EA Sports FC 27 Reviews Are In: Smarter Football, a Shaky New Open World

On May 10, 2022, EA and FIFA announced that one of the most famous partnerships in gaming was ending. For three decades the world's best-selling football game had carried the governing body's name. From 2023 it would be called EA Sports FC, and many fans wondered whether a game without the four famous letters could keep its crown.

Four years later the question feels quaint. EA Sports FC 27 launched worldwide on September 25, 2026, with up to seven days of early access from September 18 for buyers of the Ultimate and Ultimate Plus editions. It is out on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC through Steam, the EA app and the Epic Games Store. Critics have given it a Top Critic Average of 77 on OpenCritic across 83 reviews, with 65% recommending it.

What changed on the pitch

The verdict from critics is that FC 27 plays a more patient, more skilful game than its predecessor. Game Informer, which scored it 7.25 out of 10, points to three changes that matter.

First, defending. In Ultimate Team's competitive settings, the computer now helps less when you defend, so manual tackling and positioning are rewarded more than before. Second, attacking runs. Teammates make new types of runs, including curved runs that help strikers stay onside when you thread a pass. Third, through balls need more precise aim, which punishes lazy hopeful passing and rewards build-up play.

There are complaints. Switching between players in a crowded penalty area can still leave you controlling the wrong one, and computer-controlled teammates sometimes make baffling choices. But the core football, which is what most people buy the game for, is judged a step forward.

Ultimate Team's Gallery and Career mode's new drama

Ultimate Team, the card-collecting mode that earns EA much of its football money, adds a feature called the Gallery. You build themed sets of players for rewards, similar to Squad Building Challenges, and the sets re-grade as you upgrade them. You can even include players you have already sold. New players also start with more coins and tradeable items.

Career mode, the single-player management and player story, gets the most interesting changes. Training plans are gone. In their place is a Dynamic OVR system, where a player's overall rating moves with form, fitness and morale. Contract negotiations now have a "Tension" meter, and surprise events can pop up, such as the chance to sign a player your rival also wants. Critics enjoyed these moments, though Game Informer found the rivalry system in Player Career too thin and the computer's transfer logic inconsistent.

The Grounds: an open world nobody asked to live in

FC 27's big new idea is The Grounds, a small, instanced open world where your custom player wanders between Rush matches, small-sided games and mini-games. It also now hosts Clubs, the mode where friends each control one player on the same team. The Grounds is available only on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2.

This is where reviews cool off. Game Informer described it as a place for dedicated players grinding rewards rather than a destination, with weak gameplay and no connection to Player Career. TheSixthAxis called it "currently quite basic." EA has a history of growing new modes over several seasons, so The Grounds may look different by next summer, but at launch it is the weakest part of the package.

Editions, Lite and where to play

EA sold three editions. The Standard Edition includes the full game. The Ultimate edition adds early access, a Season 1 Premium Pass and up to 6,000 FC Points. The Ultimate Plus edition, sold only in an early-bird window that ended on August 31, added Premium Passes for Seasons 1 to 5 and up to 10,000 FC Points; it was not offered on Nintendo platforms or the Epic Games Store.

There is also a free option. EA Sports FC 27 Lite, a free preview, went live at launch on PlayStation, Xbox and PC (but not Nintendo). It is the easiest way to judge whether this year's pitch feels better than last year's before paying.

Why it matters

FC 27 sums up where annual sports games are in 2026: the core play keeps improving, the management modes get smarter, and the experimental new mode needs time. A 77 is in line with the rest of this year's sports class, which we compare in our annual sports games round-up.

If you skipped last year's game, the improved defending and Career changes make FC 27 a good point to return. If you bought FC 26, try the free Lite version first and decide whether manual defending and the Gallery are worth a full price.