The Grounds in EA SPORTS FC 27, Explained
The Grounds is EA's new shared online world in FC 27, and it is the reason people are asking whether Pro Clubs still exists. It is a persistent social space holding up to 100 players at once, built around a central Terrace and three themed districts, and it is where Clubs, Rush and a set of new small-sided formats now live.
If you came here from a "Pro Clubs is dead" video, the short version is that Clubs moved rather than closed. This page describes what The Grounds actually contains, based on EA's Grounds and Clubs Deep Dive, and flags what has not been announced yet.
What The Grounds is
EA describes The Grounds as "the most social way to play EA SPORTS FC 27": a shared online world holding up to 100 players, entered with your avatar, where you move between spaces instead of picking a mode from a list. Professional mentors appear across it — cover athlete Kylian Mbappé, Paulo Dybala and Chloe Kelly among them — tied to the districts they represent.
It replaces the standalone Clubs entry point rather than the mode itself, and it also hosts Rush, live events and the new small-sided formats. EA has confirmed that every clothing item purchasable in The Grounds can also be earned with in-game currency.
The Terrace and the three districts
The layout is a central hub, The Terrace, plus three districts drawn from different football cultures: Parkside, Montclair and Zeiza, evoking the United Kingdom, France and Argentina respectively. Each has its own look, its own mentor figures and its own activities.
The districts are how EA structures live events, tournaments and Kickabouts — expect the seasonal content calendar to be expressed through them rather than through a menu of playlists.
The Clubhouse: where Clubs lives
The Clubhouse is the part of The Grounds that matters most to anyone reading a Pro Clubs stats site. EA's wording is direct: The Clubhouse "is where the Clubs experience lives in EA SPORTS FC 27", including the return of Leagues and Playoffs.
From there you reach 11v11 Clubs matches, the new Clubs Live Tournaments with their house rules, and your build tools — archetype changes can be made from The Clubhouse or even from inside a Clubs or Rush lobby. Club Objectives, Club Milestones and the fans they earn are also anchored here.
Small-sided football inside The Grounds
Alongside 11v11, The Grounds hosts shorter formats. 1v1 matches use computer-controlled goalkeepers. 2v2 and 3v3 are human-only, played with smaller goals and no keepers. Matches run about three minutes, which makes them the filler between longer Clubs sessions rather than a replacement for them.
These formats are new, and EA has not said whether their results feed the same statistics as Clubs matches. Until that is clear, treat 1v1/2v2/3v3 records as separate from your club's league form.
Kickabouts and in-world events
Eight Kickabouts sit between the football: Bocce Ball, Team Keepaway, The Big Race, Attacking Scenarios, Bucket Ball, Balloon Ball, Goal Control and Drop Kick Targets, plus live services and in-world events that appear on a schedule.
EA has also said live events now appear in regular matches, not only in Rush — so the house-rule variants that used to be a Rush novelty become a normal part of the week.
What The Grounds changes for tracking stats
For a stats tracker, the questions that matter are unglamorous: which formats produce data, under which match types, and on which platforms. Clubs Leagues and Playoffs are confirmed to return, so the core of what FCClub.gg tracks stays intact. Live Tournaments and small-sided games are new categories that may or may not be exposed the same way.
We will publish what the data actually shows during early access, from 18 September, rather than guessing before it. In the meantime, the FC 26 tracker keeps running and the season selector will show FC 27 the day the first FC 27 match appears in our database.
FAQ
What is The Grounds in EA SPORTS FC 27?
A shared online world for up to 100 players, made of a central Terrace and three districts (Parkside, Montclair, Zeiza). It hosts Clubs, Rush, small-sided matches, Kickabouts and live events, replacing the standalone Clubs menu entry.
Where is Clubs inside The Grounds?
In The Clubhouse. EA states that The Clubhouse is where the Clubs experience lives in FC 27, including the return of Leagues and Playoffs.
Is The Grounds available on every platform?
No. EA limits The Grounds, including Clubs, to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2. PS4, Xbox One and the original Nintendo Switch do not get it.
Do I have to play in The Grounds to play Clubs?
Clubs is entered through The Grounds, via The Clubhouse. Hands-on previews describe a route for players who prefer to stay out of the social world, but the entry point is The Grounds rather than a separate menu item.
Is The Grounds pay-to-win?
EA has stated that every clothing item that can be purchased in The Grounds can also be earned with in-game currency. Progression items — Amps, Consumables and Masteries — are earned through play and objectives.