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First FIFA 17 update makes the AI more attacking

Patch the bus.

Wesley Yin-Poole avatar
News by Wesley Yin-Poole Former Editor-in-Chief
Updated on
16 comments

After Jose Mourinho's Manchester United suffocated Liverpool into a soul-destroying goalless draw last night, EA Sports has updated FIFA 17 to make the AI more attacking.

The FIFA 17 update adds elements to the Premier League broadcast presentation.

It had nothing to do with last night's result, of course. Rather, the patch had to do with feedback that FIFA 17's AI parks the bus.

I reported on this in an article on FIFA 17 earlier this month. I've found that the computer is so good at defending, that you're often better off letting it defend for you.

In patch notes released today, EA revealed it had "increased the CPU AI tendency to attack directly".

Now, this should make playing against the computer more fun. Pre-patch, the AI would pass the ball around defense and midfield in an insufferable game of to you, to me. It was pretty boring.

There's more to the patch. Goalkeeper positioning for corner kicks has been addressed, there are improvements to contested headers logic from corner kicks, and the general responsiveness of shooting has been improved.

The latter is particularly welcome. Most players have noticed an input delay when it comes to shooting.

There's no mention of the frequency of injuries in FIFA Ultimate Team and Career Mode, however, which remains an issue. But we expect more updates in the coming months.

Cover image for YouTube video13 minutes of Fifa 17 gameplay - The first ever 2 v 2 match from Gamescom 2016
Watch on YouTube

Here are the patch notes in full:

Addressed the following in gameplay:

  • A situation where cancel was unresponsive after requesting a clearance.
  • A rare situation where the penalty shootout should have ended earlier.
  • Increased the CPU AI tendency to attack directly.
  • An issue where players sometimes overrun the ball after a skill move.
  • Increased the chance of error from ground crosses (triple tap).
  • Improvements to ball physics where shots off the goal posts lose too much speed.
  • Goalkeeper positioning for corner kicks.
  • Improvements made to player switching from corners and free kicks.
  • An issue where the player would control the ball instead of attempting a clearance.
  • Improvements to contested headers logic from corner kicks.
  • General fixes for player controlled celebrations.
  • Cut scene for contentious fouls can now be skipped.
  • Improved the general responsiveness of shooting.
  • Minor improvement to passing responsiveness when the ball is in the air.

In Pro Clubs, we:

  • Increased experience required for the higher overall ratings in Pro Clubs.
  • Addressed an issue where a player's customised facial features did not display properly in game.

In Ultimate Team:

  • FUT Single Player difficulty no longer defaults to your CPU setting.
  • Addressed an issue where the player is forced to substitute an injured player in FUT online matches.
  • Corrected the shooting and crossing text in custom tactics.

In Career mode, we:

  • Addressed a situation where the CPU AI would frequently leave star players on the bench.

Visual changes include:

  • Added new components of the 2016/17 Premier League broadcast package.
  • Updated team kits, banners and flags for Velez Sarsfield and Tigre.
  • The goalkeeper now correctly celebrates after catching the final penalty in a shootout.
  • Addressed an issue where the selected kit isn't the one used in-game.
  • Addressed frame-rate issue during pre-match skill game.
  • Addressed an issue where the fog from a player's breath was detached from their position.
  • General overlay fixes.

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