FC 27 Future Stars Academy II: Which Path Should You Pick?

Future Stars Academy II is live — and the final choice matters

Future Stars Academy II became available on 11 October 2026. If you finished Academy I, you can now take your eligible 81-rated Future Stars Academy player to 82 overall. The Evolution is free, and the last level offers three separate development routes: Playmaker, Powerhouse and All-Rounder.

These are not cosmetic choices. The pathway changes the attributes your card ends up with, and different builds favour different roles. We have compared the current Evolution data so you can pick the option that actually suits your squad.

Quick answer: which Academy II path is best?

The best branch depends on the card you already evolved and how you use it in matches. An agile playmaker who cannot hold off defenders could benefit from Powerhouse; a strong runner whose passes let him down could benefit from Playmaker.

• PLAYMAKER — for a CAM or creative forward who needs vision, short passing, long passing and curve to supply teammates.
• POWERHOUSE — for a striker who shields the ball, competes in the air and needs more strength, stamina and aggression.
• ALL-ROUNDER — for a flexible ST/CAM who needs a mixture of better passing and physical attributes rather than one specialist boost.

Requirements and cost: who can enter Academy II?

Simply buying a normal 81-rated player will not get you into Academy II. You need the eligible Academy item from the earlier stage. Make sure Academy I upgrades have been claimed before attempting the next one.

• Overall rating must be exactly 81.
• The card must have the Future Stars Academy rarity from the previous Academy step.
• The Evolution itself is free. It does not cost any FC Coins or FC Points.
• There are three levels and three match challenges: two matches played, then one win.

Levels 1 and 2: the upgrades everyone receives

Level 1 requires one match with the active Evolution player in your side. It raises the item by one overall point to 82 and gives smaller boosts to finishing, long shots, reactions, dribbling and heading accuracy.

Level 2 requires another match and improves positioning, shot power, balance, ball control, composure and stamina. For both levels, the trackers list Squad Battles at Semi-Pro or higher, Rush, Rivals, Champions or Live Events as qualifying modes.

Only at Level 3 do you choose your specialist route. That final challenge requires a win, rather than simply completing a match.

Playmaker: the passing route

Choose Playmaker if you want your player to create chances. Its headline improvements include up to +10 Vision (cap 86), +8 Short Passing (cap 86), +12 Long Passing (cap 82), +12 Crossing (cap 82) and +12 Curve (cap 84), with a free-kick accuracy boost too.

This makes most sense for a CAM who receives between the lines, plays through balls or supplies a striker. A player whose dribbling improved during Academy I, but whose distribution is still limited, is a particularly sensible candidate.

Each upgrade has a cap. A stat that is already at or above that cap won't receive the full advertised boost, so preview the final item before committing.

Powerhouse: the strength and aerial route

Powerhouse targets the parts of a card that matter in physical battles: up to +20 Jumping (cap 80), +8 Strength (cap 76), +20 Aggression (cap 74), +5 Stamina (cap 85) and +8 Heading Accuracy (cap 79), along with a small reactions boost.

It's an option for strikers who hold off defenders, make runs into crowded boxes and fight for crosses. That does not automatically make it the best choice for every forward: a small, nimble CAM may get more match-winning value from better passing.

As with Playmaker, the improvement you actually see depends on your player's attributes before the Evolution.

All-Rounder: the mixed route

All-Rounder makes smaller improvements to both sides of the game: up to +4 Vision (cap 84), +4 Short Passing (cap 84), +6 Long Passing (cap 79), +8 Jumping (cap 77), +3 Stamina (cap 84) and +5 Strength (cap 75).

It won't create the strongest passer or the most physical striker of the three options. Instead, it's worth considering for an attacker who plays across several positions or already has one standout quality and needs balance elsewhere.

Three checks before you lock your pathway

If your Academy I player already has enough passing for your style but struggles in physical challenges, Powerhouse may be more useful than adding a few more points to passing. If they have decent physicals but struggle to find runners, Playmaker is the better bet. Try the preview on your actual card rather than relying on a generic example.

• Decide where the card will actually play. Pick the path for your role and instructions, not the largest-looking number.
• Look at the existing attributes and each pathway cap. A +12 headline increase does not guarantee 12 extra points.
• Think beyond this week. EA has confirmed that Future Stars Academy is a four-Evolution journey, so keep positions, chemistry and future upgrades in mind.

Academy III and IV: what is next?

EA confirmed four Academy Evolutions in its Future Stars announcement. FUT.GG's published roadmap places Academy III on Tuesday 13 October and Academy IV on Friday 16 October, with the final stage shown progressing the player towards 85 overall.

Those later stages were not yet released at the time of this article (12 October). Their listed dates are the current tracked schedule, so check the in-game Evolutions menu for release status, eligibility and separate start-by and expiry timers before making plans.

Do you need to buy coins for Academy II?

No. Academy II is free to activate and uses the Academy item you already developed. There is no reason to spend coins just to enter this Evolution.

Coins can still be useful elsewhere in Ultimate Team when comparing players or planning other squad upgrades, but check the in-game Transfer Market before spending. XP247 publishes current retail coin prices for PlayStation, Xbox and PC; third-party coin purchases carry EA account risk and are not an official EA service.