OTW Not Returning to FC 26: All You Need To Know

As the days near for the release of EA FC 26, the community is flooded with many leaks, rumours, and announcements. One such announcement has floated about the fan-favourite Ones To Watch cards, which once were the backbone of the Ultimate Teams of countless users. The announcement may break the hearts of many old players who wanted the return of OTW cards in the latest iteration of EA FC.

Ones To Watch (OTW) cards are special, dynamic player items introduced in FIFA 17 and used in EA FC games. These cards were given to footballers who had recently transferred to a new club during the summer transfer window. What made OTW cards unique is that they were upgraded automatically based on the player's real-life performance. For example, if a player with an OTW card is selected in the Team of the Week (TOTW), their OTW card rating also increases.

This system added excitement to the game because users could invest in players they believed would perform well. The last official Ones To Watch promo appeared in FIFA 23. In FC 24, the promo was replaced with Nike Mad Ready.

OTW Not Returning to FC 26

One of the verified sources of EA FC news and leaks, @FUT25News_, took to their socials to announce this FC 26 update. @FUT25News_ disclosed this on their official X handle on July 25th, 2025, at 11:08 am UTC.

The news took the community by surprise, as many expected the return of these overpowered cards. Should these cards have been launched in FC 26, they could have featured superstars like Florian Wirtz, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marcus Rashford, Victor Gyokeres, and Alexandre Isak.

Fans React to OTW Not Returning in FC 26

The EA FC community has been pretty vocal in expressing its disappointment with this move by the makers. The users didn't leave a chance to bash this decision of Electronic Arts. One such user mentioned how EA FC tends to make decisions that downgrade its game in the least expected way.

Another user made a sarcastic comment on how EA FC and good decision-making cannot go hand in hand.

Another user questioned Electronic Arts's decision-making

People didn't even hesitate to hurl abuses at the game and its makers, as one user said

While one fan commented on how the game is squeezing cash out of its users.