More than ten minutes of gameplay from the closed beta of The Grounds — the new social mode in EA Sports FC 27 — leaked online. EA apparently intends this space to be a separate, open hub where people can hang out, jump into small football games, bump into well-known players, and pick up assorted tasks. The initial reaction from the community, however, was far from enthusiastic.
The clips wander through The Grounds: open-world zones, a map, early activities. In one scene Chloe Kelly turns up and explains Kickabouts, a mode that blends football with other pastimes, e.g., dodgeball, pickup basketball and even pétanque. We also see the quest system in action — mentors, time-limited events, club-driven activities and special closed-test objectives.
Attention gravitated toward the Clubhouse, which contains a cosmetics shop. Players can alter their look (i.e., clothing and footwear), tweak hairstyles, add tattoos, swap accessories, and pick emotes — plus other appearance bits. In the open areas you can spawn a ball and use it for short activities, and there are options to team up for 1v1s.
Visually, people were quick to poke fun. Comparisons to NBA 2K’s social spaces and the old PlayStation Home spread fast; some commenters said it feels like the regular menu dressed up as a walkable, empty hub. The character animations attracted particular ridicule: awkward walk cycles, stiff movement, and a general sense that the visuals missed the mark. Why build an entire area to trot around when many functions could live in a straightforward menu? — that question popped up repeatedly.
Still, The Grounds isn’t presented as mere scenery. The leak shows systems meant to evolve the hub over time: events, cosmetic drops, rewards and a separate in-mode currency. Players also get sets of objectives and multiple interaction paths with the environment, so the designers seem to want ongoing engagement rather than a one-off showcase.
This material comes from a closed beta, so animation timing, visuals and some mechanics could change before release. For now, though, the dominant takeaway among players is clear: instead of feeling like a bold step forward for football sims, many see The Grounds as another social-hub experiment — one that will need sharper motion work and clearer purpose if it’s to convince skeptics.