FC 27 Gameplay deep dive pitch notes: AI defending nerf, better passing, and more

FC 27 is coming soon to PC and console users worldwide. This year, there are some major gameplay changes in store for us. EA Sports seems to have taken a lot of feedback from fans based on how FC 26 worked.

In this guide, I will quickly go through a lot of gameplay changes that will supposedly change the meta and the all-new grounds, which will be a fresh addition to the series.

All mature gameplay changes in FC 27

On paper, things are looking quite promising for FC 27. I will be skeptical at this point because we all know what happened with FC 26. However, EA Sports seems to be on board with the changes we have been requesting for a long time.

Defending

AI defending, as we knew it, will change drastically. If you are someone who likes to run back with a CDM and leave your CB to the AI, you might need to change that. Manual tackling will offer better chances for you to gain possession, faster jockeying, and more. In simple words, aiming to defend manually will lead to better results.

EA Sports has also reduced the extent to which the AI used to auto-tackle in competitive game modes. This should be music to the ears of those like me who have been frustrated by this mechanic. Finally, team-made content has also been adjusted to match the new approach to defending. If you use the second man press, the AI will mark the ball carrier from a slightly longer distance, but you will also need to switch manually for them to tackle accurately.

In short, manual defending seems like the way to go once FC 27 launches.

Corners and set pieces

EA Sports promised that there will be changes to corners and set pieces. Corner kicks will have general improvements in how you target your teammate. Once you have chosen the target, the camera will shift towards the box, and you will have a window to control the attacking player. This is in stark contrast to any system we have had in the previous games.

You will also need to learn how to make a run, attack the space, and make contact manually. If you leave it to the AI, it might happen that you will be unable to hit the ball properly. You can also trigger manual runs using mechanical avoidance. This will make your player more evasive and move in a silkier fashion towards the ball.

Crossing

Not limited to corners and set pieces, crossing will be undergoing a major rework in FC 27. For starters, crosses will be delivered into space more often rather than directly to a player. Your aim and power will determine the success of your cross landing on the head of your players. Put too much force, and your cross will blow over the sidelines. Be accurate, and you will be able to hit the ball into the back of the net.

A lot more variety and moves will also be available when you choose to finish a cross. You can always hit the ball, but you can also make acrobatic efforts when applicable.

Attacking awareness and creative runs

The Attacking Spatial Awareness allows AI attackers in FC 27 to be more aware of the space. This will result in creative runs that we have not seen in the past.

While you can always trigger a manual run to send the player on a direct path, they will now follow a triggered card run. This allows your triggered players to carve their run in such a fashion that they no longer run into the offside position frequently.

These runs will take longer to complete, but they will feel authentic, and you should be able to create better opportunities to attack. Manual runs will have less effective distance compared to what you have seen in the past. While your player will start their run upon a trigger, they will stop shortly and reposition themselves if you choose not to pass to them. You can always trigger the run again to make them move further.

Passing is also receiving an improvement in terms of animation and smoothness. It allows you to make quicker one-touch passes and create new attacking avenues.

PlayStyles updates

While FC 27 will still continue to have PlayStyles, a lot of them will receive changes from how it used to work in FC 26.

Finesse Shot

• Updated Finesse Shot to make player attributes play a bigger role in shot outcome
• Spin, animation speed and off-angle effectiveness now scale more consistently based on the player taking the shot, reducing the gap between base attributes, Finesse Shot, and Finesse Shot+.

Technical Dribbler

• Reduced the performance gap between PlayStyle and PlayStyle+
• Playstyle+ still offers smoother and more responsive dribbling, but the difference between PlayStyle+ and PlayStyle is now less pronounced to create better balance between tiers. 

Intercept

• Increased reach and improved chances of retaining possession of the ball when performing an interception for Non-PlayStyle players who have a high Interceptions Attribute
• Results in the reduction in the performance gap between PlayStyles and Attributes. 

Rapid

• Slightly reduced the speed boost to dribbling animations provided by the PlayStyle and PlayStyle+
• Animation speed for non-Playstyle players remains unchanged, resulting in a smaller gap in animation speed between non-PlayStyle and PlayStyle players

Quick Step

• Reduced the speed boost applied during dribbling and accelerating for PlayStyle and PlayStyle+ to create better balance between tiers 
• This gives more importance to the Acceleration attribute

Pinged Pass

• Removed the effect that slightly reduced trap error on the pass receiver
• This change ensures that the PlayStyle primarily enhances pass delivery rather than providing an additional first-touch advantage to an unrelated player

Tiki Taka

• Removed the animation playback speed boost and the effect that slightly reduced trap error on the pass receiver
• This refocuses the PlayStyle on quick combination play without disproportionately improving first-touch control

Jockey

• Increased jockey sprint acceleration for non-PlayStyle players and reduced the sprint acceleration boost applied when exiting Jockey for both the PlayStyle and PlayStyle+
• Both these changes reduce the gap between PlayStyles and base attributes

Precision Header

• Reduced the gap between PlayStyle and PlayStyle+ by rebalancing the boost in accuracy granted by this PlayStyle

Low Driven

• Removed the shot speed boost previously applied to low-driven shots
• Shot velocity now scales purely based on core shooting Attributes and input power, for more consistent and attribute-driven results
• The Playstyle and PlayStyle+ still add an accuracy boost

We will finally get to know more once the closed beta is out, where we will be able to test out all these new features and get a better idea.

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