EA SPORTS FC™ 27 | The Grounds & Clubs Deep Dive

Your Club’s world just got a lot bigger. The Grounds is the most social way to play EA SPORTS FC™ 27, bringing up to 100 players together in a shared football playground, built around a central Terrace and three distinct districts inspired by football cultures around the world. 

Available on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch™ 2, The Grounds lets you meet up with friends, take part in Small-sided football matches and Kickabouts in the park, connect with renowned football mentors, and experience everything this football playground has to offer. With Clubs at the heart of this evolving world, you and your Clubmates have more ways to connect, compete, and progress your Club.

The Grounds is built around a central Terrace that connects three distinct districts, each shaped by different football cultures. From social spaces and in-world activities to Clubs and Stadium competition, each area offers different ways to explore, play, and connect with others.

The world will continue to evolve throughout the year through new seasons, campaigns, and live updates, introducing changes to its atmosphere, activities, rewards, and ways to play.

This is where every session begins. The Terrace connects all three districts, enabling you to go directly to the Clubhouse Entrance for instant Clubs access, check out information kiosks to learn more about The Grounds, and browse the latest content in The Grounds Store.

This is where the Clubs experience lives in EA SPORTS FC™ 27. Now part of an evolving world, the Clubs Stadium and Clubhouse entrance will update based on your Club customisation and identity.

Montclair captures the energy of French urban football through its cage pitches and metropolitan setting.

Zeiza celebrates Argentina’s Potrero spirit, a fusion of European and Latin style architecture.

Parkside captures the working-class football heritage of the UK.

Home to 11v11 Drop-in.

Home to drop-in Rush experiences, including Ranked Rush and Rush Tournaments.

Mentors will guide you through everything The Grounds has to offer, with each player having their own specialist area:

- Alex Hunter - Returns fromThe Journeyas your right-hand man, helping guide you through player improvement challenges inspired by his rise from prospect to champion. - Kylian Mbappe - Brings the influence of Bondy’s local pitches to football activities centred on Small-sided play, agility, and creativity. - Chloe Kelly - Draws on the culture of grassroots football in England through Kickabouts and other in-world activities built around creativity, freedom, and playing with friends. - Paulo Dybala - Draws on his move from Argentina to Europe through Clubs and Stadium events focused on teamwork, Club identity, and loyalty.

The Clubs experience now lives inside The Grounds, including the return of Leagues and Playoffs. Walk into your Clubhouse to jump straight into all of the ways to play in Clubs experience.

One of the biggest additions to Clubs in EA SPORTS FC™ 27 is the expansion of Live Events with Club Tournaments. These 11v11 competitions give you and your Clubmates another way to compete against other Clubs beyond Leagues and Playoffs. Tournament Events can feature different numbers of rounds, match rules, and rewards, helping keep the competition fresh throughout the year. 

Club Tournaments can use House Rules to keep things fresh throughout the year:

• Mystery Ball

• King of the Hill

• No Rules

• Headers and Volleys

• Survival

• Long Range

Stadium Drop In is a way for players to access matchmade Stadium features from the world of The Grounds including Stadium Rush, Rush Live Tournaments, and 11v11 Drop In. Accessing these modes will take you out of the world and into a classic matchmaking experience where you’ll be paired against players of a similar skill level.

Face off in competitive football across 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and Rush matches on a variety of pitches throughout The Grounds. Matches last three minutes, with Rush offering an in-world version of the mode played on a dirt pitch, separate from the Rush Stadium experience.

For 1v1, both teams will have one CPU goalkeeper and one outfield player, while 2v2 and 3v3 will feature smaller goals and no goalkeepers. Score more goals than the opponent by the end of the time to win.

Battle for possession when the game begins as the ball is launched from the middle of the pitch. Shooting assistance is set to Manual and Passing Assistance is set to Fully Assisted with the rest of gameplay set the same as in regular 11v11 play.

Fouls are enabled and free kicks work as follows:

• When a foul is made outside of the penalty area, the player fouled will have to shoot from the exact spot the foul was committed

• When a foul is made inside of the penalty area, the player fouled will have to shoot from the designated penalty spot

• Players will have to shoot during a Freekick, passing and dribbling is disabled

• The rest of the players, teammates, and opponents will be positioned behind the Freekick taker and won't be able to get in front of the ball for a set time

• If the foul is not taken before that time period, the Freekick taker and the rest of the players will be able to move freely again

Kickabouts mix football with other sports like Dodgeball, Basketball, or Bocce Ball to introduce a variety of new ways to play both cooperatively and competitively.

Bocce Ball is a three-player free-for-all played over three one-minute rounds. Each round becomes more difficult as new obstacles are added and the route to each target becomes less direct.

