FC 27 Ultimate Gauntlet 2 is the best free content in EA SPORTS FC 27 Ultimate Team this week. It gives you two Future Stars cards, an 85 Julio César Enciso and an 84 Brajan Gruda, for clearing 8 of 10 challenges. EA FC 27 players are also finding out that the event is harder than Rivals, and that claiming the reward too early can cost you packs.
Updated: 17 October 2026. Current phase: Season 1, Future Stars Week 2. Ultimate Gauntlet 2 opened on Friday 16 October at 17:00 UTC and the event closes on Friday 23 October at 16:30 UTC. That is one day after Season 2 starts on 22 October, so it is the last free Future Stars event of Season 1.
TLDR: Ultimate Gauntlet 2 in 30 seconds. Finish any 8 of 10 challenges to get the group reward: Future Stars Enciso (85 CAM, Ipswich), Future Stars Gruda (84 CAM, RB Leipzig) and a cosmetic Future Stars Premium Badge. Scoring once gets you a 5-match loan of Future Stars Finn Jeltsch (85 CB), and winning once unlocks the free Gamechanger PlayStyle Evolution. Completing all ten challenges pays out 46 Player Items in packs. Doing only the easiest eight pays 36. Every reward is untradeable. Each entry is two rounds, and each round needs a completely different squad, bench included. Players report that the two challenges you skip stop tracking once you claim the group reward, so if you want all 46 Player Items, finish both of them before you claim. Deadline: 23 Oct, 16:30 UTC.
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What is FC 27 Ultimate Gauntlet 2?
Ultimate Gauntlet 2 is a limited-time Live Event inside Ultimate Team, with a 10-challenge objective set attached. EA announced it in its Future Stars campaign article, where Week 2 was described like this:
"Each week of Future Stars will bring a new Live Event, with Week 1 locking teams into the 4-4-2 Formation in the 'Back to Basics' Exhibition before the second Ultimate Gauntlet in EA SPORTS FC™ 27 drops in Week 2 alongside a new Flash Rush Event." (EA SPORTS FC, Future Stars campaign article, 9 Oct 2026)
EA's article does not list the rewards or the times. The details below come from the in-game event data mirrored on the FUT.GG Ultimate Gauntlet 2 event page, which we checked on 17 October. They match Destructoid's task table.
- Format: online, solo only, 2 rounds, 5-minute halves
- Attempts: FUT.GG's event data shows 10 attempts with a scheduled attempt refresh. EA has not said how often attempts refresh, so check the in-game counter before you burn one.
- Event window: 16 Oct 17:00 UTC to 23 Oct 16:30 UTC
- Objective group closes: 23 Oct 16:59 UTC. That gives you 29 minutes after the last match can start to claim your rewards.
- Group requirement (EA's in-game text): "Complete 8 of 10 challenges in the Ultimate Gauntlet 2 and earn exclusive rewards! All rewards are untradable."
This is the same structure as the first Gauntlet of the year. If you played that one, our FC 27 Ultimate Gauntlet 1 guide still applies.
What are all 10 Ultimate Gauntlet 2 challenges and rewards?
| # | Challenge (exact in-game name) | Task | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Score 1 | Score 1 goal | Future Stars Finn Jeltsch 85 CB, 5-match loan |
| 2 | Win 1 | Win 1 match | Gamechanger Evolution |
| 3 | Score in 4 | Score in 4 separate matches | 3x 75+ Gold Players Pack + Future Stars Regular Badge |
| 4 | Win 3 | Win 3 matches | 7x 75+ Gold Players Pack |
| 5 | Win 5 | Win 5 matches | 7x 77+ Gold Players Pack |
| 6 | Perfect Round | Win both matches in one round | 7x 81+ Gold Players Pack |
| 7 | Double Perfect | Win both matches in one round, twice | 5x 82+ Gold Players Pack |
| 8 | Triple Perfect | Win both matches in one round, three times | 3x 84+ Gold Players Pack |
| 9 | Score in 10 | Score in 10 separate matches | 7x 80+ Gold Players Pack |
| 10 | Score in 14 | Score in 14 separate matches | 7x 80+ Gold Players Pack |
Group reward (any 8 of 10): Future Stars Julio César Enciso 85 CAM, Future Stars Brajan Gruda 84 CAM, and the Future Stars Premium Badge, which is a cosmetic Evolution.
Three numbers that matter:
- 46 Player Items from packs if you clear all ten challenges (7+7+3+5+7+7+7+3)
- 36 Player Items if you clear the easiest eight and skip Triple Perfect and Score in 14
- Up to 36 different Player Items can be used up in a single entry: two rounds, each with a full starting XI and bench
Which 8 challenges are fastest to unlock Enciso and Gruda?
