FC 27's newest free midfield Evo is Witching Hour: +4 OVR, then a choice between a shooting path with Gamechanger and a passing path with Incisive Pass. On its own it tops out at 81. Run it before Zoomaestro, which you have to start by Wednesday 28 October, and a 72 to 76 midfielder finishes at 83. EA SPORTS FC 27 released Witching Hour on Sunday 25 October at 18:00 UTC. It costs 0 coins and 0 FC Points, and it takes any CM or CAM rated 80 or lower, as long as the card holds no ST position.
We pulled fut.gg's eligible and evolved player lists for the Evo (5,310 eligible items on 25 October) and fut.gg's two-Evo calculator for Witching Hour plus last week's free Zoomaestro. The two overlap until Zoomaestro's start deadline on Wednesday 28 October, 18:00 UTC, and the order you run them in decides whether your midfielder ends at 81 or 83, and whether it keeps Gamechanger at all.
TLDR: FC 27 Witching Hour in 30 seconds. Free Evo for any CM or CAM (alternate positions count) rated 80 or lower, with no ST position, PAC 85 or lower, Long Shots 79 or lower and Standing Tackle 78 or lower (max 7 PlayStyles, no PlayStyle+). 3 levels, 4 matches: play 1, play 1, then win 2 (Squad Battles on Semi-Pro or higher, Rush, Rivals, Champions or Live Events). You get +4 OVR (cap 81), then pick Hex Shot (+6 Finishing, Positioning, Shot Power, Long Shots, +1 Weak Foot, Gamechanger) or Hex Pass (+6 Vision, Crossing, Long Pass, Curve, +1 Skill Moves, Incisive Pass). The PlayStyle only lands if the card has fewer than 3. Start by Wednesday 4 November, 18:00 UTC; finish by Wednesday 11 November, 18:00 UTC. Do Witching Hour first, then Zoomaestro (start by Wednesday 28 October, 18:00 UTC; PAC 75 or lower, DEF 74 or lower) and 626 cards rated 72 to 76 finish at 83. The reverse order caps every card at 81.
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What is the FC 27 Witching Hour Evolution?
Witching Hour is a free, three-level Evolution for central midfielders, part of the Ultimate Scream week. Its in-game description, reproduced on fut.gg, reads: "Midnight is near and the midfield is yours. Pick your spell: Hex Shot for finishing power and Gamechanger, or Hex Pass for vision and Incisive Pass." (fut.gg, Witching Hour)
The "pick your spell" part is a Pathway. Levels 1 and 2 are the same for everyone, and level 3 forks into two upgrade sets. fut.gg marks Hex Shot as the recommended path. Its data shows why: the average Hex Shot card gains 5.3 SHO and 4.5 DRI on its face stats, while the average Hex Pass card gains 5.2 PAS and 4.6 DRI. Neither path adds any pace or defending.
EA doesn't publish an article for weekly Evolutions. The requirements, upgrades and deadlines below come from fut.gg's copy of the in-game Evolution data, pulled on 25 October.
What are the Witching Hour requirements?
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Position | CM or CAM (alternate positions count) |
| Excluded position | ST |
| Max OVR | 80 |
| Max Pace (PAC) | 85 |
| Max Long Shots | 79 |
| Max Standing Tackle | 78 |
| Max PlayStyles | 7 |
| Max PlayStyles+ | 0 |
| Cost | Free (0 coins, 0 FC Points) |
| Start by | Wednesday 4 November 2026, 18:00 UTC |
| Finish by | Wednesday 11 November 2026, 18:00 UTC |
Two things trip people up. First, alternate positions count. Among the top 4,018 eligible items by rating (68 OVR and up), 1,073 are listed as CDM and 194 as LM, because they carry CM or CAM as a second position. Second, the ST exclusion applies to every position on the card. An attacking midfielder with ST as an alternate is out, however good a fit it looks.
One correction before you plan around another guide: Destructoid's Witching Hour page lists the position as "LB or RB" and the excluded positions as "CB, CDM" (Destructoid). That matches the full-back Evo released the day before, not this one. fut.gg's copy of the in-game data says CM, CAM, excluding ST, and Destructoid's own best-player picks (Manzambi, Lemar, Elliott) are midfielders.
What does Witching Hour upgrade at each level?
| Level | Challenge | Upgrades (cap) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Play 1 match | +4 OVR (81), +4 Agility (80), +5 Reactions (80), +5 Dribbling (81), +6 Stamina (84) |
| 2 | Play 1 match | +5 Short Passing (82), +4 Balance (80), +5 Ball Control (82), +5 Composure (80) |
| 3A Hex Shot | Win 2 matches | +6 Positioning (81), +6 Finishing (80), +6 Shot Power (82), +6 Long Shots (80), +1 Weak Foot (4★), Gamechanger |
| 3B Hex Pass | Win 2 matches | +6 Vision (82), +6 Crossing (80), +6 Long Passing (82), +6 Curve (80), +1 Skill Moves (4★), Incisive Pass |
Every challenge accepts Squad Battles on Semi-Pro or higher, Rush, Rivals, Champions or Live Events, with the Evo active and the Evo player used in the match. Only the last level needs wins. Semi-Pro Squad Battles is the fastest way to get them.
