EA FC 27’s new open world includes ‘dodgeball’ mode & soccer stars as NPCs

EA FC 27’s brand-new open world mode, The Grounds, features tons of mini-games and even some real soccer players with multiple dialogue options to choose from. 

The Grounds is the biggest addition to this year’s entry in the long-running soccer series, acting as a huge new extension to Clubs. After creating a Pro, you’re dropped into an open city consisting of three districts alongside 99 other players, which can be freely explored. 

Since the initial reveal, it was clear that this would be the main social space in FC 27, but at a preview event attended by Dexerto, the devs revealed what there is to do on the map, and there’s more than meets the eye. 

FC 27’s The Grounds lets you talk to Mbappe and play soccer basketball

Not only is The Grounds where you’ll be jumping into Pro Clubs games, but it’s also stuffed with minigames that earn XP for your Pro. These are accessed from various pitches scattered throughout the world, all of which come in different sizes and layouts. 

Some of these closely resemble the street football seen in FIFA Street or Volta, with match sizes ranging from 1v1 up to 3v3, as well as Rush games of 4v4 with an AI goalkeeper. Meanwhile, there are also some wackier soccer-inspired minigames to seek out. 

One of these is a dodgeball-esque mode, where you need to eliminate other players by hitting them with a ball to pop their three balloons, representing lives. The mode introduces a dodge button to help you avoid incoming shots, while invincibility power-ups and trip hazards like tires add to the chaos. 

EA Sports

There are also other minigames dotted around The Grounds, including one that changes how you can score each minute, for example, only counting shots that have bounced off a wall, and another that is essentially basketball played with your feet. 

But that’s not all you’ll find out in the open world. Along the way, you’ll come across four Mentors in the form of Kylian Mbappe, Paulo Dybala, Chloe Kelly, and Alex Hunter (The Journey). Each one has their own set of objectives to complete, focusing on different areas of soccer. 

There are even different dialogue options that can be selected while talking to each one, so your conversations with Mbappe might look a little different from your friends’. However, don’t expect Baldur’s Gate levels of branching conversations. 

Fans will have their first chance to experience The Grounds in the EA FC 27 Closed Beta, which gets underway on August 5.