Why FC 27 Preorders Are Tanking, According to Fans

Published 2026-09-02 · DB.Coins Blog

A Rocky Start to the Hype Cycle

With EA SPORTS FC 27 set to launch worldwide on September 25 (early access from September 18), preorder season is usually when hype peaks. Instead, the numbers coming out of Steam have kicked off one of the more pointed community discussions of the summer.

Multiple outlets tracking Steam's best-seller charts noted that FC 27 debuted well behind its own franchise history — reportedly landing around 14 spots lower in its opening preorder week than any previous FC or FIFA title's worst first-week showing. Games like the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Star Wars: Zero Company are outpacing it, and even older catalog titles have been out-selling FC 27 on some days. For a franchise that usually dominates the sports gaming charts, that's a headline in itself.

What Players Are Actually Blaming

Scroll through the FC subreddit and X threads from the past week and the narrative is pretty consistent. Fans aren't blaming graphics or gameplay footage — most of the anger traces back to three Ultimate Team changes revealed in recent Pitch Notes deep dives:

SBC overhaul — EA has confirmed it's reworking Squad Building Challenges partly to counter players who used third-party "SBC solver" tools. A large chunk of the community feels like everyone is being punished for what a minority did, and some threads argue EA should have fixed its own web app instead of nerfing the whole system.
Evolutions power curve nerf — the season-long complaint about Evo upgrades being toned down has carried straight into FC 27 discourse, with players worried it'll be harder for free-to-play grinders to keep pace with big spenders.
PlayStyle Lab changes — smaller in volume but still showing up in comment sections, with some fans saying customisation feels more restricted than promised.

Layered on top of all that is the news of EA's ownership passing to a Saudi Arabia-backed investment consortium, which several threads reference as a trust issue completely separate from gameplay — more of a "why would I reward this direction with a preorder" sentiment than a specific mechanical complaint.

Two Sides of the Argument

It's worth noting this isn't a one-sided pile-on. A meaningful chunk of the community pushes back on the "preorders = doom" framing:

Argument	The gist
"It's a warning sign"	Steam preorders are a leading indicator; a weak debut usually means a slower launch-week economy and thinner early SBC/Evo participation.
"Preorders don't matter anymore"	Console preorders (PS5/Xbox) aren't reflected in Steam charts, and most FUT veterans wait for early access reviews or even the free trial before committing.
"Feedback beta worked as intended"	Some players note EA is at least responding publicly to the criticism, which is better than previous years' silence.

What This Means for Your Coins

A softer-than-usual launch typically has a real effect on the early Ultimate Team economy in India and beyond. Fewer day-one packs opened generally means a slower flood of fodder and untradeable rewards into the market, which can keep early coin prices firmer for longer than a blockbuster launch would. If EA does walk back any of the SBC or Evo nerfs before September 25 in response to this backlash — which has happened before — expect sentiment (and spending) to swing back quickly.

Either way, it's smart to plan your early squad-building budget before launch week rather than scrambling once prices start moving. DB.Coins offers safe trading that increases your coin balance, with instant delivery — Get FC Coins.