EA Sports FC 27 Goes Full NBA 2K with New 'Social Football Playground' Mode on PS5

Football is life

by Sammy Barker
1 hour ago

EA Sports FC 27 Goes Full NBA 2K with New 'Social Football Playground' Mode 1

Well, I’d heard it on the grapevine that EA Sports was exploring an online hub for its FC franchise a while ago, and here it is.

Clearly inspired by NBA 2K, The Grounds is a new mode “representing a side of football that's never existed in EA Sports FC until now”.

Set to debut in EA Sports FC 27 in the PS5 version only – it’ll not be included in the PS4 edition – the mode promises to expand “the Clubs experience with casual, fast-paced kickabouts to top-tier competition”.

It’ll be set across three unique locations, including one which looks distinctly like a romantic version of London – I’m not sure the real city looks as rustic and inviting these days.

The blurb says:

“Progress and personalise your player as you develop your game on and off the pitch with guidance from renowned mentors including Kylian Mbappé, Chloe Kelly, Paulo Dybala, and Alex Hunter.”

Looking at the trailer, it reminds me a lot of NBA 2K, with shops you can visit to buy new cosmetics and fields dotted around the sandbox you can play matches in.

I think the community at large will be mixed on this, but it does feel like a natural evolution to me – I’m surprised it took so long for EA Sports to copy 2K’s basketball game to be honest.

Of course, there’s more to the new game than this: various gameplay improvements include reworked defensive AI, offside beating runs, and pass-and-move maneuvers.

Meanwhile, the transfer market logic in Career mode is being completely rebuilt, while Ultimate Team is getting a new Gallery mode where you’ll be able to admire all of your pulls. Pretty cool, somewhat unexpected, stuff.

The game will be available on 25th September, but those who buy the Ultimate Edition or Ultimate Edition Plus will be able to play from 18th September.

You can learn more about what each version includes through here.

Pre-orders are open now, with more information set to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Are you in or out on this year’s soccer sim? Don’t play like Argentina in the comments section below.

[source youtube.com]

1
Yaycandy
53 mins ago

Imagine if instead of these new features seldom used, they put all those devs on the core gameplay.

2
gomersoul
29 mins ago

Career mode is all I play these days. But it hasn’t seen decent alterations for years. They don’t make any additional cash from it obviously. I have no faith in EA, I might complain about them not changing it for the better but I’ll just be glad if they don’t change it for the worse at this point.

3
BrokenByTheScream
19 mins ago

Haven’t bothered with FIFA much in 10 years or so (the David Alaba to Juventus days) and after trying the newer titles on PS+ it’s shameful how little they bother with career mode. They’ve had these same transfer negotiation cutscenes for 10 years!! Long overdue an overhaul, but in typical EA fashion it’ll probably be broken out the ass and they won’t bother fixing it for another game or two.

As much as I wish I could get back into these games again I’m glad I tapped out when I did.

4
Rahmus
18 mins ago

“It’ll be set across three unique locations, including one which looks distinctly like a romantic version of London – I’m not sure the real city looks as rustic and inviting these days.”

Er, you what? That last bit sounds like the type of misguided patter my dad would say, without ever having visited.