Patch 1.08 in FIFA 19 has significantly weakened the Timed Finesse Shots. This changes the game sustainably. The community celebrates: “Finally, football is being played!”
This is Patch 1.08: The latest title update in FIFA 19 was released last week on PC. Since yesterday, the new version is also available on consoles. The main point of the update: The strongest shot in the game has been nerfed.
This shot is the “Timed Finesse Shot” – the finesse shot with activated Timed-Finishing. The community criticized that the skill difference in the game was hardly noticeable due to Timed Finesse Shots, which still went into the goal even with bad timing.
Players who relied solely on this shot were able to beat opponents who played significantly more combination-based football. But with the patch, the game has noticeably changed:
Bad timing on a Timed Finesse Shot now causes the ball to land in the stands instead of in the goal. This suddenly requires an adjustment.
How the game has changed since the patch
Play slower, score harder: In the FIFA subreddit, players are discussing the patch extensively. The majority of the votes are positive – even though problems like bugs, faulty player substitutions, or the still very strong AI defending are still criticized.
Especially the last point is crucial in connection with the Timed Finesse Shot: Defending with AI-controlled defenders is still very strong. And this, despite the fact that there has already been a patch aimed at improving manual defending.
Dribbling and passing: Because the defense is still very tough to break through, many players relied on Timed Finesse Shots from a distance. As these now frequently miss the goal, players are looking for other ways to score.
Players are dependent on making clever runs, decisive passes at the right moment, or skillful dribbling to create gaps in the opponent’s defense. Once inside the box, the Low Driven Shot (L1+R1 and Circle) is regaining popularity.
In short: Other offensive skills are suddenly in the foreground.
This makes the game somewhat slower, as players have to act more thoughtfully instead of just taking a shot. At the same time, FIFA 19 matches, according to the community, suddenly resemble a real football match. However, there are also voices that criticize the patch.
Corners and headers suddenly OP?
Players are seeking alternative ways: Since not every player enjoys combining their way into the box but can no longer rely on long shots as a guaranteed goal, many are currently trying crosses.
The YouTuber “NepentheZ 2” had already pointed out before the patch that crosses might be excessively strong: Players like Flashback-Ibrahimovic, who is currently used in many teams, or Gareth Bale have no problem scoring even from hopeless situations with a header.
The crossing placebo effect: With patch 1.08, many players feared a “header meta”. And indeed: Currently, there are more cross attempts and header goals being observed. However, this could be a kind of “self-fulfilling prophecy” or a placebo effect.
The community doubts on Reddit that the patch has actually affected the success rate of crosses and headers. Even before the update, this was a promising technique that was just rarely used – after all, Timed Finesse Shots were still significantly more effective.
Now, as more players focus on crosses, logically more goals of this kind are scored.
Have you noticed a difference in gameplay? How do you play for goals since the patch? Discuss on our Facebook page!
