EA Sports FC 27 launches below 100,000 players on Steam

The ball is already rolling in EA Sports FC 27, out now on consoles and PC, but the first numbers coming in from Steam aren't the ones Electronic Arts would want to show off in a presentation. As reported by Vandal based on SteamDB data, the new football game stayed below 100,000 concurrent players at launch, making it the weakest start of the EA Sports FC era on Valve's store.

The drop isn't dramatic, and that's worth saying right away. But the figure carries more weight than it seems: Steam keeps adding users year after year, so you'd expect each new release to beat the last one, if only through momentum. When a series that thrives on consistency starts slipping on a storefront that's growing, it's fair to ask what's going on.

What you need to know

• EA Sports FC 27 is now available on all platforms.
• On Steam, it didn't reach 100,000 concurrent players at launch.
• For reference, EA Sports FC 24 hit a peak of 107,359 players, although it set that record in January 2024, not at launch.
• The gap with previous editions is small, but the trend is pointing downward.
• Most of the FIFA/FC community plays on consoles, so Steam doesn't tell the whole story.

What the numbers say, and what they don't

The direct comparison comes with caveats. The FC 24 peak cited by SteamDB didn't happen during its launch week, but months later, in the middle of winter, when Ultimate Team is usually in full swing. That's why measuring FC 27's day one against FC 24's best moment isn't entirely fair, although it does work as a gauge of how far the franchise can go on PC.

The source puts forward two reasonable theories. The first: competition. This month is packed with releases, and some regular fans may have spent their money on another game. The second, more uncomfortable for EA: the feeling that the new features don't justify paying up again. Platform distribution also needs to be kept in mind. PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch account for most of the player base, so a stumble on PC could be offset, or even be irrelevant, in the overall picture.

Our take

Here at Underworld Lordz, we're clear on this: it's not a crisis, but it is a warning sign. An annual game lives on its community feeling that every release is worth it, and when enthusiasm drops even on the fastest-growing platform, the problem is usually the product, not the release schedule. For several editions now, we've been hearing competitive players complain about the same things: gameplay changes that feel more like patch tweaks than a real leap forward, an Ultimate Team increasingly designed to squeeze your wallet, and a PC scene that has historically lagged a step behind console.

For competitive players, there's also a key factor: the game depends on critical mass. Fewer people online on PC can mean slower or less balanced matchmaking during off-peak hours, and that directly affects anyone training seriously. For content creators, the warning is different: if the core audience cools off, pack openings and streams feel it too. It's no coincidence that more and more streamers are diversifying their lineup instead of relying on a single annual title.

That said, we should be cautious. Steam data is only one window, and the full picture depends on consoles, where EA doesn't publish equivalent real-time figures. We'll have to wait and see how the curve evolves over the coming weeks, especially once competitions kick off and the Ultimate Team content cycle gets going. If FC 27 is still far off FC 24's numbers in January, then we'll be talking about real fatigue.

What do you think?

Did you buy FC 27, or are you skipping it this year? Do you play on PC or console, and do you notice differences in the community? We want to know if the series is still a must-have for you or if you feel every year is more of the same. Do you think EA needs a real revolution, or is polishing what's already there enough? Drop by the team chat or our Discord and let us know.