The Pitch is split into two areas. Balls continuously spawn in the Player Zone, while the Gameplay Zone contains the Targets, rings, obstacles, and Dead Zones.

Score points by passing or shooting balls into Targets. After a ball lands inside a target, a timer begins. When it expires, the target splits into smaller Targets, progressing from Large to Medium and then Small.

Players earn points for each ball still inside the target when it splits. Balls in the centre earn bullseye points, while balls knocked out before the timer expires do not score.

You can also earn points by sending balls through rings, even if another ball knocks yours through. After three rounds, the player with the most points wins.

See a breakdown of the scoring system below:

• Large Target: 100 points

  • Large Target Bullseye: 200 points

• Medium Target: 500 points

  • Medium Target Bullseye: 750 points

• Small Target: 1,250 points

  • Small Target Bullseye: 2,000 points

• Ring: 300 points

  • Dead Zone: -150 points

Team Keepaway is a 3v3 game played over one three-minute round on a medium-sized pitch surrounded by walls. The goal is to keep possession for as long as possible by passing the ball between teammates.

The game begins with the ball dropping in the center of the pitch and players fighting for possession. While on the ball, you’ll be able to perform any type of pass. While defending, you will be able to perform any type of tackle to recover the ball, but take care, as fouls will still be given.

The team with the most points when time expires wins. A team can also win immediately by taking a 1,000-point lead.

There are multiple ways to earn points in Team Keepaway:

• If player holds the ball, 5 points will be given each second

• If a player does a regular pass, 20 points will be given.

• If a player does a first time pass, 40 points will be given.

• If a player does 5 passes in a sequence, a multiplier will be applied for the next passes.

  • 5 passes = x2

  • 10 passes = x3

• If a player intercepts a pass, 15 points will be given - whatever multiplier was being applied to the opponents team will be given as a bonus to the intercepting team.

• If a player does a successful slide tackle, 20 points will be given.

• If a player does a foul, 100 will be taken away as a penalty.

The Big Race is a four-player free-for-all set across a full-sized pitch. Play a total of three races in one track, with each track having a maximum of two minutes to be completed. The race is divided into three different obstacle variations of the same track.

Complete the full race and try to get as many points as possible in each track. The Big Race starts with all four players positioned on the start line with a ball at their feet.

Only dribbling is enabled, guiding the ball through a race track full of obstacles such as Gates to go between, Lava Floors to avoid, Moving Colliders to dodge, and Defender Zones to dribble through. Once the first player crosses the finish line in each track, the rest of the players will have 15 seconds to finish. The player with the most points at the end of the race wins.

See a breakdown of the points system below:

• 1st - 9 points

• 2nd - 6 points

• 3rd - 3 points

• 4th - 1 points

Attacking Scenarios is a 2v2 competitive match on a medium-sized walled pitch. Consisting of four, one-minute long rounds, each round selects a random scenario from a pool of ten.

Starting with both teams on their end of the pitch, the scenario will be shown through a banner then added to the top of the screen before the ball is launched down the centre line and play begins.

For Attacking Scenarios there’s no goalkeeper, no fouls, no offsides or other similar rules. The only requirements that matter are those required in the current scenario. If a goal is scored but doesn't meet the current scenario's requirements, a new ball is launched back in immediately to continue play.

When a round's timer hits 0:00, the ball pops, ending the round and preventing post-round goals. The next round will begin immediately, starting with a new scenario. The team at the end of round four with the most points wins. If there’s a tie after the fourth round, a final fifth round will be played for one minute, using one of the two remaining unplayed scenarios. The first to score a goal wins.

See a breakdown of the scenarios and points system below:

• Bronze

  • Dribble the ball in - 1 point

  • Score a first time shot - 1 point

  • Break a target when scoring - 1 point

  • Score off of a wall bounce - 1 point

• Silver

  • Complete three passes before scoring - 2 points

  • Collect three balloons before scoring - 2 points

  • Score an aerial goal - 2 points

• Gold

  • Score from inside a zone - 3 points

  • Score through one or more gates - 1 point per gate

  • Ball Hog - Hold the ball to generate points to score - up to 6 points

Bucket Ball is a team-based 2v2 game on a medium sized pitch. The game is three minutes long, with a one minute overtime period for tied games. If either team scores during overtime the game ends instantly with the scoring team as the winner, if there's still a tie at the end of overtime, the game ends in a draw.

The game begins with a ball being dropped into the middle and players positioned on either side of the pitch. Battle for possession to get the first chance to attack. Score by sending the ball through the opposition team's hoop using precision lob pass and spike.

