If you’re seeing an error like “We could not activate EA Sports FC 26 …” when trying to start the game, it’s a known issue affecting a number of players. EA has acknowledged it.
Here are the possible causes + what you can try, and what EA is doing about it:
🔍 What’s Going On
Some PC players are seeing messages about product activation / product code that reference Origin.com. But Origin has been sunsetted / retired by EA. That means following the message literally (go to origin.com) might lead nowhere.
The error often appears during early access or trial launch phases (for example, for EA Play / EA Play Pro users), before the game has unlocked for full release.
It might be because of account mismatches, licensing not yet propagated, server-side activation delays, or EA’s internal systems not yet fully updated for the new FC 26 launch.
Also Read : https//go.ea.com/skatesurvey | How to Participate
✅ What You Can Try
These are steps that have helped some users. They may or may not work in your case, depending on whether the root cause is on EA’s side or yours.
Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 1. Confirm you bought / have access correctly | Ensure your version (Deluxe / Ultimate / standard) and subscriptions (EA Play / EA Play Pro) are valid and attached to the EA account you are signed into. Sometimes people sign into a different EA account by mistake. |
| 2. Wait and retry | Sometimes the activation or trial period doesn’t fully unlock until the official launch time or until EA’s servers process everything. If error appears around those launch windows, it may just require waiting a little. |
| 3. Repair EA App / game files | If you’re on PC: in EA App, use the repair feature. If on Steam/Epic, verify the game files. Corrupted or incomplete installs can cause activation failures. |
| 4. Clear cache / login data | Sometimes old cache or credentials interfere, especially because of transition from Origin to EA App. Logging out, clearing EA App cache, ensuring correct account login might help |
| 5. Check for EA anti-cheat issues | Some people report issues with EA AntiCheat not initializing or conflicted by other software. Reinstall or repair the anti-cheat component. Run as administrator etc. |
| 6. Ensure your system is updated | OS updates, EA App updates, correct version, GPU drivers etc. Sometimes older system software causes activation / compatibility issues. |
🛑 What EA Is Doing / You Should Do If It Still Fails
EA has said they are investigating reports of activation errors for FC 26 early access / EA Play trials.
If after trying the steps above you still can’t activate, you should contact EA Support (through help.ea.com) and provide them with:
The EA account email you used
Proof of purchase / subscription (EA Play / Pro, etc.)
Platform (PC, Steam, Epic, etc.)
Exact error message text
Approximate time you first attempted to play (sometimes time‑based restrictions matter)
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