2026 Home Run Derby concluded on July 13, with St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker shrugging off the jeers from the crowd to claim the title by launching four consecutive homers in the final round of swings. In the wake of that victory, MLB The Show 26 rolled out fresh content, including 2026 Home Run Derby card series and Home Run Derby Program. Yet it was Walker's champion card that sparked the most debate. 99 OVR Jordan Walker – 2026 Home Run Derby – LF/RF Hitting Stats Contact Right 98 Contact Left 99 Power Right 125 Power Left 125 Vision 70 Discipline 59 Clutch 100 Bunt 35 Drag Bunt 25 Durability 89 For the winner of this year's derby, that 99 OVR card landed as a major letdown. The main flaw lies in defense, where the fielding rating sits at just 50 and the reaction scores on both sides are a mere 53, making it nearly unserviceable in the outfield. With a speed of 67, even equipping a fielding modifier leaves it relegated to designated hitter duty. Its production against both right-handed and left-handed pitching is mediocre, and the most crippling issue is Vision of only 70, which renders it largely ineffective in high-difficulty matchups. Given that MLB The Show 26 features a wealth of pitchers armed with outlier fastballs and sinkers, Dead Red quirk - which expands the timing window for fastballs - has become almost essential for any hitter. Unlike the other seven 2026 Home Run Derby cards, however, this champion card alone lacks that critical quirk. Moreover, Walker's final-round barrage of consecutive homers delivered one of the most clutch performances in derby history, yet his Clutch rating stands at only 100 - he absolutely deserved a 125 in that category. Compared to recent Home Run Derby champion cards, which almost always boast near-maxed stats, Walker's card falls well short of the standard. 98 OVR Kyle Schwarber – 2026 Home Run Derby – LF/1B Hitting Stats Contact Right 90 Contact Left 100 Power Right 123 Power Left 123 Vision 90 Discipline 100 Clutch 100 Bunt 35 Drag Bunt 25 Durability 97 Ironically, Walker's champion card is not the strongest of the event. When weighing overall utility, runner-up Kyle Schwarber emerges as the most worthwhile card to acquire from this program. Schwarber's Power attributes trail Walker's by only 2 points, yet he leads by 10 points in right-handed Contact and a full 20 points in Vision. While his defensive stats are equally poor, he has First Base as a secondary position, which completely masks his defensive liabilities and makes him a far more practical option than the champion card. The gap in value is reflected in player trading, where 98 OVR Kyle Schwarber commands a higher exchange rate than 99 OVR Jordan Walker, clearly indicating the community's overall sentiment toward the two cards. The developers may have intentionally dialed back the power curve this time to avoid repeating the mistakes of MLB The Show 25. Additionally, this card comes from packs rather than being a collection reward, meaning players can trade it directly on the market. While 99 OVR Jordan Walker's power level might be disappointing, it is well worth collecting; you can buy MLB The Show 26 stubs from IGGM to add both the first and second-place finishers of the 2026 Home Run Derby to your roster. Other Content Released Alongside Home Run Derby Program 2026 Home Run Derby Program requires 50 points in total to complete, with rewards that include two Home Run Derby packs, one All-Star Game pack, and 10,000 XP. The typical missions involve hitting home runs with All-Star and Draft series players, or with players from specific teams, as well as accumulating XP. You simply follow the mission progression, which will take a fair amount of time. Showdown Home Run Derby Showdown is one of the simplest challenges available. You face Ramon Russell, who throws nothing but fastballs around 80 mph every pitch. Just swing for the fences and you will breeze through it; upon completion, you earn 10 points toward Home Run Derby Program. Collection 2026 Home Run Derby series includes eight cards in total. You need to collect seven of the derby cards to finish the set, after which you receive a voucher for Legends and Flashback Collection. Collection strategy After All-Star Game concludes, MLB The Show 26 will introduce a new Multiplayer season, Ranked seasons, Events, and a major Program, all of which will bring more All-Star player cards online. The developers have teased a Hall of Fame Collection arriving on July 26, featuring a Legends and Flashback Collection centered on legendary players like Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltrán. Since completing Season Collection does not require every single card, you do not need to rush into unlocking the high-value 2026 Home Run Derby cards if your goal is to finish the collection tasks. Instead, you should wait patiently until after All-Star Game ends to see whether additional, stronger All-Star cards are released, and then make your collection decisions accordingly - so as not to waste resources. Overall, Home Run Derby content update for MLB The Show 26 leaves a mildly disappointing impression. While cards like Schwarber, Ben Rice, and Junior Caminero are all solid designated hitter options, Jordan Walker falls drastically short of expectations - this is without question the weakest Home Run Derby champion card in recent years.

