The FC Pro competitive scene is improving day by day. EA Sports has expanded it’s Open Cups format and recently implemented it’s dual gameplay preset feature in FC 26. These changes are not meant for show but they add real depth, fairness and strategies to the main competitive scene and this article is all about that.
FC Pro Open Cups Getting The Attention
A Multi-Stage Tournament Format
The FC Pro Open Cups are expanding even more throughout the 2024-25 season. Three monstrous events, occurring in November 2024, December 2024, and January 2025. Each event includes two categories:
- Regional Ladder Level
- Playoff Bracket Level
Players must complete a minium of 20 ladder matches and find themselves on the leaderboard to qualify for the further playoffs. It will begin with day 1 in a Swiss style format that cuts the playing field and on day 2 it will start with a single elimination round.
Truly Global Coverage
The tournaments are open to players from all across the world, divided into eight main regions:
- North America
- Latin America
- Europe West
- Europe East
- Middle East
- Africa
- Asia North & South
- Oceania
This regional structure ensures fair competition and a more level playing field, offering broader access to the FC Pro ecosystem.
Circuit Points & Prizing
You earn circuit points for your playoff wins. These points are integral for qualifying for the FC Pro World Championship taking place in the Summer of 2025.
The best players will earn upwards of $8,500 in each region and a grand total of $321,000 in prizes across the three Open Cups.
Dual Gameplay Presets: Competitive vs. Authentic
EA SPORTS FC 26 will feature two separate gameplay presets allowing better distinction between competitive esports and casual play.
Competitive Preset
This preset is designed specifically for competitive gaming such as FC Pro. It modifies the input tuning, player responsivenes, match pacing. It’s faster, more precise, and punishes mistakes. Bottom line: a competitive mastery-centric design.
Authentic Preset
This preset is designed specifically for realism in fields such as simulated ball physics, player inertia and realistic AI reflections in game. The intention behind this is to copy the real look and feel of a real football match whilst targeting fans.
Strategic Impact on Competitive Play
Standardized Gameplay Across Events
Using competitive preset gameplay, EA has provided a better product. This means that all participants in FC Pro Tournaments would play under the same conditions and thus eliminating randomness among players and also allowing for the raw skill of the players to devolope and come out.
Adaptation Over Time
The three Open Cups took place over months, with the play-offs for the first Open Cup happening in June and the play-offs for the third Open Cup taking place in July. The three Open Cups lucky stand on its own, but what the three Open Cups allow players to do is evaluate their flaws, change and return with a better game plan. This is not a one-off format, this is a serious competitive circuit.
Depth and Accessibility
The new expanded format provides more pathways to be able to get aspiring players in, more opportunities for qualification and also more equitable regional representation.And of course, more casual players are still playing the game, on their own time, using the Authentic preset, with immersion and realism still intact.
Conclusion
The enlarged FC Pro Open Cups and dual gameplay presets now add some serious weight to competitive future for EA SPORTS FC. If you are an esports pro collecting competitive points, or a fanatic focused on realism, we have you covered, because the Open Cups have brought scale, fairness and depth never experienced before.