There are 3 main types of shots:

• Precision Lob Pass (performed using lob button)

• Precision Header (performed using lob button while the ball is in the air)

• Spikes (performed using shoot button while the ball is in the air)

Strategise with your teammate to try to score by either getting close to the hoop or taking a risk and shooting farther from the hoop. Higher jumps are activated with the shoot button to make it easier to perform a spike, or to defend

Once a team scores, kickoff starts from the side of the opposition team. In the event of a foul, a “free throw” is given to the fouled team. Once a free throw is granted, the fouled player has 10 seconds to shoot with a lob pass while the rest of the players are frozen. If the player doesn't take the shot in ten seconds, the game continues as usual. At the end of three minutes, the team with the highest score wins.

See a breakdown of the scenarios and points system below:

• 2 points for scoring during a free throw or scoring from inside the 3 pointer zone

• 3 points for scoring beyond the 3 pointer zone

• 2 bonus points are given for scoring with a spike (a total of 4)

Balloon Ball is a four-player free-for-all game on a medium pitch. Divided into three rounds, each round increases in difficulty based on the density of obstacles scattered around the pitch. Each player starts every round with three balloons attached and floating above their head. The last player standing with at least one balloon remaining wins the round.

Become the last player standing by popping all the opposition balloons while protecting your own. The game starts with all four players positioned at the four quarters of the pitch. Shoot the ball to pop other players’ balloons. Each hit pops one balloon and when all three are popped, the player is eliminated and teleported to the sideline to spectate.

A ball must be recently and forcefully kicked to pop balloons. A ball that has slowed to a crawl will cool off and not register hits. If the ball goes out of play, it’s automatically thrown back in after a short delay, launched toward the centre of the pitch.

As rounds progress, obstacles are progressively removed from the pitch, increasing the risk of being hit. At the end of each round, the last player standing earns the most points. All other players earn points based on their finishing position. The player with the highest cumulative score across all rounds wins the game.

A golden balloon power-up spawns periodically at a random position throughout the game. Collect the power-up by running into it or kicking the ball at it and gain one of three randomly allocated abilities:

• Invincible

  • Become temporarily immune to balloon pops for a set time

• Tyres

  • Tyres are fired toward opposition players, causing them to stumble or fall

• Boomerang Ball

  • After hitting an opposition player, the ball automatically chains to every other player on the pitch in sequence before returning to the kicker

If a power-up is not collected within a set window, it disappears and a new one will spawn at a different location after a cooldown period.

With thirty seconds remaining in a round, Sudden Death activates, and the golden balloon power-up will turn red meaning it can no longer be collected. Every three seconds, a ball is fired directly at a random remaining player. All surviving players are highlighted with a red player glow and players can continue to kick the footballs at each other during this round.

See a breakdown of the scenarios and points system below:

• Points are awarded at the end of each round based on finishing position:

  • 1st place (last player standing): 250 points

  • 2nd place: 150 points

  • 3rd place: 75 points

  • 4th place (first eliminated): 50 points

Goal Control is a 1v1 competitive game on a medium pitch. The pitch contains eight goals, set up differently across three, one-minute rounds. If scores are tied after the final round, sudden-death will be played.

Claim and control goals to outscore your opponent. At round start, all goals are neutral (white). Control a goal by scoring. Controlled goals change colour to match the owning player. Scoring into an opponent-controlled or neutral goal flips ownership immediately.

A Golden Goal modifier can be enabled for specific rounds, with a bonus awarded if one player controls all goals at the same time. If the ball leaves play, it’s thrown back in after a short delay.

See a breakdown of the scenarios and points system below:

• 1 point per second for each goal controlled

• 2 points per second per goal when all goals controlled simultaneously

• Golden Goal score

  • As well as the goal that is scored in, the player is awarded Control of another 2 goals

• Tie-break win condition:

  • First valid goal wins immediately

  • If no goal is scored the game ends in a draw

You can find Targets scattered across the football world. Spawn a ball on command and hit the target, managing shot power by timing the release of the kick.

Look out for weekly Objectives challenging you to search every corner of the world and break as many Targets as you can find to earn rewards! 

There are several different Targets that can be found throughout the world

• Circles

• Rings

• Pentagons

The Grounds will continue to evolve throughout the new season with Campaigns, and live updates. These updates can change the look and atmosphere of the world while introducing new activities, rewards, Store content, and ways to play.

Campaigns can also bring linked In-World Events to The Grounds, connecting different activities into a larger path of challenges and rewards. An event may begin with Kickabouts or Small-sided matches in one of the districts before leading into a larger competition at the Rush or 11v11 Stadium.

Events can feature different activities, requirements, match rules, and rewards, giving you new reasons to explore The Grounds and see how the world changes throughout the season.

