EA Sports College Football 26 is set to bring refreshed rosters, 300 college coaches, 10 new player archetypes, dynamic substitutions, custom zones, and much more than its predecessor. Having returned to the gridiron in fine form last year, CFB 26 looks set to give college football fans even more control over how their favorite team plays, as well as a whole host of modes, so they can play the way they want. But how much longer do fans need to wait? Fortunately, not too much longer, and thanks to EA Sports College Football 26’s early access, it can be even sooner.
This guide will cover the exact release time, as well as how players can jump into the game a few days early.
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Game Rant recently played a couple of games of EA Sports College Football 26 while getting a glimpse behind the curtain.
A Classic Midnight Launch
College Football 26 will be playable at 12 PM EDT on July 10 if you’re playing the standard edition of the game, and from 1 PM PT/ 4 PM ET via early access. I’ve included release times around the world below.
|
Timezone |
College Football 26 Standard Edition Release Time |
College Football 26 Early Access Release Time |
|---|---|---|
|
LA (Pacific Time) |
July 10 at 9 AM |
July 7 at 9 AM |
|
Denver (Mountain Time) |
July 10 at 10 AM |
July 7 at 10 AM |
|
Chicago (Central Time) |
July 10 at 11 AM |
July 7 at 11 AM |
|
New York (Eastern Time) |
July 10 at 12 PM |
July 7 at 12 PM |
|
London (British Summer Time) |
July 10 at 5 PM |
July 7 at 5 PM |
|
Berlin (Central European Time) |
July 10 at 6 PM |
July 7 at 6 PM |
|
Beijing (CST) |
July 11 at 1 AM |
July 8 at 1 AM |
|
Tokyo (JST) |
July 11 at 2 AM |
July 8 at 2 AM |
|
Auckland (NZST) |
July 11 at 6 AM |
July 8 at 6 AM |
Two Ways to Get a Headstart
Players can start playing College Football 26 as early as July 7 by either preordering the Deluxe Edition of the game, or by having an EA Play subscription. By purchasing the Deluxe (or MVP) editions of College Football 26, players will have unlimited access from July 7 at 4 PM ET/ 1 PM PT.
Those who aren’t looking to pay extra for the Deluxe Edition can also get College Football 26 early access via EA Play, as this subscription offers you a 10-hour free trial. This is expected to go live at the same time as the Deluxe Edition’s release. To access the free trial, players will need to search for College Football 26 on the PlayStation and Xbox Stores and then select the ‘Free Trial’ option that appears. The option to download the trial will only be made available at the early access release time.
If you’re playing via the 10-hour free trial, make sure to close the game entirely once you’re finished. Leaving the game in Xbox’s Quick Resume, or having the app running on your PS5 can contribute towards the amount of time you’ve spent playing the game in the trial.