INTRO:

Hey FIFA fans,



As part of the continual effort to provide additional clarity around the changes in each title update, we bring to you another Pitch Notes article focused on the third title update for FIFA 19, which is available now for all PC players, and it is slated to arrive on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in the near future.



For the full list of changes in this title update, check out this post.

GAMEPLAY In this title update, there are a number of changes to, and issues resolved in, Gameplay, with a couple of key areas that we wanted to highlight in this Pitch Notes.

SHOOTING: First Time Finesse Shots:

There have been adjustments to the effectiveness of first time finesse shots where the incoming ball is coming from behind the shooting player. These kicks are now more likely to be impacted by error resulting in potentially less accuracy, speed and spin.



The most significant impact of this adjustment will be seen when the ball is coming into the player from directly behind them (180 degrees), with a reduction in the impact of the change scaling depending on the angle of the ball coming into the player, with the change only impacting balls coming in from between 135 degrees up to 225 degrees. The diagram below illustrates the angles affected by this change, where 0 degrees is directly in front of the player.



To give some context of how this change will impact these kicks, we have an example of 100 finesse shots being taken by Kevin De Bruyne prior to the title update, and after the title update, with examples of the ball coming in to the player at both 180 degrees and 135 degrees. The blue lines show shots that would have been on the net, which could end up as saves by the keeper or could end up being goals, while the red lines show shots that would have been off target.



180 Degree Ball Approach



As seen below, after the title update, more shots are being miss-hit, and the spread of the shots is now more varied.



Before Title Update:



After Title Update:



135 Degree Ball Approach



As seen below, when the ball is coming in at a 135 degree angle, the difference before and after the title update is minimal, highlighting the comparison between the impact of the change when the ball is coming in at 180 degrees versus 135 degrees.



Before Title Update:



After Title Update:



Defensive Pressure



We have made some adjustments to the impact that defensive pressure was having on a player that was trying to take a shot.



Defensive Pressure In Front



In situations where a shooting player was receiving pressure from defending players that were in front of them, we identified that the impact of this pressure was not affecting the shooting player enough, resulting in a success rate of shooting that is not in line with what you would see on the pitch. Below you can see an example of 100 shots by Romelu Lukaku from before the title update, and after, highlighting how, after the title update, the effectiveness of the shots has been reduced, with more of them missing the target.



Before Title Update:



After Title Update:



Defensive Pressure From Behind



In situations where a shooting player was receiving pressure from defending players that were behind them, we identified that the impact of this pressure was having too much effect on the shooting player, resulting in lower shooting success than expected. Below you can see an example of 100 shots by Romelu Lukaku from before the title update and after, showing that after the title update, more shots are on target and the overall effectiveness of shooting from that position has increased.



Before Title Update:



After Title Update:



Near Post Accurate Shots



We were seeing that, in situations where an attacking player was trying to take a shot in an easy situation, such as when they had no pressure from defending players, or when they were not off balance, that shots that had been successfully aimed into the net and that were targeting a location that was near to the post, were missing the net more often than they should. We have made some adjustments that has reduced the likelihood of these shots missing the net. Below you can see an example of 100 shots in an easy situation from Neymar Jr. from before and after the title update, illustrating that after the title update, the spread of the shots is much tighter, increasing the effectiveness of taking a shot when in this situation.



Before Title Update:



After Title Update:



Goalkeepers: We had identified a number of instances where goalkeepers were not behaving as expected, and have made fixes to these issues. From the patch notes, here are the issues that were fixed:

Keepers were sometimes kicking the ball forward when moving towards it instead of picking it up.

Keepers were rarely not diving to intercept the ball after a cross was made into the box and the ball was close to the keeper.

Keepers were sometimes not reacting to a penalty kick that was shot directly at them or very near them.

Keepers were sometimes hitting a powered up first time lob pass too soft and low, potentially resulting in the opposing team getting the ball.

User controlled players were able to push the keeper out of the way in a free kick situation. FIFA ULTIMATE TEAM We are continuing the work in the Division Rivals pre-match flow that we started in the previous title update, aimed at making it easier for players to get into a match. Direct from the patch notes, here are the changes that are present in this title update:

We have made changes to the Division Rivals pre-match flow in an effort to reduce the difficulty of some players finding a match. Your team will now always be displayed on the left side, and your opponent will always be displayed on the right side, regardless of which team is Home or Away, on the following screens: Team Select screen. Kit Select screen. Match Preview screen. On the Kit Select screen, both teams will now default to the kit assigned as their Home Kit. When on the Team Management screen, your team's crest will be displayed on the right side of the screen.

STARHEADS Coming with this title update are 50 new starheads, 48 for players and 2 for managers. These will be usable in-game once a pair of server releases goes live, which is planned for shortly after the release of the title update on each platform. Make sure to follow @EASPORTSFIFA on Twitter for updates on when they can be used in-game.



Here are examples of some of the new starheads in game:

