rest of the world actually has you travelling across it, navigating set pathways via a travel system, while the world’s unpredictability can make those trips quite treacherous indeed. This is an experience that is both memorable and filled with so much content and so little hand-holding that you’re going to be obsessed with discovering more about the world and the people you meet within it.

12. Red Dead Redemption 2

Arthur Morgan is an obvious contender for a place on this list of massive games, and his adventures are so extensive that it can be hard to believe one man lived through them all. From kicking back with mini-games to exploring some truly bizarre stories that can come to you in multiple ways, this is a game that can have you walking and talking like a cowboy from the Wild West every chance you get.

It’s among the finest games in modern gaming, and its world is so full of clever little details to discover that hopping on your horse for a new day of exploring is going to take precedence over your leisure time for a very entertaining and lengthy block of time.

13. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla + Expansions

As the largest one in the franchise, Valhalla’s unique take on living your life as a noble Viking and uncovering the conspiracy across England, is a world worth getting lost in.

The game’s expansions do more to set up a lot of things, while coming with some brilliant new adventures for Eivor to pursue, complete with members of shadowy organizations to hunt down. It’s quite a tale, and a very large one full of fun things to do. Switching the cinematic camera on during a boat ride could have you spending more hours on this one than you’d like to admit.

14. No Man’s Sky

As one of modern gaming’s greatest comeback stories, this is a game that stands in its own class in terms of its shelf life. It’s an almost endless adventure, its narrative justifying multiple playthroughs in a way that makes total sense, while the completely random worlds that you get to explore and engage with are quite hard to leave once you start with them.

No Man’s Sky is a story about enjoying the journey, while also waiting eagerly to see what you’re going to find at its destination. It’s going to have you pushing past your bedtime with a smile on your face, and a sense of wonder compelling you to move forward and see just what you’re about to find.

15. Baldur’s Gate 3

With a stellar cast of actors bringing several NPCs to life, and an expertly narrated Dungeons and Dragons-based tale to have their settings intertwine with yours, Larian Studio’s banger continues to be a game that you can keep replaying, with astounding build variety and stories that never truly take place the same way when you play them.

There’s the Honour Mode, cross-platform modding support, co-op and online multiplayer, and a very dark take on the story to play through. Faerun is a great holiday destination, although the things you might find there can stay in the darkest corners of your mind rent-free.

16. Stardew Valley

We weren’t going to leave out one of the ultimate farming simulations from this one. Stardew Valley belongs here, with a playtime that doesn’t really end. You’re going to keep coming back to the farm that you grew from scratch, a town gradually building out of the effort you sink into, and the relationships with its many NPCs you build along the way.

No two days are the same out in this valley, and bringing in the online component is a great way to make this one as immersive as it can be, thanks to a thriving community of die-hard fans. You’re going to feel very welcome in this one, and you might choose to stay with it for a very long time to come.

17. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

This life sim always has a goal to reach, and things to do to get there. The Nook Miles system is its highlight, while the charming world and its uniquely retro art style make it stand out. Building out your presence in its world is an activity on its own, and you’re going to be quite obsessed with placing your buildings in a layout that’s to your liking, while getting them constructed has you constantly checking back into the game.

This is a game where you come to relax, and do that quite often, thanks to how entertaining it is to play, and how satisfying it is to stay with.

18. Gran Turismo 7

This PlayStation-exclusive racing sim is a great option for those of you who’d like to spend your time behind the wheel of a fast car on some of the world’s most iconic tracks. With PSVR2 support, incredible visuals, a very realistic translation of each car’s real-life track performance, and a lot of options to enjoy races at your disposal, you’re going to rack up a lot of miles on your ODO once you get started with this one.

The astounding visuals work very well with the game’s many systems that work well together to make your time on the track feel truly authentic, and push you to try taking those corners as well as you can. It’s time to let those engines loose and enjoy the results for hours on end.

19. Satisfactory

For a game carrying its title, this one is more than satisfactory, and can have you very immersed in building out your space base in your role as the Pioneer. Your factories are soon going to have you thinking about them while you’re away from your PC, and the potential for self-expression is almost humming with endless possibilities.

While its map is almost overwhelmingly large for most players, the ones who invest the time in hunting down as much to do as they can in this game are going to have a lot of fun building out their factories and playing their part in developing the corporation that put them there. Satisfactory is unique, visually distinct, well-executed, and simply fun to play, plain and simple.

20. Mass Effect Legendary Edition

This is the definitive way to enjoy a trilogy of legendary titles, bringing improved visuals and performance while also bringing in each title’s DLC and expansions into one title with a single character creator and the option to launch any of the three games from a unified menu.

If you’re familiar with the Mass Effect games, you already know that you’re going to be spending inordinate amounts of time with each one. You also know that their replay value is off the charts, and it can be easy to lose yourself in this trilogy’s expansive universe, where spending several hours making memories in it can become an entire holiday on its own.

That wraps up our list of the largest games you can get your hands on. We hope you have as much fun playing them as we did, and that the one you pick gives you many fond memories as you play it.

EA Sports FC 26 claimed the top spot again, while Battlefield 6 hopped to third place. While the fall of Black Ops 7 may not seem all that bad in isolation, it’s part of a worrying trend, especially with how middling the reception has been. And let’s not forget that this is the title’s second week on sale.

Black Friday deals also helped titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Ghost of Yōtei reach the top ten revenue earners in eighth and ninth place, respectively. Otherwise, the only new entry this week is Kirby Air Riders, and it failed to chart in unit sales (digital sales weren’t accounted for).

It reached tenth place in revenue, though, so that’s something, but as Chris Dring of The Game Business notes, “it is a considerably smaller brand in Europe.”

God of War 

There aren’t many games that are able to deliver a stunning experience in such a smooth manner as Sony Santa Monica was able to do with the 2018 reboot. This story sets the protagonist in a new setting; new boss fights and outstanding level design. It’s both fresh and recognizable at the same time, and the new combat and the camera on offer also embodies the spirit of modern third person game while making it more intentional. The 2018 reboot is definitely one of the best games on the PS4, and is a great starting point for newcomers.

While there might be dips in the company’s revenue, it has also noted that EA Sports Madden NFL 26 and EA Sports FC 26 both saw growth in sales, with the latter seeing “mid-single-digits” year-on-year growth when compared with EA Sports FC 25. Apex Legends has also seemingly grown in bookings, with the growth described by the company as being in the double digits. Along with this, EA also celebrated the launches of Skate and Battlefield 6.

“Across our broad portfolio — from EA Sports to Battlefield, The Sims, and skate. — our teams continue to create high-quality experiences that connect and inspire players around the world,” said EA CEO Andrew Wilson in the earnings report. “The creativity, passion, and innovation of our teams are at the heart of everything we do.”

Interestingly, EA has also noted that it will no longer be hosting its usual earnings calls that typically involve the company’s leadership and analysts. This decision was likely made as the company makes its preparations to go private after being bought by an investor consortium that consists of Saudi Arabia’s PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. As the company had announced last month, this deal involves EA’s stockholders being paid a premium of 25 percent over the company’s share price as of September 25, 2025.

The deal, which is expected to be completed by Q1 FY2027, will turn EA into a completely privately-owned company. As part of the deal, PIF, which previously had a 9.9 percent stake in EA, will end up with 100 percent of the company’s ownership.

“Our creative and passionate teams at EA have delivered extraordinary experiences for hundreds of millions of fans, built some of the world’s most iconic IP, and created significant value for our business. This moment is a powerful recognition of their remarkable work,” said EA CEO and chairman Andrew Wilson in a statement.

While the long-term effects of this acquisition going through are yet to be seen, reports have already emerged of EA’s leadership having asked its employees to use AI-based tools for just about all aspects of their work. This ranges from generating code while programming, to generating concept art, and even middle-managers using LLM tools for advice on discussing sensitive subjects with workers under them.

