FTMO Rule Changes in 2026: Everything That's Updated

TLDR: FTMO made its biggest product changes in years during early 2026. The headline moves: a brand-new 1-Step Challenge with a 50% Best Day Rule, a full US launch through an OANDA partnership (FTMO US), unified 10% profit targets across all account sizes, and the absorption of OANDA Prop Trader clients by March 31. The 2-Step Challenge is unchanged. Pricing hasn't moved. Here's what every change means for your trading and how FTMO now stacks up against FundedNext and The 5%ers.

---

The Headline Changes

FTMO entered 2026 with a slate of updates that touch evaluation structure, geographic availability, and risk management rules. None of the changes affect the core 2-Step Challenge that most traders already know — they add new options alongside it. That distinction matters because existing funded traders don't need to adjust anything. New traders, however, now have meaningfully different paths to choose from.

What Exactly Changed: Before and After

Rule / Feature	Before (2025)	After (2026)
Challenge Formats	2-Step only	2-Step + new 1-Step option (launched Feb 6, 2026)
1-Step Profit Target	N/A	10% in a single phase
Best Day Rule	Did not exist	50% rule on 1-Step only (no single day > 50% of total profit)
1-Step Starting Profit Split	N/A	90% from the first payout
$50K Profit Target	Varied from other tiers	Unified at 10% across all account sizes
US Availability	Not available	Available via FTMO US (OANDA partnership)
US Platform	N/A	MT5 only (Global retains MT4, MT5, cTrader, DXtrade)
OANDA Prop Trader	Active program	Concluded March 31, 2026 — clients migrated to FTMO
XAU Margin Requirements	Standard margin	Adjusted for XAUUSD, XAUEUR, XAUAUD (Feb 1, 2026)
Challenge Pricing	€155–€1,080	Unchanged: €155–€1,080
Time Limits	Unlimited (removed mid-2023)	Still unlimited — no change

The 1-Step Challenge: Why It Matters

The 1-Step FTMO Challenge, announced on February 6, 2026, is the most significant product addition FTMO has made in years. Instead of passing two consecutive phases (10% then 5%), traders can now reach a funded account by clearing a single 10% profit target.

The tradeoff is the 50% Best Day Rule. Under this rule, no single trading day's profit can represent more than 50% of your total positive-day profits. If it does, the rule isn't immediately breached — you can resolve it by continuing to trade and distributing profits across additional days. The intent is to filter out traders who hit one lucky trade and to reward consistent performance over time.

Everything else carries over from the 2-Step: 5% maximum daily loss, 10% maximum overall loss (static drawdown), and a minimum of four trading days. The key upside is speed — one phase instead of two — and a 90% profit split from day one on the funded account, which the 2-Step only reaches after scaling.

If you already understand how prop firm evaluations actually work, the 1-Step is straightforward: same risk rules, faster timeline, one extra consistency check.

FTMO US: The OANDA Partnership

For US-based traders, 2026 marks the first time FTMO is officially accessible. FTMO US is a separate entity built through a strategic partnership with OANDA, giving American traders access to FTMO's evaluation system and educational tools while maintaining compliance with US regulations.

The practical limitation is platform access. FTMO US currently supports MT5 only, while FTMO Global offers MT4, MT5, cTrader, and DXtrade. Whether additional platforms will be added for US clients is unclear at this time.

Separately, the OANDA Prop Trader program formally concluded on March 31, 2026. Starting March 2, OANDA worked with existing clients to migrate them to FTMO's platform. Clients who chose not to transition were offered full refunds. As of April 1, 2026, OANDA no longer operates any proprietary trading programs and focuses exclusively on its core brokerage business. The number of traders who completed the migration is not publicly reported.

How FTMO Now Compares to Competitors

With the 1-Step addition, FTMO's product lineup is more competitive but still structured differently than its closest rivals. Here's how the three biggest firms compare heading into mid-2026:

Feature	FTMO	FundedNext	The 5%ers
Challenge Formats	1-Step and 2-Step	Stellar 1-Step and 2-Step	1-Step and 2-Step
Phase 1 Profit Target	10%	8% (Stellar 2-Step)	8%
Max Profit Split	90%	95%	Up to 100%
Drawdown Type	Static (10%)	Static or trailing (varies)	Static (varies by plan)
Best Day / Consistency Rule	50% (1-Step only)	None on Stellar	50% consistency rule
Challenge Fee ($100K)	~€540 (~$590)	~$549	~$260
US Availability	Yes (FTMO US)	Yes	Yes
Scaling Potential	25% per scale-up	40% per scale-up	Scale on 10% profit milestones

FundedNext still wins on raw profit split ceiling (95%) and scaling speed (40% per step). The 5%ers offer the cheapest entry point and a path to 100% splits over time. FTMO's edge remains its decade-long track record, 4.8 Trustpilot rating, and static drawdown model — which many traders consider the most forgiving structure in the industry because your loss floor never moves upward as you profit.

