Currently, we have reached Title Update 8 in FIFA 20. There have never been this many updates at such an early stage in FIFA, and now the question arises: Is the game really better with all these updates than it was at release?
It is not unusual for various gameplay updates to appear directly after the release of FIFA titles, aiming to improve the game. However, the number of these patches is particularly high in the current FIFA year.
We will look at the gameplay changes and clarify whether the game is really better now.
What updates have there been? So far, there have been 8 Title Updates in FIFA 20, which have appeared at relatively short intervals after the release (September 24):
- Title Update 1 – September 21, 2019
- Title Update 2 – October 1, 2019
- Title Update 3 – October 4, 2019
- Title Update 4 – October 15, 2019
- Title Update 5 – October 28, 2019
- Title Update 6 – November 5, 2019
- Title Update 7 – November 19, 2019
- Title Update 8 – December 3, 2019
In comparison: For FIFA 19, Update No. 8 was released only in February, more than 2 months later than in the current FIFA installment.
Have the updates really made FIFA 20 better?
What has improved? Some updates have fixed major bugs that had significantly impacted the enjoyment of the game. For instance, Update No. 2 addressed the numerous rebounds by goalkeepers. Update 7 has also been widely praised for improving many gameplay issues (more precision in shots within the penalty area).
Overall, there have been many improvements, with the following being the most significant:
- The goalkeepers cause fewer rebounds and behave better during penalties (Update 2)
- Incorrect offside decisions have been corrected (Update 4)
- The defensive tactic “Drop back” has been weakened, making absolute “parking the bus” impossible (Update 6)
- Shots in the penalty area are more precise (Update 7)
- During penalties, players no longer move their heads as they approach the ball (Update 7)
- Free kicks now require skill again (Update 8)
- Referees show fewer yellow cards for fouls (Update 8)
What still needs improvement: Despite many gameplay improvements, there are still numerous issues and bugs that need to be addressed. The community especially mentions the following points:
- Manual player switching does not work properly
- Goalkeepers do not receive cards for fouls
- “Drop back” is too strong
- Crosses and headers rarely lead to goals
Is the game better now? The question is not easy to answer. However, the fact is that the many patches have definitely fixed important bugs and gameplay issues, which fundamentally makes the game better than at launch.
However, the short intervals between the updates have also caused frustration and constant adjustment, as noted by reddit user giovanniqm. He says regarding the release of Update 8: “Another update? I can’t learn the game because it changes every week.”
Currently, FIFA 20 appears to be in a good spot from a gameplay perspective, and players have fewer problems than before in FIFA 19. Especially since there are hardly any issues with meta-techniques like the “bug cross“.
On FIFA reddit, however, contributions can often be found that complain about the unbalanced gameplay. For example, DJLDomino finds that with each update new problems arise: “The sad truth is that EA can never perfectly patch FIFA. They always break something else along the way.”
However, positive voices are also not rare. For instance, MullacReltub is happy about the impacts of Patch 8 on his defense: “This update has improved my defense. My 3-5-2 feels much stronger.” Or damrider, who is pleased about the changes in Update 7: “Great, scoring was really too difficult before the update.”
Overall, it can be said that while FIFA has received more updates than ever before at this point in time. These have also fixed numerous problems and made many players happy.
If EA Sports now addresses the remaining issues, then FIFA 20 is on a good path.
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