Along with tuning updates across all existing Archetypes, we’ve made some changes to how you build, develop, and customize your player Archetypes in EA SPORTS FC™ 27. 

First, all Archetypes are now unlocked by default, giving you immediate access to any Archetype right out the gate. 

Customizing your player is also far more flexible. Archetype resets no longer cost Coins or a reset consumable, and you can now fine-tune individual attributes rather than being forced to reset your entire build at once. 

You can make these adjustments seamlessly on the fly from the in-world menu, The Clubhouse, or directly inside Clubs and Rush lobbies. 

Masteries represent your long-term growth as a complete footballer. Every Archetype you develop leaves a lasting mark on your Pro. By reaching set milestones, you’ll unlock permanent Attribute boosts that carry across all of your builds.

For instance, reaching Level 10 with a Finisher Archetype unlocks +1 Finishing and +1 Composure to every archetype you use.

Masteries reward long-term progression. The more archetypes you master over time, the better your Pro becomes across the board.

Amps are a new type of item that give you more control over how your Archetype performs on the pitch. When equipped, they add specific benefits to your active Archetype for a limited time. 

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

You can equip up to three amps at a time, including two Standard Amps and one Signature Amp. Equipping an amp is simple, navigate to the Amps tab under Archetypes, select a slot, and choose an amp from your inventory.

Amps apply to all stadium matches as well as in-world Rush. Each Amp can be used for a set number of matches before it expires. Amps will be released throughout the FC 27’s live service, tying into specific Campaigns throughout the world.

You’ll have plenty of ways to earn Amps in The Grounds and Clubs through Objectives, Live Events, Campaigns, and season progression. Additional Amps will also be available from the Store. 

Consumables continue to provide ways to progress your Archetype outside of playing matches. The Grounds introduces new Consumable variations designed to help players who join later in the year catch up on Archetype progression.

New Archetype-targeted Consumables directly apply AXP to specific Archetypes. AXP multipliers will continue to apply across all Archetypes, while direct AXP boosts can be more focused. For example, one Consumable may apply AXP to any Archetype, another specifically to the Boss Archetype, and another to any Midfield Archetype.

Consumable level caps now also apply on an item-by-item basis. One Consumable may have a level cap of 25, while another may have a cap of 50. These caps will always remain within the global maximum level cap.

Consumables will continue to be earnable in The Grounds and Clubs through Objectives, Live Events, Campaigns, season progression, and the Store.

New Club Objectives give you and your Clubmates more ways to progress together and earn unique rewards. Some objectives focus on shared achievements in Clubs, such as winning five League matches, while others will track your Club’s combined progress across different experiences, such as collectively winning 50 1v1 matches. This gives every Club member a way to contribute, even when you are not all playing together. 

These objectives will be broken down into the following categories:

• Club Milestones: long-term objectives to complete as a Club, earning fans to boost your Club reputation. These are broken into Bronze, Silver, Gold categories.

• Club Weeklies and Seasonals: weekly and seasonal objectives to complete with Clubmates. Complete these objectives with your Clubmates to earn Amps, Consumables, and Coins.

• Elite Objectives: special objectives for Clubs in Elite Division to earn extra rewards, giving clubs a reason to keep playing and earning once reaching Elite.

Showcase your Achievements and create your own football-inspired style through a range of Clothing and Accessories, including items from some of your favourite brands. You can customize your street and stadium looks separately to express your identity on and off the pitch.

You can assign up to eight Emotes to the Emote Wheel and trigger them to interact with others across The Grounds. Emotes are also used in the post-match rewards sequences in Kickabouts and Small-sided as celebrations.

You can find customization options, emotes, cosmetic bundles, and more in the various in-world stores throughout The Grounds. 

All of the in-world Stores feature different customization outfits, attire, cosmetic bundles, accessories, and emotes, while the Menu Store is focused on Amps and Consumables. The Grounds Store – located in The Terrace – offers the full range of available cosmetic content, while the District Stores feature smaller selections that can include items inspired by their local identity.

• The Grounds Store

• Parkside Market

• Boutique Montclair

• Tienda Zeiza

• Menu Store

• Clubhouse

Play The Grounds and complete objectives to earn Season Points and unlock rewards including outfits, accessories, emotes, Amps, Consumables, and Coins. Upgrade to the Premium Pass for additional rewards as you progress through the seasonal reward track.

Thanks for checking out The Grounds Deep Dive. We can’t wait for you to step into the new world of The Grounds and experience everything this football playground has to offer when EA SPORTS FC™ 27 launches.

Stay tuned for more EA SPORTS FC™ 27 Deep Dives, and join the conversation to share your feedback with us on the EA SPORTS FC™ Discord