After a five-year sabbatical that felt longer than a VAR check, Ultimate Scream has crept back into FC 26 Ultimate Team, and it's brought a squad that’s scarier than conceding a 90th-minute kickoff goal. EA Sports didn't just dust off the old spooky font; they've overhauled the promo into something that can actually make opponents whimper in real time. The classic gimmick of cards turning into temporary demigods on a full moon has been scrapped. This time around, the terror is permanent — with a lunar cherry on top.
Instead of those chaotic, once-a-year stat surges that made vintage screamers like FIFA 19's Marouane Fellaini an actual freight train with hair, FC 26's Ultimate Scream cards drop in as pre-boosted monstrosities. They don't need to wait for a full moon to be cracked; they already are. But here's the kicker — every time the moon goes full, these cards get extra buffs. The first two lunar upgrades were pencilled in for Wednesday, November 5th, and Thursday, December 4th, 2025. So by now, deep into 2026, these players have already absorbed at least two cosmic power-ups, turning some of them into the kind of monsters that make Weekend League feel like a horror movie marathon.
Let's address the were-elephant in the room: the old Ultimate Scream cards were legendary for turning physical brutes into speed demons when the moon was right. Peter Crouch in FIFA 22? A giraffe on roller-skates. Marouane Fellaini? A tree with afterburners. That ginormous Adebayo Akinfenwa from FIFA 17 practically broke the laws of physics. But EA has flipped the script with Team 1. This year, they've opted to boost players who already move like they've sold their souls for 95+ Pace, then handed them better PlayStyles and physicals. Because nothing says "balanced gameplay" like a Vini Jr that didn’t need a full moon to already be a nightmare.
Speaking of the Real Madrid winger, his 90-rated ST card with 95 Pace, 92 Dribbling, and Low Driven Shot+ is basically a cheat code wrapped in a Halloween costume. But the true queen of this promo might just be Debinha. In FC 26, female players have been absolutely bossing the meta, and her 89-rated RW card is nimble enough to turn any full-back into a haunted house with the lights off. Rafael Leão may have been slightly nerfed compared to last year, but he’s a natural 5-star skiller — and when Finesse+ PlayStyle clicks, his end product becomes the stuff of rage-induced controller snapping.
The Hero picks are a particularly terrifying bunch, or at least they look like they’d happily feast on a backline for breakfast. Antonio Di Natale seems to have confused Halloween with Christmas (his surname literally means “Christmas” in Italian), but the 90+ holy trinity of Pace, Shooting, and Dribbling is no seasonal fluke. Marek Hamšík’s Ultimate Scream card finally escorts him into that mythical “Gullit Gang” — all face stats north of 80 — which means he can do everything except make you a cup of tea while holding down the midfield. Jorge Campos as a ST Hero card is the epitome of controlled chaos, and let’s not even start on the meme potential.
And of course, there’s Peter Crouch. The lanky legend received a CAM card that has everyone half-joking about a 99 Pace upgrade. With massively buffed dribbling and the Technical+ PlayStyle, combined with his unique body type that shields the ball like an articulated crane, he’s one lunar blessing away from becoming the most hilariously OP card in FUT history. Just imagine him galloping through defences like a spindly, fire-spitting dragon and you’ve got the picture.
Then there’s Saeed Al Owairan. The man behind that infamous FIFA 23 Marvel Hero card has been reimagined as a pure Striker this time, and at 86-rated he’s the lowest-rated Hero in the promo. Does that mean he might actually be obtainable? In theory, yes. In reality, the market will probably gobble him up faster than candy corn at a Halloween party. His position switch alone makes him poised to terrorize Weekend League once more.
Obviously, not every card is a game-breaker. Players like Thomas Müller turning up at Vancouver Whitecaps with an 86-rated ST card has a weird charm — like finding a vampire playing in MLS. And Joshua Kimmich at RB with an 89 rating is exactly what Bundesliga squads needed. Even the lower-rated gems like Nathan Tella at CAM or Guela Doue at CB could end up being sneaky good after a few moon phases.
The bottom line? Ultimate Scream in FC 26 isn’t just a nostalgic spectre. It’s a fully-fledged power creep party where the full moon isn’t a temporary switch but a scheduled delivery of extra pain for anyone who matches up against these cards. If you thought your defence was safe, just wait until the next lunar cycle slaps another boost onto an already cracked Vini Jr. Then you’ll really hear things go bump in the night — probably your controller bouncing off the wall.
So buckle up, managers. The screams aren’t just in the promo name anymore.