Community Reaction

The response across Reddit, Trustpilot, and trading forums has been cautiously positive. The 1-Step option was widely requested, and most traders see it as overdue rather than revolutionary. The 50% Best Day Rule drew mixed reactions — swing traders and news traders generally welcome it since their profits tend to distribute naturally, while scalpers who rely on a few high-conviction setups per week find it restrictive.

The FTMO US launch generated significant interest from American traders who had been locked out of the platform entirely. The MT5-only limitation is the primary complaint, with many US traders accustomed to cTrader or DXtrade hoping for expanded platform access.

The OANDA Prop Trader shutdown was less well-received. While the migration path to FTMO was structured and refund options existed, some traders reported that the transition timeline felt compressed — particularly for those mid-evaluation on the OANDA platform.

Our Take

These changes reflect a maturing company making calculated additions rather than reactive pivots. The 1-Step Challenge doesn't replace the 2-Step — it gives traders a legitimate second path, and the Best Day Rule is a reasonable consistency filter that most disciplined traders will clear without thinking about it.

The US launch is the bigger strategic move. By partnering with OANDA rather than navigating US regulations independently, FTMO found a compliant path into the largest retail trading market in the world. That's a competitive advantage no other non-US-origin prop firm has replicated at this scale.

What hasn't changed is equally important: pricing held steady, the 2-Step structure is untouched, and the static drawdown model remains intact. FTMO isn't chasing the race-to-the-bottom pricing that's contributed to so many prop firm closures in the last two years.

What to Do Now

If you're an existing FTMO funded trader: Nothing changes for you. Your account rules, profit split, and scaling plan are unaffected. The 1-Step is a new entry path, not a replacement.

If you're considering FTMO for the first time: Decide between 1-Step and 2-Step based on your trading style. If you trade consistently across multiple days, the 1-Step saves time. If you're a high-conviction, low-frequency trader, the 2-Step avoids the Best Day Rule entirely.

If you're a US-based trader: FTMO US through OANDA is now live. Confirm that MT5 fits your workflow before committing — if you need cTrader or DXtrade, you may want to wait or explore FundedNext or The 5%ers as alternatives.

If you were an OANDA Prop Trader client: The migration window closed March 31, 2026. If you haven't transitioned, contact OANDA support directly about refund eligibility.

---

FAQ

What is the new FTMO 1-Step Challenge? Launched February 6, 2026, the 1-Step FTMO Challenge lets traders reach a funded account by passing a single evaluation phase with a 10% profit target. It includes a 50% Best Day Rule that the 2-Step does not have. The profit split starts at 90% from your first payout.

Is FTMO available in the United States now? Yes. FTMO US launched in 2026 through a partnership with OANDA. US traders access the platform via ftmo.oanda.com and are currently limited to MT5. FTMO Global clients outside the US retain access to MT4, MT5, cTrader, and DXtrade.

Did FTMO change its challenge pricing in 2026? No. Challenge fees remain the same: €155 ($10K), €250 ($25K), €345 ($50K), €540 ($100K), and €1,080 ($200K). The fee is refunded with your first profit split on the funded account.

What is the 50% Best Day Rule? The Best Day Rule applies only to the 1-Step Challenge and funded accounts that originated from it. No single trading day's profit can exceed 50% of your total positive-day profits. If you temporarily exceed this threshold, it's not an immediate breach — you can resolve it by continuing to trade and distributing profits across more days.

What happened to OANDA Prop Trader? OANDA Prop Trader concluded on March 31, 2026. Active clients were offered migration to FTMO's platform with exclusive incentives, or full refunds for those who chose not to transition. OANDA no longer operates any proprietary trading programs.

---

Related Articles

• How Prop Firm Evaluations Actually Work
• FTMO Review
• FundedNext Review