PlayStyles: Everything You Need to Know

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• What is a PlayStyle?
• Every PlayStyle in FC 27
  • Passing
  • Ball Control
  • Defending
  • Physical
  • Goalkeeper
• Applying a PlayStyle
• Five Tips for PlayStyles

What is a PlayStyle?

The world’s greatest footballers cannot be simply defined by numbers alone.

In EA SPORTS FC 27, certain players, including those you create for The Grounds or in a Player Career, can have a PlayStyle, a trait that grants or enhances specific abilities on the pitch beyond a Player’s ratings or attributes. PlayStyles authentically represent a real-world athlete’s ability, virtually translating into another dimension of a player in FC brought out by your personal skills.

There are two levels to PlayStyles: The regular or base PlayStyle, denoted by a “Silver” coloured badge, grants a unique capability or improvement, such as with a certain Ball Control or Shooting action. A PlayStyle+, denoted by a “Gold” coloured badge, represents world-class expertise in a given ability, further boosting that specific enhancement beyond a regular PlayStyle. Simply put, a PlayStyle slightly improves a certain area of play, and a PlayStyle+ furthers that improvement.

Certain PlayStyles in FC 27 have been refined to rebalance their relationship with Player attributes (more information about this change can be found in the Gameplay Deep Dive here), which are also subject to further change based on player feedback. 

In theory, that is a PlayStyle. In practice, it’s a bit easier to understand what each PlayStyle and PlayStyle+ - does:

Every PlayStyle in FC 27

There are 36 total PlayStyle and PlayStyle+ abilities, with some being exclusive to the Goalkeeper position:

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Finishing

Acrobatic

Description: A Player who tends to perform acrobatic passes, clearances, and shots.

PlayStyle Impact: Performs volleys with improved accuracy and has access to acrobatic volley animations.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Performs volleys with significant accuracy and has access to unique acrobatic volley animations.

Chip Shot

Description: A Player who is known to often try to chip the goalkeeper when shooting at goal.

PlayStyle Impact: Performs chip shots faster and with greater accuracy.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Performs chip shots more quickly with exceptional accuracy.

Dead Ball

Description: A Player who is known for being a specialist at taking set pieces.

PlayStyle Impact: Set pieces are delivered with increased speed, curve, and accuracy. Ball trajectory preview line is longer.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Set pieces are delivered with exceptional speed, curve, and accuracy. Ball trajectory preview line is at maximum length.

Finesse Shot

Description: A Player who is known to try and place the ball when shooting at goal.

PlayStyle Impact: Performs finesse shots faster with additional curve and improved accuracy

PlayStyle+ Impact: Performs finesse shots significantly faster with maximum curve and exceptional accuracy.

Gamechanger

Description: A Player who is known for extraordinary and unconventional finishes, excelling at creative and unpredictable shots.

PlayStyle Impact: Fancy and Trivela shots are performed with improved accuracy.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Fancy and Trivela shots are performed with greatly improved accuracy.

Low Driven Shot

Description: A player who can execute precise shots with increased shot accuracy.

PlayStyle Impact: Enhances a Player's ability to execute low driven shots with increased accuracy, faster ball travel, and quicker shot execution.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Enhances a Player's ability to perform low driven shots with significantly enhanced accuracy, even faster ball travel, and quicker shot execution.

Precision Header

Description: An offensive Player who is known for controlled and accurate headers, excelling in aerial battles rather than relying on raw power.

PlayStyle Impact: Performs headers with increased accuracy and power.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Performs headers with greatly increased accuracy and power.

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Passing

Incisive Pass

Description: A Player who is known for making defense-splitting passes for a teammate to run onto.

PlayStyle Impact: Through Passes are more accurate, Swerve Passes are delivered with more curve, and Precision Passes travel faster to the destination.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Through Passes are far more accurate, Swerve Passes are delivered with maximum curve, and Precision Passes travel at top speed to the destination.

Inventive

Description: A Player who is known for creative passing and the ability to perform clever, unpredictable combinations.

PlayStyle Impact: Fancy and Trivela passes are performed with improved accuracy.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Fancy and Trivela passes are performed with greatly improved accuracy.

Long Ball Pass

Description: A Player who is known for performing lobbed long passes to teammates.

PlayStyle Impact: Lob and Lofted Through Passes are more accurate, travel faster, and are more difficult to intercept.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Lob and Lofted Through Passes are even more accurate, travel faster than ever, and are far more difficult to intercept.

Pinged Pass

Description: A Player who is known for making high speed ground passes.