These eight are the ones you are most likely to finish:
- Score 1 and Win 1 clear in your first match.
- Score in 4, Win 3 and Win 5 happen while you play normally.
- Perfect Round (win both matches in one round) and Double Perfect (do it twice) are the real skill check.
- Score in 10 takes at least three entries, because one entry is at most four matches (two rounds of two).
That leaves Triple Perfect and Score in 14. Score in 14 is easy but slow: it needs at least four full entries, and every entry needs two fresh squads. Triple Perfect is the hardest challenge in the set.
A trade-off worth knowing: if your Perfect Rounds are not coming, you can unlock the group reward with Score in 14 instead of Double Perfect. You need any eight, and EA does not require the win-based ones. A player who keeps losing close games but scores in most of them can still get Enciso and Gruda by playing more entries.
What is the Ultimate Gauntlet claim trap?
This is the most useful thing in this guide, and the official pages don't mention it. In an r/EASportsFC thread about Gauntlet 2 rewards, a player asked whether all ten rewards were possible. Several replies said the same thing: once you have completed and claimed 8 of 10, the other two challenges stop updating. One player said the fix is to collect everything at the end, once all the challenges are done, "otherwise you only get eight". A third player argued it is deliberate: the Perfect Round rewards are better than the scoring ones, so strong players get the better packs and everyone else still has a route to the group reward.
EA has not documented this behaviour, so treat it as a player report and not a confirmed rule. The safe approach costs nothing:
- Do not claim the group reward at 8/10 if you still plan to finish the last two challenges.
- Claim everything before 23 Oct, 16:59 UTC, when the objective group expires. Unclaimed objective rewards may be lost when it closes.
- If you only want Enciso and Gruda, claim as soon as you reach 8. Playing on for 10 more Player Items is only worth it if you need the fodder.
How does the unique squad rule work, and how many players do you need?
EA's in-game event description is the same as in the first Gauntlet:
"Prove your Club's depth and earn rewards in this 2-round Gauntlet. Each round requires a unique squad, and once a round is complete the Player Items you used, including both starting 11 and bench, cannot be used again in later rounds." (EA in-game event text, via FUT.GG)
The key words are "including both starting 11 and bench". In practice:
- Round 1 bench = round 2 starters you've lost. Fill the round-one bench with players you'd never bring on, so your real second XI stays available.
- Use your best XI in round 1 for Perfect Round. You need both round-one wins, and round two will be played by your second team anyway.
- Put the Jeltsch loan in round 2. Score once and the 85 CB loan unlocks. It lasts five matches, and a free 85 CB is worth the most in your thinnest squad, so save it for the round-two teams of your next entries.
- Keep the pack players. Each pack reward is untradeable fodder. During Gauntlet week it is squad depth, so don't quick-sell it until 23 October. For what to do with leftovers afterwards, see our FC 27 unfinished SBC partial-completion guide.
If you started FC 27 late and only have 25 usable cards, two full squads in the same entry will be the bottleneck. Our FC 27 late-starter guide explains how to build depth cheaply.
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Why does Ultimate Gauntlet 2 feel harder than Rivals?
Matchmaking. FUT.GG's event data lists a Gauntlet-specific matchmaking type, and EA has not published how Gauntlet opponents are matched. Players notice the difference. In the same r/EASportsFC thread, one player who says they usually win 10–11 FUT Champions games said they were "humbled" by the Gauntlet field on day one. Another said that playing a Rivals match straight afterwards shows how much harder the Gauntlet is.
Two things explain most of it:
- Only motivated players enter on day one or two. The people chasing Triple Perfect in the first 48 hours are often Champions regulars. Playing later in the week usually means a wider mix of opponents. That is common FUT experience, not something EA has stated.
- Everyone's round-two squad is weaker. Your opponent's second team is also their B-team, so round two is where most players will get their wins. Win round one with your best XI and treat round two as a scoring opportunity.
Are Future Stars Enciso and Gruda actually good?
At 85 and 84, they compete with the cards most Season 1 squads already use. Here is what the free versions offer, from their FUT.GG item pages:
- Enciso 85 CAM (Ipswich, Premier League, alt ST): 85 Pace, 83 Shooting, 84 Passing, 87 Dribbling, 4★ skills, 3★ weak foot. Agility 91, Short Passing 88, Composure 87, Shot Power 88. With ST as an alternate position, he slots into a narrow 4-3-1-2 behind two strikers or plays as a false nine.
- Gruda 84 CAM (RB Leipzig, Bundesliga, alt RM/CM/RW): 84 Pace, 79 Shooting, 80 Passing, 89 Dribbling, 4★ skills, 3★ weak foot, left-footed. Dribbling 92, Agility 91, Shot Power 90. He has three alternate positions, so he fits more formations than Enciso.
