EA Sports has introduced the most anticipated FIFA 22 Update 14 for PC users on Steam and Origin. The update will eventually be rolled out on Xbox and PlayStation soon. This update includes both nerfs and buffs which were really needed for a long time.

Without wasting time let’s take a look at the official patch notes and the changes they have made.

Title Update #14 is introducing a number of gameplay changes in #FIFA22.

In the latest edition of the Pitch Notes, we dive into changes to Knuckle Balls, Low Driven Shots, a brand new Skill Move and more ⬇️https://t.co/Qsv0ojuqDi pic.twitter.com/FVS06nR6iK

— FIFA Direct Communication (@EAFIFADirect) July 6, 2022

FIFA 22 Update 14 Patch Notes

Knuckle Ball Shots

Title Update 14 introduces the following knuckle ball shot change:

– Increased the likelihood of a knuckle ball shot occurring when requesting a high-powered shot while the ball is 0.67 meters/2.2 feet from the player’s feet. 

With this change, the goal is to increase the shot variety seen during gameplay in order to bring more authenticity to the act of shooting. Attributes don’t affect whether a knuckle shot will happen, the conditions for it are related to the aforementioned distance and shooting direction. The angle of the shot needs to be forward-facing, roughly in the direction that the ball carrier is already looking towards.

Here’s how a knuckle ball shot might look like in game with TU #14:

New Skill Move: Ball Roll Cut 180

A new Skill Move has been added in TU #14:

– Added the new Ball Roll Cut 180 Skill Move that can be performed by players with a 4 or 5 star Skill Move rating.

The Ball Roll Cut 180 is intended to give players more options when moving with the ball in order to generate space in new situations that can potentially fool defenders. It’s another tool that attackers can use to break down defenses while also another consideration for defenders to plan for. Here’s how to perform this Skill Move on the default controls:

• Hold L1 (PlayStation controllers) or LB (Xbox controllers) then flick the Right Stick input opposite of the way the ball carrier is facing, then flick it a second time while still holding L1 or LB.

Here’s how the Ball Roll Cut 180 looks in action:

Shot Blocking

TU #14 has two shot blocking changes:

– Significantly reduced the reach of attempted shot blocks by AI controlled players. 

– Slightly reduced the reach of attempted shot blocks by human controlled players. 

One of the goals for the ever evolving balance between attacking and defending gameplay is for players to put their skills in each category to the test against one another. As a result, the developers have introduced a significant reduction to the reach of shot blocks from AI controlled players in order to help promote a more player controlled approach to shot blocking.

At the same time however, we’ve slightly reduced the reach of shot blocks from human controlled players in order to promote a more open and free flowing shooting experience during matches.

Low Driven Shots

TU #14 introduces the following change to Low Driven Shots:

– Greatly increased the accuracy of low and mid powered Low Driven Shots.

The developers finally noticed that Low Driven Shots are a little underused since their accuracy did not always have the same consistency as other shot types, so they have adjusted the accuracy in low and mid power scenarios. We are anticipating to see about a 17.5% increase in accuracy for these types of Low Driven Shots when the shot takers are not under any significant pressure. According to EA, their intent here is to provide players with an additional goalscoring option in 1v1 and other scenarios.

Here’s a sample of how 100 low powered Low Driven Shots might have looked like before TU #14. Note that the black lines here show potential off target shots, green lines show goals scored in this scenario, and red lines indicate potential saves by the goalkeeper.

Now here’s how this same scenario can look like after TU #14:

Note how there are more green shooting lines than before, fewer black lines, and that the red lines are generally grouped closer together. Overall, the shot grouping is tighter and more accurate, potentially challenging the keeper more so than before.

Tackling Distance

TU #14 makes the following defensive change:

– Significantly decreased the range required for a defender to attempt a tackle without being requested to do so.

Like with the shot blocking changes, this change is intended to promote a more active and hands on attacker vs defender experience. This change will be largely noticeable in, but not limited to, situations in which attackers take on AI controlled defenders and when defenders are applying Secondary Contain.