FC 26's next Icon is you, thanks to a new Clubs mechanic

The Clubs game mode has come a long way since I first started playing it - a long time before FIFA morphed into EA FC. Creating a bizarre-looking pro, jumping into a lobby with your mates, and howling with laughter as you all make defensive blunders and miss open goals is one of the best ways to play the soccer sim series. FC 26 Clubs is going to deliver one of the biggest leaps forward for the game mode in ages, with new player Archetypes, the ability to play for multiple clubs at once, and a progression system that will literally make you an Icon.

Imagine that - reaching the same heights as FC 26 Icons like newcomer Zlatan Ibrahimović or existing stalwarts like R9 Ronaldo, is you. Or rather, your Clubs player, who will surely be sporting some pink gloves, a dodgy hair-do, and a face only a mother can love. The joys of a character creation system, eh? As part of a new Archetype feature in FC 26 Clubs, your player's progress in becoming the master of their position will be displayed like a playing card.

The design is different to what you see in Ultimate Team, but you'll still climb the ranks from Bronze all the way to Icon status, earning new backgrounds and poses for your player card.

So what actually is an Archetype? Well, there are several to choose from in each area of the pitch (goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and attackers) that push you towards a more specific role and style of play. Instead of simply being a centre midfielder or a right winger, and trying to stick to that general position as best you can, Archetypes give your player a curated lineup of PlayStyles that will boost attributes and unlock certain animations, just like they do in Ultimate Team.

For example, if you want to play as a midfielder you can choose to be a Recycler, a Maestro, a Creator, or a Spark. Each gives you different PlayStyles, and each requires you to play a certain way in order to maximize your AXP gain.

AXP is how you progress through each Archetype to eventually become an Icon in that role.

That's just an overview of this very elaborate new progression system coming to Clubs, so if you want a full, detailed explainer, head to the official Pitch Notes.

Elsewhere in today's deep dive into Clubs, EA reveals that it's going big on Live Events. Aside from the regular Clubs grind, Live Events are essentially themed, single-elimination tournaments with wacky rulesets or modifiers. Each club has a limited number of entries to each one, with a loss using up one of your entry tokens. However, if you manage to progress all the way to the final and lift the trophy at the end, you'll receive some big rewards, and maybe even invites to higher-tier Live Events.

One of players' biggest bugbears with Clubs has also finally been tackled for FC 26 - the ability to play for multiple clubs at once. For those with a few different friend groups, switching clubs has always meant jumping through several hoops of leaving, requesting a transfer, joining, and then repeating the cycle again when you want to return to your other group of pals. Now, you'll be able to enlist for up to three clubs at the same time. To switch between them so that you're in the right lobby, all you've got to do is pick the correct club from a selection screen. That's it. Hallelujah.

As well as improving your club's facilities to boost your own attributes, FC 26 adds in AI Facilities to also help upgrade your computer-controlled teammates. Those that enjoy playing between the sticks will also benefit from the new gameplay improvements to the Be-A-Goalkeeper system. There's also a revamped lobby system and UI, new set piece assignments, and Signature Perks to bestow upon your player.

These are some major upgrades and additions to Clubs, some of which we've been waiting a very long time for, so if you and your mates have sunk dozens or even hundreds of hours into the mode in recent years, FC 26 is shaping up to be brilliant.

For more, check out the FC 26 system requirements - an important task for any PC player before the FC 26 release date arrives.

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