What do we actually know for certain about FC The Grounds?

The one verifiable fact is that EA registered the trademark "FC The Grounds" on a specific date. EA filed a trademark for "FC The Grounds" on January 23, 2026, and it's widely thought to be tied to the game's rumored open-world or social hub mode.

The filing even describes the logo. The mark consists of the stylized letters "FC" set in a triangular shape tilted on an angle, with a small triangle at the left corner and the words "THE GROUNDS" in stylized letters. That's genuinely all the paperwork confirms: a name and a logo covering games and online entertainment.

Here's the important nuance. A trademark tells you EA intends to use the brand, not how it plays. While the trademark doesn't confirm gameplay details, it does confirm that EA plans to use the title FC The Grounds for something within EA FC 27. Keep in mind that EA has a long history of trademarking mode names months before any official announcement, so this being real is a strong signal but not a full picture.

What is The Grounds and how would the open world work?

Based on leaked playtest footage, The Grounds is an open-world social hub rather than a menu screen. In November 2025, leaked footage showed players roaming a shared hub, with clear similarities to NBA 2K's neighbourhood-style setup. If that holds, it would be a genuine first for the franchise.

The core idea is that you steer a custom avatar around a living football city. Instead of static menus, there's a living football city where you can interact with other players, participate in minigames like soccer tennis, and street matches reminiscent of Volta. The structure of the mode is reminiscent of The City from NBA 2K or The Island from WWE 2K.

The map is reportedly split into themed zones. One of the most intriguing pieces of information from the leaked presentation is the concept of "districts". Rather than a single free-roam space, the open world is reportedly divided into themed areas that reflect regions where football culture is especially strong. Leakers describe things like a Brazilian favela for street skills and sleek European quarters, each dotted with pitches you can walk up to.

As for activities, expect casual chaos rather than one rigid format. FC The Grounds' districts are filled with various brand concept stores; most of your favorite sports brands will be present. While walking down the street, you can participate in ongoing street 3v3 matches, Foot Tennis, or skill-based fun challenges at nearby public courts.

Is Alex Hunter really returning in The Grounds?

Multiple leakers claim yes, Alex Hunter is coming back inside The Grounds. Popular insiders and leakers, FUT Police and FUT Sheriff, both have claimed that Alex Hunter will appear in EA FC 27's upcoming open-world experience. For anyone who played the 2010s FIFA games, that's a big nostalgia hit.

A quick refresher for newer players on who he is. Alex first appeared in FIFA 17 as the main protagonist of The Journey, which was EA Sports story driven single player mode. He quickly became the franchise's most recognizable face and players followed his football career journey across three separate games. The storyline finally ended in FIFA 19.

His exact role in The Grounds is unconfirmed, but leaks point to a guide-style NPC. He will guide you through the basic training as the base leader when you first enter the open world. By completing a series of long-running community challenges issued by Hunter, players will also have the opportunity to gradually unlock him as a special card, usable in Ultimate Team or online multiplayer modes. Notably, teaser art shared before the reveal appears to back this up, with the character spotted parachuting into one of the promotional images.

Does The Grounds mean Rush is getting cut?

Leaks strongly suggest Rush is on the chopping block, with The Grounds as its spiritual successor. FIFA series frequently drops older modes in new installments; true to form, it appears Rush mode may not make the cut for FC 27 this September.

The reasoning tracks with Rush's short shelf life. Although Rush was introduced in FIFA 25 as a replacement for VOLTA, lasting less than two years, its limited appeal caused it to lose popularity even before the launch of FC 26. In other words, EA appears to be repeating the VOLTA-to-Rush cycle, this time folding small-sided and street football into the open world instead of keeping it as a standalone menu option.

There's an obvious concern here that the community keeps raising. We hope sufficient development effort is poured into the new The Ground mode to ensure it doesn't suffer the same fate as Rush or VOLTA, being forcibly retired after barely two years. If The Grounds is just Rush in a new coat of paint, it risks the same fade-out. The bet is that an open-world wrapper gives it far more longevity than a plain lobby did.

How could The Grounds affect Ultimate Team and your coins?

The most interesting UT rumor is a persistent collection tied to your packs. Additionally, The Gallery, a collectible book, will be added to the game. Its mechanics mean that every player card earned from a pack remains in your personal collection forever, even if you sell it or use it in a mission (SBC). You can earn rewards by completing themed sets. That would change how you think about dumping fodder into SBCs, since the "memory" of a card sticks around.

Progression is also rumored to cross over between modes. The XP and hyped streetwear items you unlock in "The Grounds" will directly sync with Clubs and Career Mode, solving a massive legacy pain point. If avatar progress and cosmetics travel across modes, your time in the open world stops feeling like a dead end.

The flip side is the monetization worry. Will these social spaces become high-pressure showrooms for microtransactions, where the "coolest" gear is locked behind a paywall in a mode you can't avoid? The challenge for EA is to ensure "The Grounds" adds tactical value to the gameplay rather than just adding extra steps to the navigation. Either way, a healthy Coins balance never hurts when a new mode with shops and cosmetics lands, especially if The Gallery makes fodder decisions more permanent.

When will EA officially confirm The Grounds?

The confirmation window is now, at the full FC 27 gameplay reveal. The official EA Sports FC 27 reveal trailer premieres on Thursday, July 23, giving fans their first official look at this year's game. EA has set the date on its own channels, so this is not a leak.

EA is already teasing the mode directly. Ahead of the big reveal, EA Sports is beginning to tease the new open-world game mode for EA FC 27, titled The Grounds. The Ultimate Edition cover starring Kylian Mbappé leans into it too, with London, Paris and Rio-inspired architecture and a "Built from The Grounds up" tagline that all but names the mode.

For context on the wider calendar, the leaked launch target lines up with EA's usual pattern. According to a report from Dealabs by industry insider billbil-kun, EA Sports FC 27 is currently targeting a September 2026 release date. Pamiętaj, that release date is still a report, not an EA confirmation, so pin your certainty on the July 23 reveal rather than the September rumor.

FAQ

Summary

Right now, one thing is solid and everything else is informed speculation. The FC The Grounds trademark filed on January 23, 2026 confirms EA is building something under that name for FC 27, while leaks paint the picture: an open-world hub with districts, minigames, an Alex Hunter cameo, a likely goodbye to Rush, and possible Ultimate Team crossovers like The Gallery.

The smart move is to watch the July 23, 2026 reveal with a critical eye and see how much of the leak survives contact with EA's official trailer. Whatever The Grounds turns out to be, a new mode packed with shops, cosmetics and fresh grind is a great reason to keep your Coins ready.