Custom Tactics set for major overhaul in FIFA 21
EA SPORTS[jwplayer YCPHoSg9]EA SPORTS have promised players that FIFA 21 will completely overhaul the Custom Tactics feature, after being probed on the matter in a Q&A session.
This is a change a portion of the community had been calling for in FIFA 20, with many left disappointed by last year’s gameplay. In general, defences would sit much deeper than years gone by, making it more difficult for players to break down their opposition.
That may not be the case in the next title, though. FIFA 21 developers have confirmed all Custom Tactics, including Drop Back, have been tuned following feedback from fans.
Players will be hoping to see a big change on the back of this, with EA seemingly going back to the basics where gameplay is concerned.
EA SPORTSFIFA 21 gameplay gets shakeup with Custom Tactic tweaks
During a question and answer session on Twitter, hosted on the FIFA Direct Communication account, the team reiterated points they had made in previous pitch notes.
The Deep Dive article is a long read, spanning over a few thousand words. Published on August 4, it contained changes not just for Custom Tactics, but also heading, defending, skill moves, and dribbling. Not everybody will have had the chance to read that.
Their tweet, though, was to the point. It states: “We’ve spent a lot of time tuning all of the tactics, including Drop Back, to provide a fresh experience in FIFA 21. Additionally, you’ll see a lot of new behaviors — as mentioned in the Pitch Notes Deep Dive article.”
We've spent a lot of time tuning all of the tactics, including Drop Back, to provide a fresh experience in FIFA 21.
Additionally, you'll see a lot of new behaviors – as mentioned in the Pitch Notes Deep Dive article. https://t.co/9t9O3Sbz48
— EA SPORTS FC Direct Communication (@EASFCDirect) August 5, 2020
In those pitch notes, however, a change to Quick Tactics was also confirmed.
One section reads: “Quick Tactics: Team Press Timer – We saw feedback around players being able to waste time in sometimes unrealistic ways and that it was difficult for the defending team to try to get the ball back in these situations.
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“To address this, we revamped the Team Press Quick Tactic to no longer result in a Constant Pressure defensive tactic. It now triggers a temporary Auto Press behaviour on demand and with a cooldown timer that prevents it from being overused.”
What else is changing in FIFA 21?
EA SPORTSWe have only been given a snapshot of gameplay so far, but the approach from the dev team is encouraging. Players have come to expect a low level of interaction with developers on FIFA. That said, many have already expressed their delight to see developers actively engaging with the audience on social media.
In terms of confirmed changes, we now know some celebrations like the ‘Shush’ have been scrapped to reduce toxicity. Career Mode will be getting a major overhaul — the biggest in years — so that reveal should be exciting in August. On top of that, they have also confirmed VAR won’t be added to the game.
These comments should pave the way for a much more open feel to gameplay. Only time will tell if that’s delivered.
Until then, all eyes turn to EA and their upcoming feature reveals, beta, demo, and early access content.