Former EA Developer Criticized The Grounds—New Open-World Mode In EA Sports FC 27

One of the main new features in EA Sports FC 27, the latest installment of Electronic Arts' football simulator, will be The Grounds—a fully open-world mode where players can create their own characters, interact with others, and join together in various competitions and mini-games. While the developers have yet to reveal key details about this new mode, a former employee suggests that the project might not be as impressive as it appears at first look.

On his X social media page, former Electronic Arts developer Renzo Barraza, who now uses the nickname DaaGlitcher, revealed that The Grounds is actually one of the worst projects he has ever worked on. Barraza was with Electronic Arts from 2013 to 2025 and contributed to the development of every FIFA title and later EA FC. He also promised to release a new video where he will share more details about his experiences and how The Grounds reflects the company's "true philosophy," as you can see below:

“This was the last project I worked on for FC, and I believe this new mode will expose the company even more because its true philosophy will be reflected in it.

Video coming soon, guys.

I want to share what I went through while working on one of the worst projects I've ever experienced in my entire career.”

At first look, The Grounds seemed like a refreshing addition as the new content in EA Sports FC 27, but Renzo Barraza's comments give some concerns on this matter. However, it's important to remember that this is just the opinion of a former developer. EA themselves will reveal more details about the mode on August 4th in a special Deep Dive video. Previously, the studio had already shared gameplay details for EA Sports FC 27, the career mode, and more recently showcased the features of Ultimate Team in the new installment.

EA Sports FC 27 releases September 25 on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, and Switch 2. Speaking of Electronic Arts, the studio is expected to change ownership within the next couple of days, with the deal involving the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners set to officially close on August 4th.