The caps matter more than the plus signs. A card already at 80 Finishing gets nothing from Hex Shot's +6 Finishing. The Long Shots entry limit of 79 exists for the same reason: the Evo is built for midfielders who can't shoot yet.
Why should you run Witching Hour before Zoomaestro?
Zoomaestro is the free CM/CAM Evo from 18 October: max 80 OVR, PAC 75 or lower, Defending 74 or lower, Skill Moves 4★ or lower, +7 OVR to a cap of 83. Both Evos take an 80-rated card, and both add OVR. That makes the order decisive:
- Witching Hour first. A 72 to 76 card ends Witching Hour at 76 to 80, which still fits Zoomaestro's 80 limit. Zoomaestro then adds up to +7 and the card finishes at 83. fut.gg's combo calculator returns 626 cards that reach 83 this way.
- Zoomaestro first. Zoomaestro pushes a 74 past 80, so Witching Hour closes. Only cards that finish Zoomaestro at 80 or lower can still enter, and Witching Hour's 81 cap then stops them. fut.gg returns 557 cards ending at 81 this way, and 0 at 83.
That leaves 296 cards that would finish at 83 in one order and 81 in the other. If your midfielder starts at 72 to 76 with 75 PAC or less, Witching Hour goes first.
The clock is the catch. Zoomaestro must be started by Wednesday 28 October, 18:00 UTC (18:00 in the UK, 14:00 Eastern). Witching Hour needs four matches, two of them wins, before the card is free for its next Evo, and Zoomaestro then takes five more (play 2, play 2, win 1). Finish Witching Hour by Tuesday night to be safe.
EA's own help page explains how to check this before you commit: "When you add another Evolution to the preview, available Evolutions are filtered using the Player Item's resulting stats." (EA Help, Evolutions) Add Witching Hour, then Zoomaestro, in the preview and confirm Zoomaestro still appears.
Which PlayStyle will your midfielder actually get?
Gamechanger and Incisive Pass come with a cap of 3. In the data that means the PlayStyle is only added while the card holds fewer than 3 PlayStyles. Of the 2,494 Hex Shot cards we matched to their base versions (66 OVR and up after the Evo), 2,049 (82%) gained Gamechanger. Not one card that started with 3 or more PlayStyles got it.
Zoomaestro adds First Touch, Technical and Rapid under the same rule. So the order decides your PlayStyle too:
- Witching Hour first, then Zoomaestro: 953 of 1,171 cards (81%) end up holding Gamechanger (all cards fut.gg returned finishing 78 or higher).
- Zoomaestro first, then Witching Hour: 5 of 749 (under 1%). Zoomaestro fills the card to 3 PlayStyles and Witching Hour has no room left.
Gamechanger is the stronger prize of the two for most players. In mid-October Reddit threads on r/fut and r/EASportsFC, players described Low Driven Shot plus Gamechanger as close to a guaranteed finish. That's player opinion, and EA hasn't published conversion data.
Hex Shot or Hex Pass: which path should you pick?
Pick Hex Shot for box-to-box CMs and CAMs that arrive in the box, and for any card you're sending on to Zoomaestro. It adds the +1 Weak Foot that Zoomaestro doesn't, and Gamechanger if the card holds fewer than 3 PlayStyles.
Pick Hex Pass for a deep playmaker who sits and switches play. Of the PlayStyles fifauteam rates 4.5 or higher, Incisive Pass is one of only two EA left untouched in its FC 27 PlayStyle rebalance. There's a catch if Zoomaestro follows: both Evos add +1 Skill Moves to a cap of 4★. On a 3★ card, Hex Pass makes it 4★ and Zoomaestro's skill-move boost is wasted. On a 2★ card both still count.
EA's Pathway rules also let you change your mind. Per EA Help: "Rewards choices can be changed at any time, and your choice is only locked when you complete the Evolution level and claim its rewards."
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Who are the best players for Witching Hour?
Rankings below use fut.gg's GG Rating of each finished card in its best position. Prices move fast during Ultimate Scream, so check the market before you buy.
Best finished cards (Witching Hour alone, 77 to 80)
These start too fast or too strong for Zoomaestro, so Witching Hour is their whole upgrade. They finish at 81.
| Player | Start → Finish | Best position (fut.gg) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yunus Akgün | 79 → 81 | RM | 85 PAC, 82 DRI, 4★ WF after Hex Shot |
| Antonio Nusa | 78 → 81 | LM | 85 PAC, 85 DRI, 5★ skills already |
| Otávio | 80 → 81 | CM | 81 PAS, 84 DRI, 5 PlayStyles already |
| Diego Gómez (TOTW) | 80 → 81 | CM | 81 SHO, 81 PHY, strong box-to-box frame |
| Chiara Hahn (TOTW) | 80 → 81 | CDM | 75 DEF, 82 PAC, eligible through her CM alternate |
Best chain candidates (72 to 76, finishing at 83 after Zoomaestro)
These need PAC 75 or lower and DEF 74 or lower on the base card. All finish at 83 with Witching Hour first.
