As the countdown continues to the release of EA Sports FC 27, developers have shared a first look at what to expect from its gameplay, including a deep dive into some of the key mechanics coming to the latest instalment in EA’s iconic football franchise.

Kylian Mbappe was revealed as this year’s cover star across the Standard and Ultimate Editions, with his Real Madrid teammate, and one of last year’s cover stars, Jude Bellingham joining him on the Ultimate Plus Edition cover.

Launching in September, developers have shared a first look at what to expect in FC 27, starting with gameplay.

Read more: **These are the best EA Sports FC 27 pre-order deals **

‘EA Sports FC 27’ gameplay

Developers have said they have continued to take player feedback on board, focusing on more intelligent attacking options such as different run types, fundamental changes to AI defending with more responsive and fluid animations and refreshed mechanics for corners and crosses, given how popular set pieces have become in football.

Through balls have been tweaked so they’re less assisted, meaning players are less prone to deadly counter-attacks. Trigger runs are being altered too.

Attacking spatial awareness is a big focus in FC 27, especially with contextual runs that will now be much more decisive. That means players will attack space more instead of holding back and sticking to their formation position without needing to trigger this.

Pass and follow can be triggered by passing the ball while holding the top left and right bumpers. This means players will pass the ball and then move into space to either tee up a one-two or exploit space themselves.

Curved runs can also be triggered while holding the same two buttons when in possession. Players will need to keep hold of the ball for longer until the passing lane opens, but this should allow for improved chance creation.

Offside awareness for attackers has also been improved, meaning when a player tries to beat the defensive line, they hold, check or curve their run slightly if required instead of just running in behind as fast as possible.

On the defensive side of things, auto-tackles from the AI have been reduced. They are more likely to hold attackers up to stop them being bypassed easily. The distance players keep while jockeying attackers has been reduced. That actually works in favour of the attacking team, especially with quick-footed players who can get shots off more quickly.

However, the range of manual tackling has improved in favour of the defence, meaning players are more likely to win the ball in close proximity. When defending and intercepting, the ball is less likely to bounce off players and back to the attacking team, as defenders are more likely to retain possession when cutting off passing lanes.

Improved animations should result in better passing fluidity as well, with defenders not getting turned as often and increased jockey speed.

Crosses and corners have been given a big revamp, with two-step dynamic corners, crossing into space and deep free-kick movement. With corners, after the kick has been powered up, players can now switch to a player in the box to meet the delivery manually. Deep free-kicks act in a similar way.

Crosses are now much more dependent on manual inputs in terms of aim and power. They are also more likely to be aimed into space for attacking players to run onto.

Off-balance dribbling has been improved as well. Inspired by Lionel Messi, when defenders get close to pushing attackers off balance, they can still continue their run with the ball if the tackle is not completed. It allows for much better control in tight spaces. A dribbling rating of 85 or more is required to do this.

Authentic gameplay has been revamped too. It was introduced in FC 26 for single-player modes, including Career, to provide a more realistic experience on the pitch and has been enhanced further in FC 27.

It will feel more grounded, opponents will be smarter and less predictable, movement will be more realistic in different situations and there are more customisation options, too.

Generally, one-on-ones have been balanced more in favour of the attacker, through-ball aiming is now much less forgiving and playstyles have been rebalanced, too. New skill moves have been added as well, including stepover combos, fake turn, ball roll spin and kneel header.

How to pre-order ‘EA Sports FC 27’

EA Sports FC 27 is now available to pre-order across all platforms. There are three different versions available, which are Standard, Ultimate and Ultimate Plus. Ultimate and Ultimate Plus pre-orders come with seven days early access. The Standard Edition is the cheapest, costing £64.99.

For more on all things gaming, check out our review of the Nintendo Switch 2 console one year on from its release.