EA Sports FC 27 Is Getting a New NBA 2K-Style Open World Mode Called 'The Grounds'

EA Sports FC 27, the next football simulation title from Electronic Arts, is set to get an open-world mode where up to 100 players can join a shared lobby. EA detailed “The Grounds” mode on Tuesday, promising the “most social” way to play the football title. The open-world social hub will only be available on PC and current-generation consoles, and will include minigames and smaller football matches that players online can take part in.

EA shared a deep dive into EA Sports FC 27's The Grounds, confirming the features coming to the open-world mode at launch. The developer called the mode a “social playground” where players can take part in activities with friends and other players online.

The Grounds, which seems to be inspired by NBA 2K's The City and WWE 2K's The Island modes, will support up to 100 players, EA confirmed in a post on the FC 27 website. The mode will feature small-sided football matches, kickabouts in the park, football mentors, and more.

Mentors will guide players through everything The Grounds has to offer. In addition to professional players like Kylian Mbappe, Paulo Dybala, Chloe Kelly, who will each specialise in one of the three districts, fictional player Alex Hunter from The Journey mode in previous EA Sports FC games will return as a mentor.

EA Sports FC 27 The Grounds Features

The open-world hub in the mode will feature a central Terrace area connecting three distinct districts: Montclair, Zeiza, and Parkside, inspired by football cultures of France, Argentina, and England, respectively. The mode will also include Clubhouse, which now houses EA Sports FC's Clubs experience.

The Grounds will feature dedicated experiences for both 11v11 and 5v5 Rush matches. Additionally, players will be able to take part in three-minute small-sided 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 matches on a host of different pitches in the mode.

The open-world mode will include football minigames and activities like Kickabouts, which mixes football with sports like dodgeball, basketball, and bocce ball. These activities will be available as three-player free-for-all matches played across three one-minute rounds.

The world map of The Grounds mode
Photo Credit: EA

Other games include Team Keepaway, The Big Race, Attacking Scenarios, Bucket Ball, Balloon Ball, and Goal Control. Each of these activities features mini-game style scenarios and supports a different number of players. The Big Race, for instance, is a Fall Guys-style four-player free-for-all activity set across a full-sized pitch where players compete in three races with different obstacles.

The Grounds will feature player customisation options, emotes, and in-game stores, bringing yet another layer of monetisation to EA Sports FC. The open-world mode will also be tied to the Season Pass, with the paid Premium tier offering more rewards.

Additionally, EA has said The Grounds mode will be evolved constantly through live-service updates and in-world events. The mode will be availble to players on PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, and Switch 2. PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch players will not have access to the mode.

EA Sports FC 27 launches globally on September 25, 2026, across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2. The game will be available in Ultimate Plus, Ultimate, and Standard editions; Pre-ordering the Ultimate Plus or Ultimate edition will grant players seven-day early access and additional in-game bonuses. FC 27 is currently up for pre-order across Steam, Epic Games Store, EA app for Windows, PlayStation Store, and Xbox Store.