With the 2026 World Cup final just four days away, EA FC 27, capitalizing on the tournament's buzz, has recently leaked new details to drum up interest in the upcoming pre-orders. There is no need to feel pressured by the marketing hype, however; you have plenty of time to decide whether to pre-order before the game's official launch on September 25. Here, we'll cover the latest news to help you make an informed decision. Diogo Jota Hero Card As the Portuguese national team's World Cup run ended in the quarter-finals this year, you might recall the tragic news from last July: the passing of Diogo Jota, the Portuguese player for Liverpool. Jota was not only an outstanding footballer but also an avid EA FC fan; he founded his own esports team, Luna Galaxy, and even reached the number one spot on FIFA 21 Champions Leaderboard as an individual player. To honor a player who dedicated his life to football, EA announced that FC Pro Championship Trophy would be named after him, marking the first anniversary of his passing. Additionally, Hero Card featuring him will be introduced in the upcoming FUT 27. Hero Cards are a special type o UT card in FIFA series designed to commemorate retired or deceased players. They offer easier chemistry links with players from specific leagues compared to Icon cards, making them incredibly useful for completing SBCs. While multiple versions of Hero Card may be released later, requiring more FC 27 coins to unlock, this heartfelt tribute is hard to pass up, especially if you were a fan of Jota. The return of Alex Hunter Unlike Jota, who enjoyed a brilliant career on real-world pitches, Alex Hunter is a purely fictional player created for FIFA 17-19 The Journey mode, essentially an NPC within FC universe. With FUT 27 introducing a new mode called The Ground, Alex Hunter, a familiar face whose story concluded with The Journey in FIFA 19, is set to return to the game. Alex Hunter previously served as the narrative protagonist of The Journey, a mode where you could experience the evolution of his football career. While specific details regarding his role in The Ground have yet to be revealed for FIFA 27, it is highly likely he will appear as a recurring NPC, guiding you through this virtual open world. FIFA series has a history of introducing new modes only to remove or drastically overhaul them a few years later, often to the frustration of fans. Consequently, this particular comeback represents a welcome strategy. New ownership EA was acquired by new investors late last September, making FIFA 27 the first title in the series to launch under this new ownership. It remains to be seen whether this shift will ultimately benefit players, but it has certainly accelerated the inclusion of the full Asian Cup tournament license, given that Saudi capital plays a significant role in the new ownership group. This paves the way for the addition of national teams that have never before appeared in FC series, allowing you to unlock new player cards in FUT 26 and experiment with lineups and gameplay styles that were previously impossible. Potential removal of Rush Mode As mentioned regarding Alex Hunter's return, FIFA series frequently drops older modes in new installments; true to form, it appears Rush mode may not make the cut for FC 27 this September. Overall, however, this move likely does more good than harm. Although Rush was introduced in FIFA 25 as a replacement for VOLTA, lasting less than two years, its limited appeal caused it to lose popularity even before the launch of FC 26. Precisely because of this history, we hope sufficient development effort is poured into the new The Ground mode to ensure it doesn't suffer the same fate as Rush or VOLTA, being forcibly retired after barely two years. Playstyle system updates Playstyle and Playstyle+ are key attributes for FUT player cards. The standard Playstyle boosts specific abilities based on a player's real-world skills, while the plus version elevates those abilities to an even higher level. FIFA 27 plans to build on this foundation by introducing a new tier, resulting in three distinct Playstyle versions. To keep things engaging, these new Playstyles should offer more than just stat boosts; they should introduce unexpected gameplay expansions. This means that the methods for building top-tier player cards and the rating criteria in FC 27 will undergo a revolutionary overhaul compared to the past. Naturally, acquiring higher-level PlayStyles will require greater effort on your part. Addition of Ullevaal Stadion We previously introduced a list of stadiums, such as Camp Nou, that might be added to FIFA 27. Now, the inclusion of Ullevaal Stadion is virtually confirmed. EA FC series has long lacked authentic Nordic stadiums, and Ullevaal Stadion, located in Norwegian capital of Oslo, is poised to fill this gap. Furthermore, rumors suggest that the crowd will occasionally perform the iconic rowing celebration while cheering. In fact, although Norwegian national team, featuring superstar Erling Haaland, only reached the quarter-finals of this year's World Cup, the performances of both the players and the fans left a lasting impression on audiences worldwide. Consequently, the addition of Ullevaal Stadion is expected to sustain the momentum generated by Norwegian team and attract more players to experience FC 27 later this year. Expect a steady stream of leaks regarding the game over the coming week, leading up to the official reveal and the opening of pre-orders, get ready!