On Tuesday evening, the fourth title update for FIFA 19 went live. In addition to more star heads, EA Sports made significant changes to the defense.
What was the problem with the defense? Players had complained that the AI defense was too strong. It was too easy to let the computer handle the defensive work, and players were not rewarded enough for taking control of the defense themselves. The new title update is supposed to change that with various measures: In response to player feedback, EA Sports took a closer look at the defensive behavior – especially the AI defense.
New update first on PC: Just recently, the title update 3 was released, and now the next patch for FIFA 19 follows. As with the previous updates, number 4 is initially available only for PC, with consoles to follow later.
Patch Notes: AI players no longer block the ball as effectively
Before the update: Computer-controlled players could block a ball flying toward the goal just as effectively as player-controlled players. It looked effectively like this:
After the update: Now only player-controlled defenders effectively reach out for the ball. The AI can no longer stretch as far and can block shots less effectively.
AI tackles also weakened
Before the update: When an AI player challenged the ball-carrying opponent, they could do so over the same distance as a controlled player:
After the update: Player-controlled players continue to reach out to execute a successful tackle. Furthermore, it becomes more difficult for the opponent to regain the ball after the tackle.
Constant pressure impacts stamina more strongly
Before the update: Teams that based their defensive tactic on applying constant pressure to the opponent lost too little stamina. This is what the stamina picture looked like after 90 minutes before the update:
After the update: Constantly applying pressure to the opponent now demands significantly more stamina:
More star heads
Players even more realistic: As in the last update, more star heads are coming into play – faces that look more like the original players. In total, 42 players are receiving an update – including Diego Godin and Mauro Icardi:
The complete list of new star heads and further details about the update can be found in the FIFA Patch Notes.
Another update again: Thus, just two months after the release of the game, the fourth major update for FIFA 19 follows. The last patch caused trouble – many players were actually very satisfied with the game before the updates came.
