The crisp autumn air, shorter daylight hours, and the sound of leaves rustling underfoot signal more than just the arrival of Halloween — in the world of Ultimate Team, it hints that a spooky promo could be on the horizon. For years, the Ultimate Scream event captured the imagination of players with its eerie theme and game-changing upgrades. While it has been replaced in recent years by events like Rulebreakers and Centurions, there’s a strong wave of nostalgia in the community that could persuade EA Sports to bring it back for EA FC 26. For fans preparing their squads, securing FC 26 Coins early could be the key to grabbing these monstrous cards the moment they drop.

Ultimate Scream was a Halloween-themed promotional event that selected a unique squad of players and gave them permanent, dramatic stat boosts. The idea was to make “scary” good cards by altering attributes in ways that created new playstyles. A towering defender could suddenly have winger-like pace, or a nimble attacker might gain the defensive power of a top-tier center-back. These shapeshifting upgrades were not just about numbers — they completely changed how players felt in-game, sparking creativity in squad building and offering new tactical possibilities.

If EA were to revive Ultimate Scream in FC 26, we can predict it would land in the traditional Halloween promo slot. Historically, the event began on the Friday before Halloween, running for two weeks with two separate squads. Based on the 2025 calendar, the likely dates would be:

  • Team 1 Release: Friday, October 24, 2025
  • Team 2 Release: Friday, October 31, 2025

This schedule would allow EA to sustain hype over two consecutive weeks, pairing player releases with themed Squad Building Challenges, Objectives, and special packs. The two-team structure has become the norm for major promos and would likely be applied here.

Player selection for Ultimate Scream has historically focused on three main criteria: intimidating physical presence, outstanding real-world performances, and popular players who could benefit from meta-defining boosts. Below is a prediction table of potential FC 26 Ultimate Scream players, their clubs, nations, and the kind of upgrades that could make them truly terrifying in-game.

Player Club Nation Predicted Key Boost Reasoning
William Saliba Arsenal France +20 Dribbling & +15 Shooting Transforms from a defensive rock into a ball-playing threat capable of scoring.
Victor Osimhen Napoli (or future club) Nigeria +25 Passing & +15 Defending Becomes a pressing forward with elite passing and defensive tracking.
Cristian Romero Tottenham Hotspur Argentina +20 Pace & +20 Shooting A defender turned into a goal-scoring box-to-box powerhouse.
Federico Valverde Real Madrid Uruguay 5-Star Skill Moves & 5-Star Weak Foot Perfect technical upgrades make him unpredictable and dominant.
Nico Williams Athletic Club Spain +25 Physicality & +20 Defending From speedy winger to a physically imposing defensive wide player.
Wataru Endō Liverpool Japan +20 Pace & +20 Dribbling Gains agility and speed to complement his defensive grit.
Manuel Ugarte Paris Saint-Germain Uruguay +25 Shooting & +15 Passing Transforms from a destroyer into a complete attacking midfielder.

In the PlayStyles era, Ultimate Scream could evolve beyond stat boosts by assigning unnatural PlayStyles+ to players. This would fundamentally alter their roles and in-game feel. Examples could include:

  • Defensive PlayStyle+ for an Attacker: A striker like Darwin Núñez gaining Intercept PlayStyle+, making him lethal in a high press.
  • Attacking PlayStyle+ for a Defender: Joško Gvardiol with Finesse Shot PlayStyle+, turning him into a threat from distance.
  • Physical PlayStyle+ for a Playmaker: Martin Ødegaard with Bruiser PlayStyle+, allowing him to dominate physical duels.

These changes would mirror the original “shapeshifting” concept but in a modern format, blending extreme attribute boosts with role-defying PlayStyles+. This combination would create some of the most exciting and sought-after cards of the year, ensuring a memorable return of Ultimate Scream. For players planning to build competitive squads, preparing early and finding ways to buy FC 26 coins cheap could be the difference between watching these horrors from the sidelines or unleashing them on the pitch.