The FIFA Street games still grab my attention all these years later. From the S-tier soundtracks and the culture baked into every arena to the sheer focus on tricks, the series delivered the jolt the genre needed. The original run ended in 2008 with FIFA Street 3, followed by an underwhelming reboot in 2012 (yeah, I'm not counting it), but I still hope EA Sports FC 27 brings some of those ideas back.
FIFA Street shines because it stays approachable. The arcade-style design and emphasis on flow make it feel like the football game equivalent of Skate. Both sat under the Electronic Arts banner at the time, and flicking the right stick to chain flashy tricks still feels great in 2026. I know this because FIFA Street remains a nostalgia staple in my house. While the first game is still my favorite, I have grown more fond of FIFA Street 3 over the past 18 years.
The art style has not aged well, but the shift in atmosphere across the series deserves credit. EA clearly struggled to balance realism with cartoon-like visuals, and that identity clash shows. Still, the range of locations you visit on the road to stardom makes every match fun to play. With around 250 players to recruit, the roster feels stacked, giving you plenty of freedom when building your squad. Even as one of the weaker entries, FIFA Street 3 runs circles around the 2012 reboot, which was a mess.
Things get more complicated now. Electronic Arts no longer partners with FIFA, which led to the FC branding, but at its core, the formula feels the same to me. With no real sign of a new FIFA Street-style game, the closest alternative is Volta mode in recent FC releases. Let's be honest, it does not hit the same way.
FC games just are not built with street play in mind. You might play in tight courts or indoor arenas, but the heavy, hyper-tuned FC gameplay always sits on top. Whether it is EA Sports FC 26 or FC Mobile, both aim for a completely different experience. My colleague Connor Christie even calls it one of the better entries in his FC 26 review, but it still isn't what I want from a street-focused mode. Even so, I'm not ready to give up hope.
Recent EA Sports FC 27 leaks suggest the series may move toward an open-world structure, similar to what 2K does with the NBA. Allegedly called The Grounds, this mode would let players explore a large map, visit barbers, train in gyms, and most importantly, play street soccer with others.
As a live-service concept, it sounds like a natural fit and could seriously shake up EA's yearly formula. A full reinvention of the series' image feels long overdue. Patents and trademarks for The Grounds date back to January 23, 2026, so now it's just a waiting game for an official reveal.
If EA can capture the atmosphere that made FIFA Street special, that alone could pull me back in. Jumping into street matches on the fly sounds exciting and could create the kind of organic social moments that make multiplayer games like ARC Raiders stand out. I doubt EA will add proximity chat, though. Anyone who has received angry FIFA messages knows just how colorful those interactions can get.
A Nintendo Switch 2 version also seems likely, considering the last entry hit the platform. The lack of 60fps is a dealbreaker for me right now, but hopefully that changes with a new Switch game port later this year. The ball is in your pitch, EA.