EA FC 27 Will Bring New Modes and Technologies | Open World, Alex Hunter, Holographic Cards, and Project Assist
Category: FC 27 Posted: May 29, 2026 Views: 30
EA FC 27 is expected to launch around September 25th, following the pattern of previous years. The developer usually holds its annual game showcase in the summer, where it will likely release the first official trailer and announce further details.
Many players are very concerned that FC 27 will, like FC 26, bring almost no changes from its predecessor. However, according to playtests and leaks, FC 27 will introduce some exciting new features rather than merely adjusting Playstyles.
The Grounds
The Grounds is an open-world mode, and the developer has actually been working on this feature for several years. According to players who participated in FC 27 testing, The Grounds is almost ready for release. It is worth noting that this is actually part of the developer’s strategy to prevent players from leaving for GTA 6 - they are striving to build their own game universe.
The Grounds is conceptually similar to NBA 2K’s The City mode. In The Grounds, you’ll play as a custom-created soccer player in an open world shared by players worldwide, where you can also invite friends to join.
The world is divided into several different Districts or Regions, each with its own unique visual style and atmosphere. You can walk your character through the open world, enter various shops to get clothing, or go to the gym to enhance your character’s abilities.
Gameplay revolves around a variety of fun mini-games, such as:
- Balloon Ball: a dodgeball-style activity, but using a football - you need to kick the ball to hit and eliminate opponents.
- Football Tennis: an easy-to-understand game that combines the rules of football and tennis.
- Street Matches: fast-paced, small-sided street football contests.
- 5v5 Matches: victories are decided by the number of goals, with the player count limited to five on each side.
Additionally, the mode will include officially licensed themed events, such as Champions League, as well as social spaces where you and your online friends can gather. As is typical for the developer, The Grounds will feature a Game Pass system, likely with both a free and a premium track, offering cosmetic items and various rewards to unlock over the course of a season.
Alex Hunter Returns
Alex Hunter has also been officially confirmed to return in EA Sports FC 27. This name may be unfamiliar to some players. Between FIFA 17 and FIFA 19, the developer introduced a game mode called The Journey, and Alex Hunter was the protagonist of that mode.
In it, you could control him as he progressed step by step from being a youth academy player to winning Champions League. He will return in the brand-new The Grounds mode, though it is not yet clear what role he will play.
Holographic Cards
A new card type - Holographic Cards - will be introduced in EA Sports FC 27 Ultimate Team mode. What sets them apart from regular cards is that some holographic cards will feature a player’s autograph, making them more collectible. Furthermore, certain cards will carry a serial number indicating the limited quantity issued.
This mechanic is not restricted to specific players; according to leaks, it could apply to various categories such as Icon cards, Hero cards, and current Gold cards. When a player draws a holographic card, the traditional pack-opening animation will be upgraded. Rumors suggest that the entire stadium will turn into a highly sci-fi black-and-white palette.
Collection Book Mode
Ultimate Team mode will also add a Collection Book Mode. In this mode, you can collect players - regardless of whether you later discard or sell them, simply packing a player will automatically add him to your collection book.
In fact, this was the original core mechanic when Ultimate Team first launched in FIFA 09, and now the developer plans to bring it back in FUT 27. You can exchange or submit these players, but you will not lose them - as mentioned earlier, you can freely sell or discard them, yet they will remain in your collection book.
If you submit a certain number of players, you will receive a special card, a certain amount of FC 27 coins, or other very generous rewards, depending on the quality of the players you submit.
SBCs Changes
SBCs in EA Sports FC 27 will also see significant changes. You will be able to submit the same card multiple times within a single Squad Building Challenge. Moreover, you can complete a challenge with one click based on points, as each player will be assigned a point value.
Suppose there is a Squad Building Challenge that requires a total of 500 points. If you submit a Team of the Season card that is worth exactly 500 points, you can instantly complete the challenge with just one click.
Project Assist
It is also worth noting that the developer will employ Project Assist technology in FC 27 - in simpler terms, a further optimization of player movements.
The developer first collects player data on real football pitches. They need to gather hundreds of millions of data points per match. Every player on the pitch is tracked, the ball is tracked, and even each player’s individual body joints are all tracked. All this data is fed into the developer’s Frostbite game engine.
Project Assist records player movements in three dimensions. Every professional player tracked by the system will have animations derived from their real-life movement patterns. For example, Messi’s dribbling and Haaland’s running style will be accurately reproduced, rather than relying on the uniform animations produced by motion capture actors. The actual results of this technology are worth looking forward to.
The core gameplay of EA FC 27 may still feel very similar to FC 26 - after all, that is a proven successful formula for the developer, so there is no need for them to change it. However, the developer is also creating additional content to flesh out the game, and hopefully we will see more news in the coming months.
