A football playground built for you and your friends: The Grounds in FC 27 is EAs answer to NBA 2Ks The City and it could be just what the franchise needs

Date:
Tue, 04 Aug 2026 19:21:55 +0000

Description:
EA Sports has officially confirmed its new open-world mode, The Grounds, in
FC 27.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter If youve played at least two EA Sports-made football games in the past 10 years, youd be forgiven for
thinking the developer routinely wheels out the same basic product in a fresh lick of paint. New kits, up-to-date transfers, and minor gameplay tweaks have been enough to keep millions of players coming back to the same core FC experience, but in FC 27 , EA Sports is introducing something truly,
genuinely new (no, really this time).

The Grounds is basically the developers take on NBA 2K s The City an open-world reimagining of its Clubs mode in which players can compete with friends or randoms in both stadium- and street-based challenges. In EA Sports own words, the fantasy of The Grounds is as follows: You create your footballer, explore a football world, play football, and progress your footballer to the very top. From casual drop-ins with other players in the parks to the heights of competitive Clubs play in the stadiums, The Grounds
is your destination for avatar- and Clubs-based social football [...] It's a football playground built for you and your friends. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Remember those halcyon days when you used to meet your mates for a kickabout after school? Thats the vibe EA Sports is attempting to capture here. EA SPORTS FC 27 | Official The Grounds Deep Dive - YouTube Watch On The Grounds themselves are three distinct districts, each representing a different cultural hub of football. Theres Parkside, whose grass pitches and terraced brick houses are reminiscent of small-town England; Zeiza, a colorful, Argentina-inspired suburban hub; and Montclair, a Parisian-style metropolitan area featuring 4G turf and hard surfaces. You may like I got scanned by FIFAs World Cup VAR tech heres what its like to become a digital twin Seed is shaping up to be the most revolutionary life simulator since The Sims Fable was easily one of the best things I saw at Summer Game Fest 2026, and I cant wait to explore all of its rabbit holes and meet all its talking pigs

These areas will be populated by other online players and NPC mentors including Kylian Mbapp, Paulo Dybala, Chloe Kelly, and Alex Hunter (yes, the Alex Hunter), who will initially teach you the mechanics of The Grounds and later task you with specific challenges outside of competitive matches. The Grounds map in EA Sports FC 27 (Image credit: EA Sports) Speaking of competitive matches, you can choose to engage in traditional, stadium-based 11v11 matches in The Grounds, or jump into more casual, small-scale modes
like 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4. There are also new party-style Kickabout modes
to try, including dribbling-based obstacle courses and the
basketball-inspired Bucket Ball. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

And if youd rather not play against anyone at all, then Drop Kick Targets are your friend. These randomly spawning neon circles are essentially floating goals to be targeted while you walk down the street think Odins Ravens in
God of War . Or Riddler Trophies, but less rage-inducing to snag.

Completing matches, Kickabouts, or Drop Kick Targets earns you Coins and Archetype XP, which can be used surprise! to level up your virtual pro in The Grounds. As well as new Playstyles and stat boots, youll also be able to buy fully licensed virtual clothing from brands like Nike, Puma, and New Balance, which sounds a little icky (the Metaverse died for a reason, guys!), but virtual currency has been a feature of every EA Sports game for the last two decades, so its inclusion again here was a given. Kylian Mbapp is one of four mentors featured in The Grounds (Image credit: EA Sports FC 27) Ive
never been much of a Clubs player, but Im glad EA Sports is finally giving this long-neglected mode the attention it deserves in FC 27 . Sure, The Grounds looks like a blatant copy of NBA 2K s The City mode, but its undoubtedly a breath of fresh air for the FC franchise specifically, which
has thus far struggled to establish its own post- FIFA identity.

Im less convinced about The Grounds staying power alongside tried-and-tested modes like Ultimate Team and Career. Its three districts and minigames look like theyll be fun to explore for a time, but will players really keep returning to the streets to complete Mbapp-issued challenges, kick balls into a basketball hoop, or visit a virtual clothing store long after the games initial release?

That, of course, will be the developers problem to solve but hey, if there's one thing EA Sports knows how to do, it's how to keep players coming back. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/a-football-playground-built-for-you-and-your- friends-the-grounds-in-fc-27-is-eas-answer-to-nba-2ks-the-city-and-it-could-be -just-what-the-franchise-needs


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