| Player | Start → Finish | Best position (fut.gg) | Finished face stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lorenzo Amatucci | 73 → 83 | CDM | 80 PAC, 84 DRI, 74 DEF |
| Gustavo Hamer | 75 → 83 | CAM | 78 SHO, 81 PAS, 84 DRI |
| Ardon Jashari (Hex Pass) | 76 → 83 | CDM | 83 PAC, 80 PAS, 78 PHY |
| Reo Hatate | 74 → 83 | CAM | 78 SHO, 78 PAS, 84 DRI |
| Marvin Wanitzek | 75 → 83 | CAM | 80 SHO, 81 PAS, 84 DRI |
| Mady Camara | 73 → 83 | CM | 83 PAC, 79 SHO, 81 PHY |
| Simon Sohm | 74 → 83 | CM | 82 PAC, 76 SHO, 81 PHY |
| Angel Gomes | 75 → 83 | CAM | 80 PAC, 78 PAS, 84 DRI |
Hamer and Wanitzek already own Gamechanger. Hatate, Amatucci and Gomes start with 4 to 6 PlayStyles and no Gamechanger, so they gain the stats but not the PlayStyle. Sohm and Camara start with 1 and 2 and pick it up. Jashari starts with none, which makes him the best Hex Pass candidate on the list: Incisive Pass plus two of Zoomaestro's PlayStyles.
Who should you skip?
- Any card with ST anywhere. Not eligible, even if it plays CAM.
- Cards already at 77 to 80 Finishing. Hex Shot's +6 mostly disappears into the 80 cap (Long Shots is capped at entry, 79 or lower). Take Hex Pass instead.
- Pure CDMs without a CM alternate. Not eligible. Center Spectre (CM/CDM, max 80, start by 2 November) is their free option this week.
How fast can you finish Witching Hour, and when does it end?
Four matches: one, one, then two wins. Semi-Pro Squad Battles is the quickest route: if you win your first two level 3 matches, that's about an hour of play. Squad Battles counts as long as the Evo is active and the Evo player is used in the match.
| Deadline | Date (UTC) |
|---|---|
| Released | Sunday 25 October 2026, 18:00 |
| Start Zoomaestro by (chain) | Wednesday 28 October 2026, 18:00 |
| Start Witching Hour by | Wednesday 4 November 2026, 18:00 |
| Finish Witching Hour by | Wednesday 11 November 2026, 18:00 |
Is Witching Hour worth it?
Yes. It's free, it takes four matches, and it puts +4 OVR plus a real PlayStyle on almost any 77 to 80 midfielder. The big win is the chain: a 72 to 76 midfielder that would otherwise sit in your club becomes an 83 for nine matches in total (four for Witching Hour, five for Zoomaestro), and keeps Gamechanger if it started with fewer than 3 PlayStyles. Just run Witching Hour first and get Zoomaestro started before Wednesday's deadline.
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For more of this week's free Evos, see our Creep Inside guide and the original Zoomaestro guide.
What hasn't EA said about Witching Hour?
EA hasn't published patch notes or an article for Witching Hour. Everything above comes from fut.gg's copy of the in-game Evolution data and its combo calculator, pulled on 25 October. Counts are fut.gg's item database, not EA's, and they include some special versions of the same player. We pulled the top 4,020 results per list by rating, so the 81 and 83 totals are complete, while counts at 78 to 80 are partial. Check the in-game preview before you start.
FAQ
Is FC 27 Witching Hour free? Yes. It costs 0 coins and 0 FC Points, and each club can run it once.
What are the Witching Hour requirements in FC 27? A CM or CAM (alternate positions count) with no ST position, rated 80 OVR or lower, with 85 PAC or lower, 79 Long Shots or lower, 78 Standing Tackle or lower, no more than 7 PlayStyles and no PlayStyle+. Start by Wednesday 4 November, 18:00 UTC.
Should I pick Hex Shot or Hex Pass? Hex Shot for most cards: +6 Finishing, Positioning, Shot Power and Long Shots, +1 Weak Foot and Gamechanger. Pick Hex Pass for a deep playmaker who wants Incisive Pass, +6 Vision and Long Passing, and +1 Skill Moves.
Can I do Witching Hour and Zoomaestro on the same player? Yes, and Witching Hour should go first. It's nine matches in total. A 72 to 76 card ends Witching Hour at 76 to 80, still inside Zoomaestro's 80 limit, and Zoomaestro takes it to 83. The base card needs 75 PAC or lower and 74 DEF or lower. Start Zoomaestro by Wednesday 28 October, 18:00 UTC. The reverse order caps at 81.
Why didn't my player get Gamechanger? Witching Hour only adds its PlayStyle while the card holds fewer than 3. Cards with 3 or more PlayStyles get the stats but no Gamechanger or Incisive Pass. Running Zoomaestro first fills the card and blocks it.
How many matches does Witching Hour take? Four: play 1 match for level 1, play 1 for level 2, then win 2 for level 3, in Squad Battles on Semi-Pro or higher, Rush, Rivals, Champions or Live Events, using the Evo player.