PlayStyle Impact: Passes travel faster along the ground without impacting the trapping difficulty of the receiver.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Passes travel much faster along the ground without impacting the trapping difficulty of the receiver.

Tiki Taka

Description: A Player who is known for making first-time accurate and short passes.

PlayStyle Impact: Executes difficult first-time Ground Passes with high accuracy, using backheels when contextually appropriate. Short distance Ground Passes are highly accurate.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Executes difficult first-time Ground Passes with even greater accuracy, using backheels when contextually appropriate. Short distance Ground Passes are exceptionally accurate.

Whipped Pass

Description: A Player who is known for making high-speed whipped crosses into the box.

PlayStyle Impact: All crosses are highly accurate, travel faster, and with more curve.

PlayStyle+ Impact: All crosses are highly accurate, travel faster, and with more curve. Performs driven crosses with exceptional power.

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Ball Control

First Touch

Description: A Player who is known for accurate first touch control in difficult situations.

PlayStyle Impact: Has reduced error when trapping the ball and is able to transition to dribbling faster with greater control.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Has minimal error when trapping the ball and is able to transition to dribbling much faster with greater control.

Press Proven

Description: A Player who is known for keeping ball possession under physical pressure from the opponent.

PlayStyle Impact: Keeps close control of the ball while dribbling at jog speed and can shield the ball more effectively from stronger opponents.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Keeps exceptionally close control of the ball while dribbling at jog speed. Can shield the ball much more effectively from stronger opponents.

Rapid

Description: A Player who is known to use speed and knock the ball ahead of their opponent to beat them whilst dribbling.

PlayStyle Impact: Reaches a higher sprint speed while dribbling and has reduced chance of an error when sprinting or performing knock-ons.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Reaches even higher sprint speed while dribbling and has greatly reduced chance of an error when sprinting or performing knock-ons.

Technical

Description: A Player who regularly tries to beat an opponent by using technical dribbling ability (with little to no use of skill moves or little to no physical contact).

PlayStyle Impact: Reaches a higher speed when performing Controlled Sprint and performs wide turns while dribbling with more precision.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Reaches even higher speed when performing Controlled Sprint and performs wide turns while dribbling with greater precision.

Trickster

Description: A Player who is known for being able to perform skill moves in 1v1 situations.

PlayStyle Impact: Grants the ability to perform unique flick Skill Moves.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Grants the ability to perform more unique ground and flick Skill Moves. Is significantly more agile when strafe dribbling.

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Defending

Aerial Fortress

Description: A defensive Player who is known for dominating aerial battles in defensive situations.

PlayStyle Impact: Performs higher jumps and has increased physical presence before and during defensive aerial duels.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Performs even higher jumps and has greatly increased physical presence before and during defensive aerial duels.

Anticipate

Description: A Player who is known for having a high success rate getting ball possession on tackles with a low fouling rate.

PlayStyle Impact: Improved chances of standing tackle success and grants the ability to stop the ball directly at their feet when performing a standing tackle.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Significantly improved chances of standing tackle success and grants the ability to stop the ball directly at their feet when performing a standing tackle.

Block

Description: A Player who is known for performing elastic and overreaching blocks.

PlayStyle Impact: Increased reach when performing blocks and improved ability to make a successful block.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Even greater reach when performing blocks and improved ability to make a successful block.

Intercept

Description: A Player who is known for performing interceptions and keeping ball possession.

PlayStyle Impact: Increased reach and improved chances of retaining possession of the ball when performing interceptions.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Even greater reach and improved chances of retaining possession of the ball when performing interceptions.

Jockey

Description: A Player who is known for being successful in 1v1 situations.

PlayStyle Impact: Increased max speed of Sprint Jockey and improved transition speed from jockey to sprint.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Increased max speed of Sprint Jockey and greatly improves transition speed from jockey to sprint.

Slide Tackle

Description: A Player who is known for often performing slide tackles.

PlayStyle Impact: Grants the ability to stop the ball directly at their feet when performing a slide tackle.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Greatly improved slide tackle coverage. Also grants the ability to stop the ball directly at their feet when performing a slide tackle.

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Physical

Bruiser

Description: A Player who is known for winning possession by physical imposition.

PlayStyle Impact: Greater strength when performing physical tackles.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Even greater strength when performing physical tackles.

Enforcer

Description: A physical attacker who is known for controlling the ball through shielding and initiating contact while dribbling.

PlayStyle Impact: Performs dribble Shoulder Challenges and Shielding with increased effectiveness.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Performs dribble shoulder challenges and shielding with greatly increased effectiveness.

Long Throw

Description: A Player who is known to throw the ball further than the average player.