Analysts have predicted that the acquisition, since it was a leveraged buyout of EA that has put the company into considerable debt, will end up with “an even stronger focus on evergreen IPs, blockbuster (fewer but potentially bigger games) and live services – at the expense of riskier projects, new ideas and innovation.” This means that EA will double down on its annual sports titles and other major franchises.

This EA Sports FC 26 is a complete primer on the various modes and events for FUT.

Ultimate Team Chemistry

The synergy or chemistry between players on your Ultimate Team is what determines how well they function as a team. Rated on a scale of 0 to 3, the ideal total team chemistry would be 3 multiplied by 11, or 33 chemistry points.

Individual chemistry is determined by club, league, and nationality, and under the best of circumstances, all 11 players would have to share all three traits for maximum chemistry effect.

Realistically, however, you will likely have an overlap of between 1 and 2 chemistry traits as you assemble your team.

Timing Trades

Snatching up the best deals on cards on the market has always been a matter of patiently waiting out the mass movements in prices. Weekends, beginning on Friday evening specifically, are the ideal time to shop around for deals as that is when the largest cohort of sellers comes online. Cross-play has expanded the size of the pool even further, with both generations of Xbox and PlayStation now able to trade with each other.

The greater majority of sellers also tend to dispose of their cards without much thought, or worse, panic selling in response to steep price drops. This presents an opportunity to get valuable cards on the cheap, as one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure.

Heroes And Icons

These two card types are a pricey but powerful addition to any team, with unique chemistry effects on both league and nationality. However, they are naturally hard to come by, at least not without investing large amounts of money in-game. Ideally, you will have one or two on your squad, while focusing on building up ordinary cards through Evolutions.

Evolutions

Cards with already respectable ratings can be ascended to their best stats through Evolutions. While not always available for every position at any given time, as the seasons progress you will be able to put your players through multiple Evolutions, and raise their overall ratings, by completing objectives as and when they are offered.

Live Events

This is the go-to limited-time mode for your squad to compete in special scenarios. Accessible via the Event Hub, certain criteria may have to be met first, in terms of squad composition, ability, and matches played.

Objective completion will earn you rewards such as packs, all of which is now much more easily viewable in the new user interface.

Tournaments

A returning favorite, this rotating mode may not always be available for play. When the Tournaments do drop however, they will have certain requirements to enter, as well as limits to entries.

Gauntlets

These groups of up to five matches also rotate, initially being made available once a fortnight. Gauntlets have you running a fresh squad for each match, with the goal of completing objectives. While this is not an elimination mode, winning more leads to greater rewards.

Rivals

Rivals is still here, but with added improvements.

Bounties are relatively simple challenges that you can be offered before your round of Rivals, the successful completion of which can earn you rewards such as Rival Stage Skips to progress faster, or the more mundane coins and packs, among others. Whether you win or you lose, you get to keep your prize.

Duels are more competitive Bounties, wherein both you and your opponent have the same challenge at stake.

Champions

With the removal of Playoffs from Champions, you must now qualify instead through accumulating Champions Qualification Points, and attaining a certain minimum Rivals Division.

Challengers

If you can’t crack the Divisions, Challengers offers the same broad experience without the astronomically high level of play.

That is everything there is to know about Football Ultimate Team in EA Sports FC 26.

It also sold nearly three times as many physical copies as Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the Nintendo Switch. In a follow-up tweet, Dring noted that physical sales are about 40 percent down from Ghost of Tsushima, but attributed this to increased digital sales and how Sony’s first-party titles were “often very close” to 50/50 in physical-to-digital sales in the past.

The publisher hasn’t offered any update on Ghost of Yōtei’s sales numbers, so stay tuned for further information. It’s currently available on PS5 – check out our review, where we praised the combat, presentation, and open world design (and went into more details here).