FIFA 22 | Pitch Notes - Title Update #2

Oct 20, 2021

Hey everyone, today we’re going to be taking a deeper look at some parts of Title Update #2 (TU #2) for FIFA 22, as well as our first ever Live Tuning Update (LTU #1).

With TU #2, our aim is to continue adding more layers of polish to the game through a series of addressed issues and some changes. In this article, we’re covering AI controlled player blocks on lobs and crosses, as well as dominant foot Finesse Shots. For the full list of changes and issues addressed in TU #2, be sure to check out our forums.

And with LTU #1, our goal is to make long range Finesse Shots a bit more authentic.

So let’s jump right in.

AI Controlled Player Blocks On Lobs And Crosses

TU #2 introduces the following change:

• Reduced the effectiveness of AI controlled players blocking Lobbed Passes and crosses.
  • Specifically, AI controlled players were previously able to stretch too far when attempting to block Lobbed Passes and crosses.

In football, a great block at the right time doesn’t always get the love that a spectacular goal or save does, but it can be just as important.. 

We’ve seen that AI controlled players could’ve been a little too effective at blocking lobs and crosses when they were near the ball carrier. Our intent with this change is to maintain a healthy diversity when it comes to the passing aspects of FIFA 22. We want lobs and crosses to be effective in appropriate situations, to better reflect action on the real world pitch.

Let’s take a look at a potential AI controlled block before TU #2.

As you can see above, the AI controlled player stretched really far to make an incredible block. This type of stretching animation contributed to the effectiveness of this type of block, specifically on lobs and crosses.

Now let’s take a look at how the same blocking situation is more likely to play out after TU #2.

AI controlled players can and will still attempt to make these types of blocks when appropriate, but we’ve adjusted their animations to make their block attempts more authentic, as you can see above.

Dominant Foot Finesse Shots

TU #2 addressed an issue around players over relying on their dominant foot:

• When requesting a Finesse Shot, the ball carrier could sometimes go out of their way to take it with their dominant foot.

While most top level footballers tend to have a dominant foot that they play with, they also sometimes use their Weak Foot when the situation might call for it.

What we’ve seen before TU #2 is that players could sometimes be too focused on their dominant foot when you requested a Finesse Shot from them. This could have led to situations in which an okay Finesse Shot could occur, but maybe you would have preferred to try a higher risk/better outcome Weak Foot Finesse Shot.

Here’s how this situation might have played out before TU #2.

As you can see in this example, the right footed player used their dominant foot even though using their Weak Foot could have resulted in a higher risk/better outcome scenario.

Now let’s take a look at how this situation can play out, after TU #2.

Here we see the player using their left Weak Foot in order to go for the classic curl top corner Finesse shot. Note that this is just one specific example of what can happen after TU #2. The outcome of this type of shot will naturally depend on the specifics of each scenario, player Attributes, and the shot taker’s Weak Foot rating.

Our First Live Tuning Update

Our first Live Tuning Update (LTU #1) was recently released, and it introduced this change:

• Slightly reduced the accuracy of Finesse Shot taken near the edge of the penalty box, and further.
• This change applies to Finesse Shots taken between 49.95 feet/15.22 meters and 149.85 feet/45.67 meters from the goal line.

Live Tuning enables us to roll out some changes without requiring a full Title Update. This can allow us to make tuning changes faster and with more frequency while working on the balance of the game. In this case, our intent was to bring more authenticity to long range Finesse Shots by reducing their accuracy. 

Our expectation is that there will be fewer long range Finesse Shot goals being scored than before LTU #1, but not so few that they feel overly difficult to accomplish. This change is intended to maintain the diversity of goalscoring opportunities while helping long range Finesse Shots feel more authentically balanced.

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As always, we’ll continue to look at your feedback regarding all areas of the game when we take into account what a specific Title Update can bring to FIFA 22. Thanks everyone for checking out this Pitch Notes, I hope it's given you some useful additional context to TU #2. See you next time!

- Goran from the PFO team

Please Note: This article is describing in general terms what the Dev Teams are working on. We are constantly looking to improve the FIFA experience for everyone, so this article may become outdated as we make adjustments to keep our game fun for everyone.

Play FIFA 22 now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Stadia, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC!

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