Fantasy Premier League has revealed the first major changes for the 2026/27 season, providing the clearest indication yet that the new game is close to launching.
FPL has confirmed that further announcements will follow this week, including new features, player position changes and the first player prices. Although an official launch date has not yet been announced, it now looks increasingly likely that the game will go live this week, as predicted in our recent analysis.
The first announcement includes live mini-league updates, changes to the Bonus Points System, a later Gameweek lockdown and confirmation that managers will once again receive two sets of chips. FPL Points, Ranks and Mini-Leagues Will Update Live
Changes to FPL for 2026/27
— Fantasy Football Fix (@FantasyFootyFix) July 20, 2026
1️⃣ Points, rank and mini-leagues now update LIVE
2️⃣ Projected bonus is added to a player’s score after 20 minutes of each match
3️⃣ Changes to the bonus system boost the potential of goalkeepers and full-backs
4️⃣ Gameweek “lockdown” is now later,… pic.twitter.com/0oS9J4inyE
One of the biggest improvements for 2026/27 is the introduction of real-time updates across Fantasy Premier League.
Managers will be able to see their overall rank and mini-league positions continuously update while matches are being played.
The same will apply to head-to-head leagues and FPL Cup ties, meaning managers will no longer need to rely on Fantasy Football Fix's Gameweek Live tool to estimate their live position.
A goal, assist or lost clean sheet could immediately change the order of your mini-league, adding even more drama to every Premier League match.
Projected bonus points will also be added to player scores after 20 minutes of each fixture. These will then continue to change throughout the match as players move up and down the Bonus Points System standings.
FPL has also announced several changes to the Bonus Points System for 2026/27.
The adjustments are designed to reduce the overlap between bonus points and defensive contribution points, while improving the chances of goalkeepers, attacking full-backs and creative players earning bonus.
Players previously received a deduction of one BPS every time they were successfully tackled.
That metric has now been removed.
This should benefit attacking players who regularly attempt to dribble past opponents, as they will no longer be punished for taking risks in possession.
The change should slightly improve the bonus-point potential of direct attackers and defenders who regularly carry the ball forward.
Clearances, blocks and interceptions contribute towards both defensive contribution points and the Bonus Points System.
This allowed some centre-backs to benefit twice from the same defensive actions last season.
For 2026/27, players will receive one BPS for every three clearances, blocks and interceptions, rather than one BPS for every two.
Defensive contribution specialists should remain valuable, but dominant centre-backs may find it slightly more difficult to collect bonus points alongside their defensive contribution returns.
This could narrow the bonus-point gap between centre-backs and more attack-minded full-backs.
Goalkeepers are also receiving several changes to how their saves are rewarded.
They will now earn:
The previous separate metric for saves from outside the penalty area has been removed.
FPL has also reduced the reward for saving a penalty from eight BPS to seven. However, because a penalty is classified as a big chance, the goalkeeper will receive the additional one BPS through the new big-chance-save metric.
These changes should improve the bonus prospects of busy goalkeepers who regularly make difficult saves, even when they fail to keep a clean sheet.
The Gameweek lockdown will now take place at 09:00 UK time on the day after the final match of the Gameweek.
Previously, FPL scores were finalised one hour after the final whistle of the last fixture.
The additional time will allow Opta to review match data and make any necessary corrections to bonus points and defensive contribution points before scores become final.
This should improve the accuracy of the final Gameweek totals, although managers may need to wait until the following morning before their confirmed rank and points are locked in.
FPL chips will remain unchanged from last season.
FPL chips will be unchanged for the 2026/27 season. pic.twitter.com/s1INUJe60y
— Fantasy Football Fix (@FantasyFootyFix) July 20, 2026
Managers will once again receive two sets of the following chips:
That means every manager will have eight chips to use across the season.
The first set must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline at 13:30 GMT on Saturday 2 January. Any unused chips from the first half of the season will not carry over.
Managers will also continue to be able to roll up to five free transfers.
However, unlike last season, additional free transfers will not be awarded during December. Those transfers were introduced to help managers navigate the Africa Cup of Nations, which will not take place during the 2026/27 Premier League campaign.
Defensive contribution points will also remain part of FPL following their introduction last season.
FPL managers will now be able to view their overall rank as a percentage, providing greater context around their position in the global standings.
The game will also calculate each manager’s average performance across every season they have played, allowing them to compare their long-term record with friends, mini-league rivals and the wider FPL community.
Tom Dollimore’s record shows exactly how impressive these new career comparisons can look. The former world number one has finished inside the top 12,138 in each of the last seven seasons, including two top-500 finishes and a remarkable career-average rank of 9,510.
Fantasy Football Fix members can follow Tom’s latest team, transfers and live Gameweek updates throughout the 2026/27 season using the Elite XI: Team Reveal tool.
The Fantasy website will also calculate a manager’s average performance across every season they have played and show how that career record compares with the rest of the world.
This should make it easier to compare long-term FPL records with friends, colleagues and mini-league rivals rather than focusing solely on one season’s overall rank.
Adobe Express Gameweek Recaps will return for 2026/27.
Once a Gameweek has been finalised, managers will receive a shareable recap displaying their points, rank and highest-scoring player.
Managers will also be able to retain badges created last season or generate a new personalised team badge without needing an Adobe Express account.
FPL has not officially confirmed the launch date, but Monday’s announcement suggests the wait is nearly over.
The Premier League has stated that further announcements will arrive this week, including:
Player prices have traditionally been revealed shortly before the full game launches, so the start of those announcements would be another major indication that FPL is about to go live.
The wording used by the Premier League, combined with a full week of planned announcements, makes a 2026/27 launch this week look increasingly likely — although managers should wait for official confirmation.
You do not need to wait for the official game to launch before starting your Gameweek 1 planning.
The Fantasy Football Fix GW1 Squad Creator allows you to build and save up to five different drafts using predicted player prices.
Our Predicted Player Prices tool achieved 97.7% accuracy last season, helping managers identify the likely premium assets, budget enablers and squad structures before the official prices are released.
Start building your opening squad now and get ahead of the competition before FPL 2026/27 goes live.
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