FC 27 with an open world? Leak reveals surprising plans from EA Sports for the successor to FIFA

EA Sports is planning an open world for FC 27, and now there’s apparently a name for the game mode too.

One of the most obvious rules in soccer is the limitation of the playing field. However, EA Sports is now deliberately breaking the rules and wants to offer its players an open game world in FC 27.

Rumors were already circulating in 2025 that Electronic Arts was working on an open world, likely inspired by NBA 2K’s The City or WWE 2K’s The Island. Further leaks followed, bringing more spotlight into the dark stadium. And now there’s apparently a name for the open world too.

What do we already know?

On January 23, 2026, Electronic Arts secured the brand name FC The Grounds and the associated logo, as can be seen on Justia Trademarks. This is most likely the open world mode. 

The fact that they have now secured the name also suggests that it will be integrated into the next FC game. After all, there have already been closed playtests, but they were not as watertight as EA had hoped. The resulting leaks reveal the following:

The game world is divided into so-called districts, which are thematically based on large and traditional soccer countries.There will probably be a community area where players can meet and chat.Soccer-inspired mini-games are also included.

It would also come as no surprise if one or two shops were to find a home in the open world – but the leaks have not mentioned this so far.

When is the open world coming?

Since the name has already been secured and the first playtests have been conducted, it is quite possible that FC The Grounds will be released with the next installment in the series. EA Sports FC 27 will most likely be released in September 2026, if the series continues to follow the release month of recent years.

What do you think, is the open world mode the change EA FC needs, or do you think the innovation is the wrong move for the series? What features would you like to see in the game world? Feel free to write your thoughts in the comments!