Sorare is a fantasy sports game. You pick real footballers, NBA players or MLB players using digital cards, and you score points from how those athletes play in real matches. The cards above the entry level are tradeable NFTs, and since October 2025 those NFTs have lived on Solana. You can start for free. The current entry point is Arcade, a free-to-play mode the company launched in 2026. The bigger changes are in the business. On 3 September 2026 Sorare announced a new funding round from its existing investors. Its Premier League licence ended at the close of the 2025/26 season. A UK Gambling Commission prosecution for unlicensed gambling is now listed for trial on 7 June 2027.
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- 18 May 2026: The UK Gambling Commission said Sorare's trial at Birmingham Magistrates' Court was postponed from 15 June 2026 to 7 June 2027.
- End of the 2025/26 season: The Premier League partnership, signed in January 2023 as a four-year deal, ended. Cointelegraph described it as "terminated at the end of last season". Sorare told reporters the contract had expired at the end of its term. No renewal has been announced.
- 1 September 2026: Cointelegraph, citing The Sun, reported that the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) had frozen about £10 million in a Premier League bank account. The money was reportedly the first payment under the Sorare deal, and the freeze came under a January 2025 order from Westminster Magistrates' Court. An NCA spokesperson said the aim was "to prevent dissipation of the funds while the NCA investigates". The Premier League is not accused of wrongdoing. Sorare told Fortune that it "is not the subject of an investigation by the National Crime Agency" (quoted in the Sporting Crypto newsletter).
- 3 September 2026: Sorare announced a round from existing backers Benchmark, Accel, Partech and Kibo Ventures, with co-founders Nicolas Julia and Adrien Montfort also investing. The amount was not disclosed. Julia called it an "eight-figure" raise, and only the first tranche has closed. The company says net revenue rose 85% year on year in the first half of 2026 and that more than 100,000 managers bought cards in that period. It now targets a return to profitability by the end of 2027. These figures are the company's own and are unaudited.
- November 2025: Sorare carried out a redundancy plan that cut about 35% of staff. Reports say it also closed its New York office.
- October 2025: Sorare moved its cards from StarkEx, a layer-2 network on Ethereum, to Solana. Users' ETH balances moved to Base, another Ethereum layer-2 network.
How the game works now
Sorare runs its football game in yearly editions. The current one, "Sorare 27", covers the 2026/27 season. Player guides for the edition describe three modes: Arcade, Pro and Arena.
Arcade (free)
Arcade is the casual, free-to-play entry point. It replaces the earlier "Sets" mode. Guides say it runs in time-limited editions of several weeks. Its cards are earned through free packs and are discarded when an edition ends. You progress by passing point targets. This is the mode the company now calls its main growth driver.
Pro
Pro has you play against targets set by Sorare rather than against other managers. Guides describe it as an improved version of the earlier "Hot Streaks" format. You can enter at any time once a licensed match is played.
Arena
Arena holds the player-versus-player leaderboards. In 2026/27 it adds two optional substitute slots, one goalkeeper and one outfield player. A substitute comes in automatically only if a starter does not play. Lineup bonuses such as the multi-club bonus now apply only in Arena, and they are removed from a lineup once a substitute enters.
Scoring and bonuses
Each player's real-match performance becomes a score from 0 to 100. Guides split it into a "decisive" part (goals, assists, red cards and similar big events) and an "all-around" part (passing, chances created, defensive work).
Bonuses are added on top of the base score:
- Captain, XP, new-season and collection bonuses: all still active in 2026/27, according to guides.
- In-season Rare cards in Pro: +15% per in-season Rare card and +40% for an in-season Rare captain, up to double the score with a full in-season Rare lineup.
The exact figures change from season to season. Check them in the app before building a lineup.
Card scarcity
Above the free tier, cards come in four scarcities. Guides consistently give these caps per player per season:
| Scarcity | Maximum cards per player per season |
|---|---|
| Limited | 1,000 |
| Rare | 100 |
| Super Rare | 10 |
| Unique | 1 |
That is a ceiling, not a guarantee. Sorare does not have to mint the full number for every player. Limited cards were added in August 2021 as a cheaper entry tier.
Where do you stand before buying Sorare cards?
Answer four short questions to see which of the article's points apply to you before you spend money on cards.
Do you want to buy cards, or only play for free?
