Future Stars has moved into Week 2 in EA SPORTS FC 27, and the final Academy stage is now live. Academy Player Items grow through four Evolutions, and each pathway shapes different attributes, so the finished card can look very different from the one that went in. FC 27 Coins can also play a part when a developing squad needs market upgrades around its Academy card. The more useful question, though, is how each stage and path choice fits the role the card is meant to play.
Four Academy Stages Reshape the Card
The Academy is built from four separate Evolutions that rolled out over the past week. EA’s official example follows Cavan Sullivan’s Academy card from 81 OVR at the start of the roadmap to 85 OVR at the end, which shows how far the finished card can sit from where it began.
The OVR gain is only part of the story. Each stage adds specific attribute boosts and asks for a path choice, so the end result depends on both the starting card and the decisions made along the way. The entry rules already narrow the pool: the first stage accepts ST or CAM cards rated 80 or lower, with a maximum Pace of 86, no more than seven PlayStyles, and a birth date on or after October 9, 2003.
| Stage | OVR after stage | Path choice | Main focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy I | 81 | Pace, Shooting or Dribbling | Sets the starting attacking profile |
| Academy II | 82 | Playmaker, Powerhouse or All-Rounder | Passing, physical or mixed attributes |
| Academy III | 83 | Rapid, Power Shot or Technical | Pairs attribute gains with a PlayStyle |
| Academy IV | 85 | Shooting or Passing and stat round-out | Finishes the card’s profile |
Starting attributes matter a great deal here. A card that already has excellent Pace may gain more from shooting or passing than from another layer of speed, and a technically strong CAM may benefit more from a passing-focused finish than from extra finishing.
Academy III Creates Three Attacking Profiles
Academy III is where the paths start to change how a card is used. Each option pairs attribute gains with a PlayStyle, and each pushes the card toward a different role.
| Path | Focus | PlayStyle | Natural 4-4-2 role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid | Pace | Rapid | Striker who attacks space behind the line |
| Power Shot | Shooting | Power Shot | Main finisher |
| Technical | Dribbling | Technical | Link-up striker or central CAM |
The Rapid route suits a forward who stretches the back line and does not need to be the main creator. Power Shot gives a more direct scoring profile, useful when a partner or the midfield supplies the chances. Technical helps a card that has to receive the ball under pressure and work closer to defenders instead of relying on runs. These paths do not make the same card stronger in identical ways. They change how the card should be used once the Evolution is done.
Academy IV Defines the Final Profile
Academy IV closes the Academy chain with two directions: Shooting, or Passing and stat round-out.
The Shooting route adds finishing and shot power and brings the Low Driven Shot PlayStyle. It is capped at four PlayStyles, so check the card’s count first. It suits a card with a clear attacking role that needs more end product. Passing and stat round-out takes a broader approach, lifting vision, short and long passing, reactions, ball control and composure. That makes it more interesting for CAM-style cards or forwards who drop into midfield.
The final pick should come from looking at the whole card. A striker with strong movement and creation may gain more from extra finishing, while a technical attacker used centrally can benefit from the more balanced passing profile.
Kendry Páez Shows What the Full Path Can Do
Kendry Páez is one of the clearest examples. His base card is 74 OVR with 79 Pace, 69 Shooting, 71 Passing, 78 Dribbling, 47 Defending and 57 Physical, plus five-star Skill Moves. EA’s example route takes him through Shooting, Playmaker, Rapid and Passing to an 85 OVR finish.
The finished card reaches 84 Pace, 84 Shooting, 86 Passing, 83 Dribbling and 72 Physical. Passing, Shooting and Physical each rose by 15 points, while Pace and Dribbling gained 5. The result is not just a higher-rated copy of the original. It is a more complete attacker with enough Pace to threaten space, enough Shooting to score directly, and the Passing and Dribbling for combination play.
Back to Basics Put the Academy Through a 4-4-2 Test
Week 1’s Back to Basics Exhibition gave the Academy a specific tactical test. It locked squads into a 4-4-2 and allowed only one player rated 82 or higher, so the rest of the lineup had to deliver without leaning on high-rated cards. That made developing cards more relevant, especially an Academy attacker in one of the two forward slots.
A 4-4-2 also splits the strikers’ jobs: one forward can attack space behind the defense, while the other drops in, links play and carries the main finishing threat. The event’s objectives pointed the same way, asking for a goal from a Future Stars player in the starting XI, Power Shot goals, and starters born on or after October 9, 2003.
The restriction also shows why OVR alone is a poor guide. With one 82+ slot, the strongest card has to go where it adds the most, and a lower-rated Academy card can fill a forward spot if its Pace, Shooting or Dribbling already fits the role. Evolution choices work the same way: fixing a weakness that limits the card in this shape is worth more than stacking an attribute that is already strong. Where a position still needs a stronger card than the Academy path provides, players who choose to buy FC 27 Coins can weigh that cost against what the rest of the squad needs.
A Different Setting for Creative Cards
A 4-2-3-1 is a different environment. It is not tied to the Future Stars event, but it suits Academy cards built for creation. A central CAM there sits between midfield and defense, where Ball Control, Dribbling, Vision and Short Passing count for more than they do on a channel-running striker. Páez’s finished profile fits that role, while a card taken down the Shooting path is better used up front.
Week 2 Brings New Comparisons
Week 2 opens today with the PlayStyle+ Lab, alongside the first UEFA Star Performers eligible for PlayStyle+ upgrades from October 17. With the Academy chain complete, finished cards will increasingly be compared with new Future Stars releases rather than with their base versions. Academy cards take their shape from the choices made across four stages, while other Future Stars cards gain value through separate upgrade systems.
Role First, Rating Second
The first Academy cycle shows why a card cannot be judged by its starting rating. It can pass through four stages and finish with a very different mix of Pace, Shooting, Passing and Dribbling, as Páez did on his way from 74 to 85 OVR. The best results come from deciding the role first, then choosing the path that supports it, and checking each stage against the attributes the card already has. As Week 2 content arrives, finished Academy cards will be judged against newer cards on role, attributes and PlayStyles rather than OVR alone. For positions the Academy path cannot cover, players who choose to buy FC 27 Coins can weigh that market cost against what the rest of the squad needs.