PlayStyle Impact: Performs throw-ins with increased power to cover a greater distance.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Performs throw-ins with more power to cover maximum distance.

Quick Step

Description: A Player who is known to have a quick burst of speed when accelerating on and off the ball.

PlayStyle Impact: Accelerates faster during Explosive Sprint.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Accelerates significantly faster during Explosive Sprint.

Relentless

Description: A Player who is known for covering a greater area of the field compared to other players in the same position.

PlayStyle Impact: Reduces fatigue loss during play and increases fatigue recovery during halftime.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Greatly reduces the long-term fatigue effects on attributes, reaction time, and defensive awareness. Reduces fatigue loss during play and significantly increases fatigue recovery during halftime.

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Goalkeeper

1v1 Close Down

Description: A Goalkeeper who is more aggressive when coming out of the box to gather over-the-top balls or long through balls.

PlayStyle Impact: Unique reflex/anticipation save animations, increase in rush speed and improved read of close shot trajectories.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Unique reflex/anticipation save animations, even greater increases in rush speed and improved reads of close shot trajectories.

Cross Claimer

Description: A Goalkeeper who is known to often come off the line to claim high balls from dangerous areas.

PlayStyle Impact: Unique punching animations, increased hand strength and ball out speed from punches, prioritization of punch animations in contested ball scenarios, and increased speed for coming out for crosses. 

PlayStyle+ Impact: Unique punching animations and even greater increases in ball out speed and hand strength.

Deflector

Description: A Goalkeeper who is known for having great deflection control to safer spaces.

PlayStyle Impact: Unique animations when deflecting the ball. Increased power to parry shots into safer areas.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Unique animations when deflecting the ball. Maximum power to parry shots into safer areas.

Far Reach

Description: A goalkeeper who is known for the ability to cover the net and extend their reach to save challenging shots.

PlayStyle Impact: Unique long diving distance jump animations and increased chances of saving long distance shots.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Unique long diving distance jump animations and even greater increase in the chances of saving long distance shots.

Far Throw

Description: A Goalkeeper who is known for starting counter attacks with long throws.

PlayStyle Impact: Unique GK throw animations and increased GK throw max distance.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Unique GK throw animations and even greater increase in GK throw max distance.

Footwork

Description: A Goalkeeper who is known for using their feet to make difficult saves.

PlayStyle Impact: Exclusive foot save animations and increased performance against low trajectory shots.

PlayStyle+ Impact: Exclusive foot save animations and even better performance against low trajectory shots.

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Applying a PlayStyle

During a match, performing an action related to that PlayStyle will automatically activate the PlayStyle, with a PlayStyle+ Badge visually appearing above a Player’s head when performing that action.

By default, a Player Item (in Ultimate Team) or a Player (in other modes) may have PlayStyles, or even one or multiple PlayStyle+, which can be inspected alongside their given attributes. 

In Football Ultimate Team™, there may be opportunities to add a PlayStyle or PlayStyle+ through the use of Evolutions. The restrictions related to this Evolution, such as a number of PlayStyles or attribute caps, are defined when choosing to evolve a Player Item.

In terms of earning PlayStyles for a created Player, such as on The Grounds or Player Career, earning a PlayStyle or PlayStyle+ is defined by reaching its specified prerequisites, such as reaching a specific attribute threshold or selecting one through levelling up.

And, when in Manager Mode, Players can gain PlayStyles and PlayStyle+ Badges through Training or while developing in the Youth Academy, in addition to having them by default.

If you are more curious about exploring PlayStyles on the pitch in a non-competitive environment, there is always the Practice Arena or offline modes like Play Now. Simply use a Player with that PlayStyle, weigh it against the actions of a Player without that PlayStyle, and learn the difference before applying it in a real match.

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Five Tips for PlayStyles

1. GOLD STANDARD. A PlayStyle+ offers enhanced versions of a PlayStyle’s benefit, so expect improvements between the base PlayStyle and PlayStyle+.
2. UNDERSTAND IMPACT. Refer back to the in-game menus or EA SPORTS FC communications to understand how a given PlayStyle works.
3. SKILL UNLOCKS PLAYSTYLES. It’s your input that unlocks the impact of PlayStyles and Player Attributes, even if it’s keeping a player in the match. 
4. DOESN’T HURT TO ADD. When possible, it’s smart to add a PlayStyle to a Player or Player Item if you want to enhance their abilities. Just be mindful of any potential limits!
5. EXPERIMENT OFFLINE. See a PlayStyle’s impact for yourself by using a Player who has that PlayStyle (or PlayStyle+) in the Practice Arena, then compare their actions to a Player who doesn’t have it.

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