- Only play for free → Start in Arcade
- I am thinking of buying cards → next question
Have you checked how your country treats paid card games like Sorare?
- No, or I am in the UK or France → Check your local rules first
- Yes, I have checked my local rules → next question
Have you ever withdrawn Sorare cards to an outside Ethereum wallet?
- Yes → Bring withdrawn cards back to Solana
- No, my cards are on Sorare → next question
Are the cards you want mainly Premier League players?
- Yes → Note the Premier League licence has ended
- No, other leagues or sports → Weigh the general risks
Arcade is the free-to-play mode launched in 2026. Its cards come from free packs and are discarded when an edition ends, so it costs nothing to see whether you like the weekly routine.
In the UK the Gambling Commission has charged Sorare.com with providing gambling facilities without a licence; Sorare denies it and the trial is set for 7 June 2027. France runs a separate JONUM framework under Decree No. 2026-60, and a March 2026 report said Sorare had not yet filed its declaration. Your country's position may affect your access and protections.
Since October 2025 Sorare cards live on Solana. Cards withdrawn to an outside Ethereum wallet still count in gameplay, but they cannot be traded on Sorare until they are bridged or deposited back to Solana (reported by PANews).
The Premier League licence ended at the close of the 2025/26 season and no renewal has been announced. How Premier League player cards are treated now has not been confirmed in any source the article could check.
Card value depends on Sorare keeping league and club rights, prices move quickly with injuries, form and transfers, and the market can be thin outside popular players. The company cut about 35% of staff in November 2025 and targets a return to profitability by the end of 2027.
This sorts the article's points by your answers only: it gives no view on card prices or whether to buy, cannot tell you your country's legal position, and game rules may have changed since the guides it relies on.
The blockchain side
On 15 October 2025 Cointelegraph reported that Sorare had announced its move from StarkEx to Solana. The company expected it to be complete by the end of that month. According to news reports and Wikipedia:
- cards were reissued as Solana NFTs (described as compressed NFTs), keeping their scarcity, serial number, season, XP and metadata;
- ETH balances moved to Base, and Sorare still accepts ETH deposits;
- cards previously withdrawn to an outside Ethereum wallet still count in gameplay, but they cannot be traded on Sorare until they are bridged or deposited back to Solana, according to PANews.
Sorare had first moved most of its transactions from Ethereum mainnet to StarkEx in July 2021.
Licences and sports
Sorare covers football, basketball and baseball.
- MLB: partnership announced 12 May 2022; the baseball game launched on 19 July 2022.
- NBA: multi-year deal with the NBA and the players' union (NBPA) in September 2022.
- Premier League: official licence from 30 January 2023, now ended (see the timeline above).
- LaLiga: an agreement since September 2021. Guides report LaLiga cards in the Sorare 27 edition.
Legal and regulatory status
United Kingdom
On 26 September 2024 the Gambling Commission charged Sorare.com with "providing facilities for gambling without holding an operating licence". The charges are under sections 33(1), (4) and 36(3), (3A) of the Gambling Act 2005. The Commission states that Sorare.com is not licensed by it. Sorare pleaded not guilty to each count, according to press reports, and denies that its product is gambling. The trial is set for 7 June 2027. Nothing has been decided by a court.
France
France created a separate experimental category for "games with monetisable digital objects" (JONUM) in its 2024 SREN law. Decree No. 2026-60 of 4 February 2026 put it into effect. Operators must file a prior declaration with the national gaming authority, the ANJ. The framework runs for three years, and law-firm commentary says cash rewards are not allowed under it. SBC News reported in March 2026 that Sorare had not yet filed its declaration.
Before you spend money on cards
- Start in Arcade. It costs nothing and shows you whether you like the weekly routine before you buy anything.
- Check your local rules. The UK case and the French framework show that regulators treat paid card mechanics differently. Your country's position may affect your access and your protections.
- Licences drive value. Cards depend on Sorare keeping the rights to leagues and clubs, and the Premier League licence has already ended.
- Prices move with players. Injuries, form and transfers change card prices quickly, and the market can be thin outside the most popular players.
- Wallets matter. If you have taken cards off the platform, they need to be back on Solana before you can sell them on Sorare.
- The company is in transition. It has cut staff, raised new money and says it is not yet profitable.
This article describes how Sorare works. It is not a recommendation to buy cards or any other asset.
