EA Sports FC 27 is playable right now. The 10-hour EA Play trial went live on September 18 across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC, giving Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members an early taste of this year’s football sim ahead of its full September 25 release.
How to Play Early
The trial is open to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members (both include EA Play), and any progress made carries over to the full game if you decide to buy. Members also save up to 10% on the full game, FC Points and other EA digital purchases, and can lock in recurring rewards like Ultimate Team Draft Tokens. Want more than ten hours? The Ultimate Edition ($99.99) includes up to seven days of early access, while the Standard Edition runs $69.99.
The Grounds: FC 27’s New Social Playground
The headline addition is The Grounds, a social football playground exclusive to the current-generation Xbox Series X|S version. Players meet, play and recruit new Club members across three distinct districts shaped by football culture — from fast-paced Kickabouts and small-sided 2v2 matches to Clubs-only 11v11 stadium tournaments. Along the way you build relationships with renowned football mentors and develop your game on and off the pitch. EA Play members can also claim two exclusive items for The Grounds by jumping in before December 1.
Community-Driven Gameplay and a Rebuilt Career Mode
On the pitch, EA is touting community-driven gameplay innovations: teammates attack with greater fluidity through improved spatial awareness and intelligent curved runs, new off-balance dribbling maintains momentum through physical challenges, redesigned set pieces offer real-time control over positioning and attacking intent, and a new two-player header system delivers more competitive aerial battles.
Career mode gets the biggest overhaul in years with a fully rebuilt Transfer Market. Player values are now influenced by club buying power, player potential, ratings and form, Dynamic OVRs reflect form, morale and fitness across every club, and new negotiation tactics include performance and buy-back clauses. Ultimate Team introduces the FUT Gallery — a mode where you curate and grade Sets of past and present Player Items across clubs, leagues, nations and FUT campaigns to raise your Gallery Level and earn rewards. The game ships with match data powering more than 21,000 licensed players.
Early Verdicts: Promising Tactics, Shaky Grounds
Full reviews are still to come, but the early read is mixed. IGN’s review in progress finds “the Grounds seems shaky, but the tactics system shows promise,” while Radio Times’ early verdict is far harsher, calling the game “a new low.” GAMINGbible lands in between: “big wins but frustrations leave it short of a perfect hat-trick.” Expect the full critical picture once the game launches worldwide on September 25.