The mode in which EA Sports FC 27 has been presented is called The Grounds, and is described as «a social football gaming space where the streets meet the stadium.» In this city-like environment, players can participate in different activities, from 1v1 matches to teaming up with friends in Clubs, connecting with well-known soccer mentors, improving their skills and «expressing themselves on and off the field.» The Grounds mode, including Clubs, is only available in the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC versions.
In terms of new features that affect gameplay, EA Sports FC 27 promises a more fluid attack «thanks to improved spatial ability and intelligent curved runs.» This means that teammates better recognize space and passing intent, so they can use support and breakouts both automatically and on demand. We also have Off-balance Dribbling, a feature only available on PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2 and PC, which rewards agile dribblers and rewards skillful control in one-on-one situations.
We continue with corner kicks, which have been redesigned to allow real-time control of defensive position and attacking intent, while defense has been re-adjusted to offer more control. To achieve this, automatic tackles have been removed and the influence of AI defenses reduced to give more power to manual defense through marking, well-timed tackles and positioning. In short, EA Sports FC 27 promises more realistic gameplay and a Football Ultimate Team or FUT mode where you can spend good money buying packs.
Finally, EA Sports FC 27 becomes a PEGI 16 game, when until now it was PEGI 3. This year the PEGI regulations have changed and any title with random paid items, including the EA Sports FC saga with the Ultimate Team mode, has a PEGI 16 rating.