The Grounds turns the front end of EA Sports FC 27 into a place you actually walk around. Instead of scrolling through menus, you spawn into a shared football world with up to 100 other players, meet friends, and jump into matches and mini-games from one connected hub. Clubs still sits at the center of it all, but there is now a whole social layer wrapped around it.
Quick answer: The Grounds is EA FC 27’s online open-world hub built around Clubs. You explore a central Terrace and three districts, play Small-sided matches and casual Kickabouts, and improve one Pro through Amps and Masteries. It launches September 25, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
The Terrace and the three districts
Every session starts at the Terrace, the central hub that links all three districts. From here you can walk straight to the Clubhouse Entrance for instant Clubs access, read information kiosks that explain how the world works, and browse the latest items in The Grounds Store. The world does not stay static, either. Its look, activities, and rewards change across the year through seasons and live updates.
The three districts each reflect a different football culture. The map is built to feel lived-in, with distinct pitches, storefronts, and murals rather than generic arenas.
| District | Inspiration | Surface / style |
|---|---|---|
| Parkside | Working-class UK football | Industrial brick surroundings and traditional grass pitches |
| Zeiza | Argentina’s Potrero spirit | Patchy grass and concrete courts |
| Montclair | French urban football | Cage pitches on hard turf in a metropolitan setting |
Clubs stays, and it lives inside the Clubhouse
The Grounds does not replace Clubs. The Clubhouse sits right next to the spawn point, and walking inside drops you into the full Clubs experience, including the return of Leagues and Playoffs. Your Clubhouse and Stadium also change based on your Club’s customization and identity, so a Club’s progress becomes visible in the world instead of living only in menus.
One of the bigger additions is Clubs Live Tournaments, 11v11 competitions that run alongside Leagues and Playoffs. Tournaments can vary in the number of rounds, rules, and rewards, and they can apply House Rules to keep things interesting.
- Mystery Ball
- King of the Hill
- No Rules
- Headers and Volleys
- Survival
- Long Range
If you want a traditional matchmade experience, Stadium Drop In pulls you out of the world and into standard matchmaking for 11v11 Drop In, Stadium Rush, and Rush Live Tournaments, pairing you with players of similar skill.
Small-sided matches in the world
Scattered across the districts are pitches for quick competitive football. You can queue solo or with a party for 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, or 5v5 Rush games. Each Small-sided match runs three minutes, and the goal is simple: score more than your opponent before the clock hits zero.
The format changes the setup. In 1v1 each side has one CPU goalkeeper and one outfield player, while 2v2 and 3v3 use smaller goals and no goalkeepers. Play begins with the ball launched from the middle of the pitch. Shooting is set to Manual and passing is Fully Assisted, with everything else matching regular 11v11 play. Fouls are on, and free kicks are shot from the exact spot of the foul, or the penalty spot if it happened inside the box, with passing and dribbling disabled during the kick.
Kickabouts: the casual party modes
Kickabouts mix football with other sports for lighter, party-style sessions you can play cooperatively or competitively. These are the “dodgeball meets football” or “basketball meets football” experiences, and there are Drop Kick Targets around the districts to smash at your own pace.
| Kickabout | Format | How it plays |
|---|---|---|
| Bocce Ball | 3-player free-for-all, three 1-minute rounds | Pass or shoot balls into Targets and through rings for points as targets split into smaller ones |
| Team Keepaway | 3v3, one 3-minute round | Keep possession and chain passes for points; a 1,000-point lead wins instantly |
| The Big Race | 4-player free-for-all, three races | Dribble through an obstacle course of gates, lava floors, and defenders |
| Attacking Scenarios | 2v2, four 1-minute rounds | Score under a random scenario each round for bronze, silver, or gold points |
| Bucket Ball | 2v2, three minutes | Football blended with basketball mechanics, with overtime for ties |
| Balloon Ball | Four players | A dodgeball-style free-for-all |
| Goal Control | Court-based | Score to claim and hold control over targets |
Mentors you meet in the world
Mentors are recognizable football figures placed around The Grounds, each tied to a specific area of play. Alex Hunter returns from The Journey as your right-hand guide, alongside current cover star Kylian Mbappé and two more familiar names.
| Mentor | Focus |
|---|---|
| Alex Hunter | Player improvement challenges inspired by his rise from prospect to champion |
| Kylian Mbappé | Small-sided play, agility, and creativity, drawn from Bondy’s local pitches |
| Chloe Kelly | Kickabouts and in-world activities built around creativity, freedom, and playing with friends |
| Paulo Dybala | Clubs and Stadium events focused on teamwork, Club identity, and loyalty |
How progression works: Amps, Masteries, and resets
Nearly everything you do feeds one Pro. Matches and activities award Archetype XP (AXP) and Grounds Coins, and progression carries across almost every activity rather than being locked to Clubs games. That means Kickabouts and Small-sided matches both push your build forward.
| System | Effect |
|---|---|
| Masteries | Permanent attribute boosts that carry across every build, rewarding you for leveling multiple Archetypes |
| Amps | Temporary upgrades that add attribute boosts, Perks, PlayStyles, PlayStyles+, or signature abilities inspired by real players |
| Archetype XP (AXP) | Earned in matches and activities to level up your Pro |
| Grounds Coins | Currency for customization and progression |
| Season Pass | Cosmetics, Consumables, and Coins across the season |
A long-requested change also arrives here: you can reset Archetype attributes for free, without spending Coins. That makes it far easier to test new builds, Amps, and Masteries whenever you want.
Monetization: cosmetic items only
Parts of The Grounds let you spend real money, as Clubs already does today. The key point is that every clothing item available for purchase can also be earned with in-game currency, and purchases are aimed at cosmetics and personalization rather than gameplay advantages. Skill and progression remain the deciding factors in competitive modes, with no pay-to-win mechanics planned.
Seasons and live campaigns
Launch day is the starting point for a live-service world. The map is planned to run through ten seasons with chapter updates, and every few weeks its atmosphere shifts to mark real-world events and holidays. The first confirmed campaigns are European Nights, Screaming Grounds for Halloween, and Frozen Grounds for winter, with rotating Kickabouts, tournaments, and limited-time objectives layered on top.
Release date and platforms
EA Sports FC 27 launches September 25, 2026. The base game reaches older hardware, but The Grounds is limited by its technical demands. It runs only on current-generation systems, so players on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the original Nintendo Switch can play FC 27 without access to the open-world hub. You can find edition details on the official EA Sports FC 27 page.
| Platform | The Grounds access |
|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | Yes |
| Xbox Series X|S | Yes |
| PC (Windows) | Yes |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Yes |
| PlayStation 4, Xbox One, original Switch | No (base game only) |
Taken together, The Grounds reshapes how you reach the modes you already play. Clubs, Rush, and quick pick-up games all sit inside one connected world, and a single Pro grows no matter which corner of it you spend time in.
