FC 27 THE GROUNDS
The Grounds mode is a social football playground where you can explore, meet other players, develop your Avatar and play Clubs.
The Grounds
The Grounds is a new social football playground introduced in EA Sports FC 27. It expands Clubs into an explorable shared world where you can meet other players, develop your Avatar and move between casual activities and organised competition.
The experience begins at The Terrace, a central gathering area connecting the wider world to The Clubhouse. The Clubhouse contains the traditional Clubs experience, allowing players who prefer the familiar menus and competitive structure to access them without exploring the rest of The Grounds.
Beyond The Terrace, you can explore three districts inspired by football culture in the United Kingdom, France and Argentina. Each environment has its own architecture, pitches, activities and football identity.
The Grounds supports online sessions containing up to 100 players. You can walk through the environment, meet friends and clubmates, take part in Small Sided matches and Kickabouts, complete Mentor Quests or use Fast Travel to reach activities and objectives more quickly.
Matches, Mentor Quests, Objectives and other eligible activities contribute to the progression of your Avatar. Clothing, accessories, celebrations and other Vanity items also allow you to develop a recognisable identity on and off the pitch throughout the FC 27 cycle.
How To Access FC 27 The Grounds
- From the main Football Club screen, select [The Grounds];
- Enter The Terrace and explore the available activities;
- Visit The Clubhouse whenever you want to access the traditional Clubs experience.
How The Grounds Works
The Grounds is built around The Terrace, the main social area where your Avatar enters the shared world. From there, you can meet other players, access activities, travel to the three districts or enter The Clubhouse for the traditional Clubs experience.
The three explorable locations are the Parkside District, inspired by British football culture; the Montclair District, influenced by France; and the Zeiza District, shaped by Argentine football heritage. Their buildings, pitches and surrounding environments reflect the different ways football is experienced in each country.
Each online instance can contain up to 100 players. You can explore freely or use Fast Travel to move directly between available matches, objectives and activities. This reduces the time required to reach a destination when you simply want to play.
Your Avatar uses an Archetype that influences its abilities, playing identity and available PlayStyles. All Archetypes are unlocked by default and can be changed, allowing the same Avatar to perform different roles according to the activity or the needs of your Club. Archetype resets no longer require Coins or a reset Consumable, and individual Attributes can be adjusted without resetting the entire build.
The basic process works as follows:
- Create and customise your Avatar;
- Select an Archetype that matches your preferred playing style;
- Enter The Terrace and join the shared social environment;
- Explore Parkside, Montclair and Zeiza, or use Fast Travel;
- Join Small Sided matches, Kickabouts or Clubs matches;
- Complete Mentor Quests, Objectives and other activities;
- Earn AXP and develop your Avatar across The Grounds;
- Unlock abilities, PlayStyles and customisation content.
You can enter alone or join friends and clubmates. Groups can remain together while moving between activities, while players seeking traditional Clubs competition can go directly to The Clubhouse.
The Grounds will also evolve during the season. Themed events connected to football competitions, celebrations and seasonal moments can change parts of the environment while introducing new activities, rewards and objectives.
Activities
The Grounds offers several ways to play, ranging from individual challenges and casual small sided football to the complete competitive Clubs experience.
Small Sided Football includes fast 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 and Rush matches designed for shorter sessions. They allow you to play with friends, clubmates or other users without assembling a complete Clubs team. Matches last three minutes and take place across a variety of pitches.
1v1 matches place two Avatars against each other, with each side supported by a CPU controlled goalkeeper. In 2v2 and 3v3 matches, smaller goals are used and there are no goalkeepers.
Kickabouts offer more experimental activities combining football mechanics with other sports and unusual rules. Available games include Bocce Ball, Team Keepaway, The Big Race, Attacking Scenarios, Bucket Ball, Balloon Ball, Goal Control and Drop Kick Targets.
Clubs remains the main cooperative and competitive experience, with each user controlling their own Avatar. The traditional Clubs structure can be accessed through The Clubhouse, while new Objectives, Live Tournaments and events connect Clubs progression to the wider Grounds experience.
You can also meet Football Mentors including Kylian Mbappé, Chloe Kelly, Paulo Dybala and Alex Hunter. Mentors provide dedicated Quests and challenges that help develop your Avatar while introducing activities associated with their football identities.
Completing matches, Mentor Quests, Objectives and other eligible activities contributes to the progression of the same Avatar across The Grounds and Clubs.
The available content will change during the season through Campaigns, themed events and new Objectives. These can transform parts of The Grounds and connect the shared world to major football competitions or seasonal celebrations.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Grounds is a social football open world where you can explore, meet other players, customise an Avatar and access Kickabouts, 1v1 matches and Clubs.
The Grounds is an explorable shared football playground rather than a traditional open-world mode. It connects a central Terrace, three distinct Districts, social spaces, activities, stores and access points for Clubs competitions.
The Grounds is available from the launch of FC 27 and during Early Access for eligible players.
Each online instance of The Grounds can contain up to 100 players. You can meet other users, join friends and move between the available activities within the shared environment.
The Terrace is the central social area connecting the different parts of The Grounds. From there, you can access activities, travel to the three districts or enter The Clubhouse.
The Clubhouse is where the traditional Clubs experience is located. It allows players to access familiar Clubs menus and competition without having to explore the wider Grounds environment.
Yes. Fast Travel allows you to move directly between activities, matches and objectives instead of crossing the entire environment on foot.
The Grounds includes Parkside, inspired by British football culture; Montclair, influenced by France; and Zeiza, shaped by Argentine football heritage.
Yes. Your Archetype influences your abilities, role and available PlayStyles, but it can be changed when you want to adopt a different playing identity.
Matches, Mentor Quests, Objectives and other eligible activities can contribute to your Avatar progression or provide progression rewards. The exact rewards depend on the activity being completed.
Football Mentors include Kylian Mbappé, Chloe Kelly, Paulo Dybala and returning fictional character Alex Hunter. Each Mentor offers dedicated Quests and challenges connected to a specialist area of The Grounds.
Mentor Quests are challenges offered by Football Mentors such as Kylian Mbappé, Chloe Kelly, Paulo Dybala and Alex Hunter. Completing them helps develop your Avatar and unlock additional content.
Yes. The Grounds will receive themed events, objectives and environmental changes connected to football competitions and seasonal celebrations.
Yes. Players who prefer the traditional Clubs experience can access it directly through The Clubhouse.
Vanity items customise the appearance and identity of your Avatar. They include clothing, footwear, accessories, celebrations and other visual content rather than gameplay upgrades.
Yes. You can explore the environment and join compatible activities without creating a group or joining a club. You can also invite friends, if you wish, and explore together, enter Kickabouts and compete as a team in Clubs.
Kickabouts are casual activities that combine football mechanics with other sports and unusual rules. They include Bocce Ball, Team Keepaway, The Big Race, Attacking Scenarios, Bucket Ball, Balloon Ball, Goal Control and Drop Kick Targets.
Yes. You can challenge other players in individual football contests focused on close control and skill.
Masteries reward the development of different Archetypes. Reaching specific milestones unlocks permanent Attribute boosts that apply across all Archetype builds used by your Avatar.
Yes. Clubs is integrated into The Grounds and remains the main cooperative team experience for created Avatars.
The Grounds is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2.
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