EA Sports FC 27 Review: Harder Tackles, Smarter Keepers and the Return of Alex Hunter

Anyone who has been playing the EA Sports’ soccer games since the original FIFA name sat on the cover knows exactly how the release cycle of these titles actually works: one year you get a new cover star, fresh kits, a new roster and a small amount of tweaks that keep the game looking fresh. The next year is when the game actually gets a few major updates. Thankfully, EA Sports FC 27 (we still call it FIFA in my house) lands in the latter and with perfect timing, too. See, the 2026 World Cup just wrapped up in July, and the world’s interest in the sport still hasn’t cooled down. All of that made this release an important one for fans.

And EA knows that too. FC 27 arrives with brand new modes and upgrades spread across nearly every part of the package. 33 years after FIFA International Soccer first arrived in 1993, the football game series still has no serious rival – at least none that delivers gameplay that’s both realistic and fun.

Still, don’t expect a reinvention with FC 27, though. This release sees EA going after and fixing the complaints players have thrown at the last few entries. And thankfully, it fixes enough of those irritations that FC 27 feels like a proper step up from FC 26.

You’ll notice it from the very first match. The game moves quickly. Every September brings the same challenge: A new adjustment to gameplay on the virtual field.

The biggest overhaul sits on the defensive side of the ball. Tackles land with more force, and the contact between ball carrier and defender relies far less on canned animations. Players shove and wrestle for possession when they’re shoulder to shoulder, which gives you a reason to play with purpose on the ball and use the “protect ball” dribbling mechanic that most people have ignored for years.

Everything around that feels less robotic too. Players stumble off balance when they shoot, touches go astray, and the AI makes the kind of errors you’d expect from a real team on a wet Tuesday night at the stadium. Goalkeepers benefit most. In FC 26, they claimed every corner, while FC 27‘s keepers misjudge often enough that crossing works as a way to create chances again.

Defending feels more responsive overall, although the balance between attacking pace and defensive strength could use another pass from EA’s tuning team.

FC 27 also tries really hard to make individual players different, and it rewards you for playing the way those players play in real life. Some are plainly faster or more skilled than others, and you see it in how they move and react, not only in the numbers on their card. Erling Haaland, for example, bullies defenders with size and power. Christiano Ronaldo still hogs the ball, but he isn’t invincible here.

Then there’s The Grounds, the biggest new mode since Rush arrived in FC 25 and the addition that gives this year’s game its identity. It works as an open-world hub for online play, borrowing heavily from The City in NBA 2K, and the closest comparison might be The Sims wandering into a FIFA game. You create a player and roam three regions built around football culture in the UK, France and Argentina, hunting for pick-up street games, organized competitions and side challenges, like kicking balls at targets scattered around the map to unlock clothes and accessories for your avatar. You control one player instead of a full team, and you bump into other players from around the world while you’re at it.

Your guide through all of it is Alex Hunter. Fans of The Journey, the three-part story mode that ran through FIFA 17, 18 and 19, will remember him as the London kid who went from hopeful to superstar over a campaign that kept its action short and its story worth following. The campaign hasn’t returned (sadly!), but Hunter has.

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When you wander the little town, you’ll find pitches of different sizes that act as menu options for each mode, with 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4 matches in the spirit of Rush. You can play with friends or strangers, earn coins and unlock cosmetics. Characters wander around and watch games, murals and statues display random soccer facts, and the shooting targets offer a brief distraction.

Balloon ball stands out. Each player carries three balloons, two soccer balls sit in play, and every hit on an opponent pops one balloon until only one player remains. Bucketball offers another oddball twist. If you spend a lot of time waiting for friends to log on, these mini-games give you something to do while building up your player. Plus, everything you do in The Grounds earns Attribute XP (AXP), which raises your player’s level and hands out Attribute Points (AP) to boost their stats. It’s really the mode I’ve returned to the most since acquiring the game, and it’s bound to become a favorite.

EA Sports FC 27 improves on its predecessor in steady, sensible ways rather than wiping the slate clean and starting over. You’ll know what to expect and feel at home with the presentation. But The Grounds shows promise as the start of something bigger, and that alone makes the purchase of the new game worth the while.

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