Proudly, 7 Title Updates have already been released for FIFA 21, even though the latest FIFA installment is not even 3 months old. But have all these updates really improved the game?
As in the last year, numerous patches have also been released for the latest FIFA title. These brought some gameplay changes and fixed a lot of bugs.
We take a look at the biggest gameplay changes and clarify whether the game is now truly better than at launch.
What updates have there been? In relatively short intervals since release (October 6, 2020), numerous updates have been released:
- Title Update 1 – October 2, 2020
- Title Update 2 – October 7, 2020
- Title Update 3 – October 15, 2020
- Title Update 3.1 – October 21, 2020
- Title Update 4 – October 29, 2020
- Title Update 5 – November 12, 2020
- Title Update 6 – November 25, 2020
- Title Update 6.1 – December 2, 2020
- Title Update 7 – December 9, 2020
If you count the additional updates 3.1 and 6.1, you actually reach a total of 9 patches in about 8 weeks. In comparison: FIFA 20 received a total of 7 Title Updates in the first 8 weeks after release.
Have the updates made FIFA 21 really better?
What has changed with the updates? The first major gameplay changes came with Title Update 3. Here, various Skill Moves were adjusted:
- The overly strong “Elastico” was slightly nerfed and
- other tricks like the “Sombrero-Flick” and “Ball-Roll/Scoop-Turn” were corrected, as they were not functioning properly.
Title Update 4 finally improved a major gameplay annoyance – the referees. They issued way too many yellow cards before the update and blew the whistle too early. The patch addressed this issue.
Next came Title Update 5, which mainly dealt with the D-pad tactics.
- The tactics “Pressure on Mistakes”, “Pressing after Loss of Ball”, and “Constant Pressure” have become more effective.
- In addition, the overly strong tactics “Overload on Ball Side” and “Team Pressing” were nerfed.
Title Update 6 was really significant, as it finally addressed the automatic AI blocks of the defense. These were simply too strong and prevented far too many shots on goal in the penalty area. Furthermore, the speed boost after a step-over was significantly reduced.
Finally, Title Update 7 was released. This patch again revised the referee logic so that yellow cards are distributed more sensibly and last-man fouls are assessed more logically. Additionally, the sharply struck low cross was slowed down and another speed boost was removed, this time affecting the boost after feinting a shot.
What still needs to improve: Despite the many gameplay changes, there are still issues in FIFA 21 that are important to the community (via reddit). Here, the problems with
- too slow gameplay,
- manual defending,
- goalkeepers that are too weak, and
- especially server issues affecting gameplay.
Is FIFA 21 now better than at launch? Whether FIFA 21 is truly better than at launch must be decided by each FIFA player for themselves. However, the fact is that EA has adjusted the gameplay in important areas and corrected major errors. Overpowered tricks and tactics have been weakened, and the referees have become fairer.
Additionally, not much has changed in the current meta as well as in shooting. The game plays similarly to how it did at launch, just a bit fairer and without exaggerated AI blocks that made defending too easy. If the existing issues are addressed now, FIFA 21 is on a good path gameplay-wise.
What do you currently think of FIFA 21? Can you enjoy the gameplay? If you are still looking for reinforcements for your team, we have some affordable suggestions for you.
