Earlier this month, the FIFA World Cup wrapped up as Spain took down Argentina in the final, with Ferran Torres scoring at 106 minutes to take home the coveted trophy, with nearly 60 million people tuning in for the final.
And just a few months later, EA Sports is preparing for the release of its latest soccer game, FC 27, on consoles and PC. In a remote preview for the upcoming soccer game, Garreth Reeder highlighted how the series has given players new ways to play and enjoy deeper experiences.
A record-breaking 9.8 million players took part in a single day, scoring 481 million goals and winning 4.9 million finals in the world’s game tournament — giving us an idea of just how popular the series is worldwide.
Reeder says that people rallied and united, forming connections during the World Cup, and that Cabo Verde’s goalie, Josimar Dias, has become a standout athlete not just for his country but for the sport itself. And Reeder’s right that the sport brings people worldwide together and even shows how we form bonds when we share common interests.
So this year, EA Sports FC 27 aims to deliver more football fantasies for players and introduce deeper gameplay and mode innovations, while also evolving the live service with more innovation, updates, and transparency.
The Grounds In EA Sports FC 27
A new social hub for EA Sports FC 27, The Grounds is meant to imitate some of the game’s biggest moments. Not everything happens on an official pitch, no. You have big moments unfolding locally in neighbourhoods, in communities, and between friends.
It makes sense, given how many stars got their start in local fields, and EA Sports is tapping into that this year with an open hub that offers more ways to experience football. Expanding on the Club experience, this year you’ll explore casual yet fast-paced soccer across three distinct districts, each inspired by football’s heritage. As you grow, you’ll encounter some of the biggest names like Kylian Mbappé, Chloe Kelly, Paulo Dybala and Alex Hunter.
Line Producer Karthik Venkateshan and Game Design Director Jean-Francois Guastalla walked media through how The Grounds will transform the Club experience moving forward. The three districts which I mentioned earlier are centred on the UK, France, and Argentina.
You create a character, explore one of the worlds, play football and progress to the top. You can choose your Archetype, whether it’s based on a defender, midfielder, or attacker, and then who your character is based on. The Magician combines “remarkable control, dribbling, and vision,” with the profile based on Ronaldinho and includes the Technical Signature Playstyle. You can also choose the Finisher, inspired by Alex Morgan, which possesses “killer instinct in front of the goal” and includes the Low Driven S Signature Playstyle.
From there, you can assign attribute points across several categories, including Ball Control, Scoring, Passing, Defending, Pace, Physical, and Other, with each category offering its own sub-categories that require points. Pace, for example, includes acceleration and sprint, while Physical is about strength and jumping.
You can casually drop into matches with other players in the park or engage in high-level play. The Grounds is meant to help you build your identity in EA Sports FC 27.
Competing in a series of matches from competitive to chill, you engage in 11v11 events, 1v1 Rush, Kickabouts, and drop kick targets. These modes let you walk up to any pitch and are designed to be played with your clubmates and friends who can be invited to join you. Once there, the team is queued up to play together.
EA Sports says it will have four distinct “small-sided, world-based maps,” including 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and 5v5. There are club-only objectives that offer unique rewards.
There are also minigames you can play called Kickabouts, like goal control, where two players go head to head to score as many goals as possible; there’s Big Race, where four players compete in a dribbling obstacle race; there’s Bucket Ball, where teams of two go head to head in a football meets basketball game; and Balloon Ball, where four players engage in a football/dodgeball game. EA says it will add additional games throughout the year.
Drop Kick Targets are meant to let you play football anywhere. If you look at an apartment building, you can kick the ball at the side of it, effectively turning the area into a playground.
Amps and Mastery
Game Design Director Jean-Francois Guastalla detailed how players can build their identity in The Grounds. We got a look at Amps, a new consumable which can be used to give you new Playstyles and stat boosts, and are based on footballers like Mbappe. His Amp provides the Acrobatic and Aerial Fortress Playstyles, as well as the 1v1 Finishing and Fake-to-Real Perks. These allow you to accelerate during Explosive Sprint and perform finesse shots with maximum curve and accuracy, while also improving finishing and first-time shots within the box.
You can equip one Signature Slot with two Standard Slots at a time and can be earned through events, campaign, and by playing or purchasing them. Masteries are shared across your Archetypes and builds.
There are four tiers of Amps, spread across two categories:
- Standard Amps
- Tier 1 – Attribute boosts
- Tier 2 – Greater Attribute boosts
- Signature Amps, inspired by football heroes and icons
- Tier 3 – Greater Attribute boosts, PlayStyles and Perks
- Tier 4 – Greater Attribute boosts, PlayStyles+ and Perks
Fits
You can also create a personalized character with stylish fits, including streetwear, football fashion, and more. There are three categories: District Collections, which reflect football communities worldwide; Matchday streetwear, which reflects jerseys and football culture worldwide; and Authentic Brand Apparel, which features Nike, Adidas, Puma, and New Balance.
The Future Of The Grounds
New features are expected in EA Sports FC 27’s The Grounds mode, with new chapters added every 12-16 weeks. Seasons also unfold every 4-6 weeks with new seasonal tracks, objectives, Clubs league, playoffs, and more. And Takeovers and Campaigns occur every 2-4 weeks with themed world updates, live events, themed power and vanity rewards.
Based on player feedback, The Grounds will expand in response to community feedback on the new mode.
EA Sports FC 27 kicks off September 25, 2026 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