The catch: both are CAMs and both have only 3★ weak foot, so in most formations you start one of them, not both. An Ipswich player and a Leipzig player also need help from your league to stay on chemistry. If you already have a Premier League midfield, Enciso is the easy pick.
Gamechanger Evo (from Win 1): it adds the Gamechanger PlayStyle to a player with 80 OVR or lower and 2 PlayStyles or fewer. You must apply it by 27 Oct, 18:00 UTC (FUT.GG data). It is a finishing PlayStyle, and community threads rate Gamechanger together with Low Driven Shot highly this year. That is player opinion, not a measured EA stat. Our FC 27 PlayStyles explainer explains what changed this season.
Can Enciso and Gruda upgrade? The Future Stars 86/87 cap
Both rewards are Future Stars rarity items, and EA's Future Stars campaign uses a real-world upgrade path based on domestic league starts. EA's table, verbatim: 4 Starts = "Plus One OVR Upgrade (Up to Max 86 OVR)" and 8 Starts = "Plus One OVR Upgrade (Up to Max 87 OVR)". EA also says "All tracking will begin on 9 October, with the live upgrades releasing on 3 February", which means 3 February 2027. (EA SPORTS FC, Future Stars campaign article)
Applying those caps:
- Gruda 84 → 85 after 4 starts → 86 after 8 starts
- Enciso 85 → 86 after 4 starts → 87 after 8 starts
- Attackers and midfielders also earn +1 PlayStyle+ at 7 league goals plus assists, and 5★ weak foot at 10. For both players, that would fix the 3★ weak foot.
Two caveats. First, EA's article describes the path for Future Stars Player Items and does not say separately whether objective-reward items are included, so treat the upgrades as likely but not confirmed. Second, the ceilings above are our arithmetic on EA's published caps, not per-card numbers from EA. We go through the whole ladder in our Future Stars upgrade path guide. The cards that cannot upgrade are the 87+ items. At 84 and 85, both free cards have the full +2 of headroom, which some paid Future Stars cards don't.
Should you play Ultimate Gauntlet 2 before Season 2?
Yes. It is the best return on time in Ultimate Team this week. Season 2 starts on 22 October, and you will want those days for the new Season Pass. Our FC 27 Season 2 SP plan shows the order to do things in. Ultimate Gauntlet 2 ends a day later, so leaving it until the last weekend means it competes with Season 2 launch content.
A realistic plan:
- Saturday–Sunday: two to three entries to clear Score 1, Win 1, Score in 4, Win 3 and at least one Perfect Round.
- Monday–Wednesday: play entries until Score in 10 and either Double Perfect or Score in 14 are done. That makes 8.
- Thursday 22 Oct: decide whether the last two challenges are worth it, then claim everything.
- Before 23 Oct, 16:30 UTC: finish your last match. The objective group closes 29 minutes later.
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FAQ
When does FC 27 Ultimate Gauntlet 2 end? The event closes on Friday 23 October 2026 at 16:30 UTC, and the objective group expires at 16:59 UTC the same day. It opened on Friday 16 October at 17:00 UTC.
What are the Ultimate Gauntlet 2 rewards? Completing any 8 of 10 challenges gets you Future Stars Enciso (85 CAM), Future Stars Gruda (84 CAM) and a Future Stars Premium Badge cosmetic. Individual challenges give a 5-match Future Stars Jeltsch (85 CB) loan, the Gamechanger Evolution, a Future Stars Regular Badge and eight Gold Players Packs with 46 players in total. Everything is untradeable.
Do I need all 10 challenges to get Enciso and Gruda? No. Any 8 of 10 unlocks both. The usual two to skip are Triple Perfect and Score in 14.
Why did my Gauntlet challenges stop updating? Players report that once 8 of 10 are completed and the group reward is claimed, the remaining challenges no longer progress. EA has not confirmed this. If you want all ten rewards, finish them all before claiming.
Is there a Gauntlet player pick? No. Unlike a pick, the group reward gives you both Enciso and Gruda.
Can I reuse players between Gauntlet rounds? Not in the same entry. Each round needs a unique squad, and every Player Item you used, bench included, is locked out of later rounds. A new entry starts fresh.
Sources: EA SPORTS FC Future Stars campaign article (ea.com, 9 Oct 2026); EA in-game event and objective text and reward data via FUT.GG (event 385, objectives group 133, checked 17 Oct 2026, ~16:00 UTC); Destructoid Ultimate Gauntlet 2 task table; r/EASportsFC player threads, 16–17 Oct 2026 (paraphrased, no handles).
