Nintendo Switch Online members on both Switch and Switch 2 have a new free trial to dig into this month: EA SPORTS FC 26, the latest entry in EA's football series. The trial went live this week and runs until June 24, 2026, giving players just under a week to test out the full game at no extra cost beyond their existing subscription.
What you actually get during the trial
The trial is not a limited demo. Switch Online members get access to local and online multiplayer, the ability to build and test a squad in Ultimate Team, and the option to work through challenges tied to real-world football scenarios. Career Mode is also available, so you can develop a player from scratch if the competitive side isn't your thing.
Here's the thing that makes this trial genuinely worthwhile: any save progress carries over if you buy the full game before the trial ends. You're not starting from zero.
The discount that makes it easy to commit
Buying the game during the trial window comes with a significant price cut. The digital version is available on both Switch and Switch 2 for up to 80% off in select regions, with that sale running until July 1, 2026. That's a meaningful window even after the trial expires on June 24, so you have a few extra days to decide whether the full game is worth it after playing.
Players who simply try the trial, even without buying anything, earn 100 Platinum Points for their Nintendo account. That's a low-effort reward for something you'd probably want to try anyway.
Riding the World Cup wave
The timing is deliberate. EA Sports FC 26 recently received The World's Game Update, which added 53 national teams and a 48-team international tournament mode to the game. If you want the full breakdown of what that update changed, the EA FC 26 World's Game Update guide covers every detail.
Nintendo is clearly leaning into the World Cup period with this selection. Football is at peak cultural relevance right now, and a free trial of the biggest football game on the platform is a smart way to pull in players who might have been on the fence.
For players jumping in fresh
If this is your first time with the series, FC 26 plays differently from older FIFA titles, particularly around its dual gameplay modes and the reworked dribbling system. The EA Sports FC 26 new features and gameplay changes guide is worth a read before you spend too much time in Ultimate Team building a squad around mechanics you don't fully understand yet.
The trial window closes June 24. If you're a Switch Online subscriber and have any interest in football games, there's no real reason not to at least boot it up and pocket the Platinum Points.
