The festive season often brings a wave of promotional offers, and for members of subscription services like EA Play, this period can be particularly rewarding. EA Play, the subscription service from Electronic Arts, regularly provides members with access to a library of games, exclusive rewards, and timed trials. During the holiday season, the service often enhances its offerings with special promotional events. Based on official communications from EA, a specific "Holiday Picks" programme was run from December 15 to 24, 2025, with a parallel gift campaign for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members. This article details the structure, benefits, and key terms of these promotions, drawing exclusively from the provided source materials to inform UK-based deal seekers and gamers.
The core of the holiday promotion was a 10-day schedule, termed "EA Play's Holiday Picks," which ran from December 15 to December 24, 2025. Each day of this period focused on different titles available within the EA Play library, offering unique challenges, trials, or in-game content. The promotion was designed to highlight the variety of games available to members, with a strong emphasis on sports titles in the initial days. For instance, the first day featured EA SPORTS UFC 5, allowing members to set up matches from 2025 to relive or alter outcomes from the past year. The second day shifted focus to EA SPORTS College Football 26, offering a 10-hour trial. This trial period is a standard benefit of EA Play membership, granting subscribers extended access to full-game trials before deciding on a purchase.
Alongside the trial access, members were also offered specific in-game rewards. On the second day, members were reminded to claim the "EA Play Loyalist Ultimate Team Pack," which was available through December 31. This pack is a monthly reward for EA Play subscribers, providing content for EA SPORTS titles. The third day continued the sports theme with a 10-hour trial of EA SPORTS FC 26 and the "Holiday Header Blue Boots" cosmetic item, available through December 25. This pattern of a trial followed by an exclusive cosmetic or pack reward continued with Madden NFL 26 on a subsequent day, which included a 10-hour trial and a "MUT EA Play December Pack" (available through December 31).
The promotion expanded beyond sports games on the fifth day, introducing two Star Wars titles available in The Play List. Members could play Star Wars Battlefront II, where they could assume the roles of iconic characters from the film series. The Play List is the core library of games included with an EA Play subscription, accessible without additional cost beyond the membership fee. The holiday event also included challenges in other titles, such as breaking the fastest lap record in a game (likely referring to a racing title like EA Sports WRC, which was noted as available to members elsewhere). A specific reward was also tied to Apex Legends on day 8, where members who logged in could redeem a "Gold Topper Weapon Charm," available through January 5.
The promotional schedule also incorporated discounts and content for other popular EA titles. For The Sims 4, which is free to play, EA Play members received a 10% discount on expansion packs on day 9. This offer was framed as a way to enhance gameplay by adding new content like city lofts or creative builds. Similarly, on day 10, members could receive a 10% discount on "San Van Bucks" for the game Skate, which could be used to unlock the Premium skate.Pass, cosmetics, and other in-game items.
It is important to note that these offers were not exclusive to standalone EA Play subscribers. The source materials indicate that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members, who receive EA Play as part of their subscription, had an additional promotional layer. A separate "holiday countdown" ran from December 17 to December 26, during which these members could receive digital gifts. These gifts included full-game titles and content packs. Specifically mentioned were Battlefield 1: Revolution, The Sims 4 Home Chef Hustle Stuff Pack, Titanfall 2: Ultimate Edition, and 500 PGA Tour Points for EA Sports PGA Tour. This campaign appears to be a distinct initiative aimed at rewarding the Game Pass Ultimate subscriber base, overlapping with the broader Holiday Picks event.
Across all promotional activities, EA emphasises that standard conditions, limitations, and exclusions apply. A link to the terms of service for EA Play is provided, directing users to https://tos.ea.com/legalapp/eaplay/us/en/pc/ for full details. This underscores the importance for consumers to review the specific terms governing these offers, which may include geographical restrictions, eligibility criteria, and time limits for redemption.
In summary, the EA Play Holiday Picks and associated Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gifts represent a structured, time-limited promotional effort to engage subscribers during the festive period. The offers combine extended game trials, exclusive in-game cosmetics, and discounts on virtual currency and expansion packs. For UK-based consumers, these digital freebies and trial benefits are accessible through an active EA Play membership, which itself can be obtained directly or via an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. As with all such promotions, adherence to the specified timeframes and review of the official terms and conditions is essential for successful participation.