It’s not every day that a sports game introduces a new game mode capable of changing everything about how you meet friends and make new ones. This week, I got to spend a few days at the EA studio in Vancouver hearing all about the changes and updates to the game for EA SPORTS FC 27, and its new game mode, The Grounds, has me absolutely captivated.
To start, when was the last time you saw an open-world free-play map in a sports game? I can’t remember either, but that is exactly what the folks at EA Vancouver have been cooking up and are eager to show off. EA SPORTS FC 27’s The Grounds allows players to jump into an open world, where they can take part in smaller street-level type of matches, interact with other players, customize their character with cosmetics, and much more.
When players load into The Grounds, they are immediately dropped into a server with 100 other players, really enforcing that smaller, street-level feel right away and letting them just go wherever they want with no restrictions or progression needed. FC 27’s The Grounds is split into 3 distinct districts that are inspired both visually and conceptually by some of the most popular areas in the world. The first district is UK-based, so the architecture of the buildings around will reflect what you’d expect to see if you were in the area, and it really gives the feel of running around urban London, Liverpool, or Manchester.
The second area is inspired by the inner cities of France, and the visuals absolutely support that. Everything that comes to mind when you think of how good French football is and how players get their first introduction to the game is realized in this area. Lastly, the third area is associated with the footballing powerhouse—and home of the FIFA World Cup Champions—Argentina. Everything from the urban sprawl to the pavement on the ground is made to look like you’ve been dropped into urban Argentina.
Having these three areas to run around is great, but it’s nothing if there isn’t a relevant amount of content to take part in as well. Well, the EA SPORTS FC 27 folks have you covered, as there is an abundance of things to do, including different types of games, ranging from solo play to 3v3 matches and more. One of my favourite parts of EA SPORTS FC 27 that I found while running around in The Grounds is something called Dropkicks.
As you explore the map, you’ll find more and more of these little targets on walls, on balconies, in the air, and more, and your job is to smash them by drop-kicking the ball into them. It’s so much fun, and I found myself looking around with eagle eyes trying to find as many as I could, trying to break the day’s distance record that someone else during the event had set.
“One of my favourite parts of EA SPORTS FC 27 that I found while running around in The Grounds is something called Dropkicks.”
The Grounds brings plenty of other game options too, like 2v2s, 3v3s, RUSH, and more into EA SPORTS FC 27. One that particularly caught my eye was something called Balloon-Ball, a 1v1v1v1 mode where each of the four players starts with three balloons and tries to kick their ball into other players, removing a balloon. Lose all your balloons, and you’re eliminated. It’s great fun, as you can still tackle the other players and run away to the best of your ability. There is also a large glowing balloon that pops up from time to time, and if you smash it, then your opponents suffer a consequence, like being tripped up by a spawning tire around their feet.
Like me, if you are worried about not having people to play with, the devs for The Grounds have you covered by the very nature of The Grounds. “…one of the important things that we’ve done with The Grounds, [is the] seamless ability for you to meet others who are not your friends and who are not your clubmates and be able to play together with them cooperatively and against others”, said The Grounds Producer Karthik Venkateshan when I asked him how they plan to manage and cater to individual players and exclusively friend groups, etc.
One of the best things about how The Grounds is set up in EA SPORTS FC 27 is that it lends to expansion in terms of new national identities and areas to explore. “The most authentic football experience is the brand and identity of the whole product. So that meant that the districts also had to kind of have that heart in it, and that takes time and lots of research…” shared Venkateshan. What that says to me is that they are very focused on making The Grounds as good and authentic an experience as possible, not doing things for the sake of adding in something.
The Grounds is easily the feature that I am looking forward to the most in EA SPORTS FC 27, and I cannot wait to see how the community enjoys it when the game launches in September. Pre-order your copy of EA SPORTS FC 27 for your platform of choice now.
- PHYSICAL DISC – Standard Edition for PlayStation 5 (disc) includes the full EA SPORTS FC 27 game. Not compatible with PlayStation 4 console.
- Experience The World’s Game in EA SPORTS FC 27. Play in The Grounds, team up with friends in Clubs, learn from football mentors and express your style on and off the pitch
- PHYSICAL DISC – Standard Edition for XBOX Series X (disc) includes the full EA SPORTS FC 27 game. Not compatible with XBOX Series S.
- Experience The World’s Game in EA SPORTS FC 27. Play in The Grounds, team up with friends in Clubs, learn from football mentors and express your style on and off the pitch
- PHYSICAL CARTRIDGE- Standard Edition for Nintendo Switch 2 (cartridge) includes the full EA SPORTS FC 27 game. Not compatible with Nintendo Switch console.
- Experience The World’s Game in EA SPORTS FC 27. Play in The Grounds, team up with friends in Clubs, learn from football mentors and express your style on and off the pitch
- ONLINE GAME CODE – Digital download only. No disc included. Internet connection and EA account required to redeem and play.
- Experience The World’s Game in EA SPORTS FC 27. Play in The Grounds, team up with friends in Clubs, learn from football mentors and express your style on and off the pitch
