FIFA 18 Update Out Now On PS4, Xbox One, PC; Here's What It Does

A new FIFA 18 update has been released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It makes some changes to Ultimate Team, as well as to how goalkeepers behave in matches and to how referees perceive aerial challenges, among other tweaks.

EA says the new patch fixes an issue where referees would sometimes incorrectly award a penalty when a defender wins a header but also collides with an attacking player. Other gameplay changes include decreasing the time it takes a goalkeeper to recover from a save and get back up to retrieve a loose ball after a rebound. It also fixes an issue where 'keepers would not respond to backpasses.

In Ultimate Team, there is now a limit on how long you can have the PlayStation Dynamic Menu or Xbox Home Menu open while playing FUT Champions; a timer will appear informing you that you'll forfeit the game if you don't resume before it expires. Other changes include some audio tweaks and bug fixes--take a look at the full patch notes at the bottom of this article.

FIFA 18 was received well upon its release, but EA says it may not bring out a new football title every year in future. Instead, it may turn to a subscription-based model. In our FIFA 18 review, we awarded the game a 7/10.

"It's off the pitch that EA excels," we said. "From the variety of game modes on offer and how everything's presented, to the constant updates in FUT's Team of the Week, Daily Objectives, and discussion of real-world happenings in commentary, FIFA 18 captures the world of football and confidently translates it into a video game. On the pitch, however, EA's soccer series is still lagging far behind PES 2018's more fluid, satisfying football. This year's improvements are welcome, but more needs to be done in the coming years if FIFA is to be a world-beater once again."

This year's edition was also released on Switch, but in our FIFA 18 Nintendo Switch review we said the port is "inferior" in nearly every way when compared to the PS4 and Xbox One versions. For more on this season's soccer games, check out our comparison of FIFA 18 vs PES 2018.

FIFA 18 Title Update Patch Notes

Gameplay

• Incorrect penalty calls where a defender legally wins a header but also collides with an attacking player.
• Goalkeepers staying on the ground too long, not attempting to gather the ball, when the ball was within reach after a save.
• Goalkeepers sometimes not going for the ball after a back pass.
  • This issue would occur more often if using manual passing.

Ultimate Team

• Added a limitation to the length of time a player can have the Xbox Home Menu open during a FUT Champions match.
  • Opening the Xbox Home Menu during a FUT Champions match will trigger a countdown timer, along with a message that indicates that the player needs to play the game before the timer expires or the match will be forfeit.
  • This timer will not be in effect when in the Pause Menu or during halftime.

• Added a limitation to the length of time a player can have the PlayStation Dynamic Menu open during a FUT Champions match.
  • Opening the PlayStation Dynamic Menu during a FUT Champions match will trigger a countdown timer, along with a message that indicates that the player needs to play the game before the timer expires or the match will be forfeit.
  • This timer will not be in effect when in the Pause Menu or during halftime.

• Players getting a message that there are no attempts remaining in the current Daily Knockout Tournament when their final attempt is still active.
• The game freezing when quickly selecting an opponent in Squad Battles immediately after getting to the Opponent Selection screen.
• Corrected some of the text for the squad requirements in FUT Champions.
• A visual issue with an incorrect overall player rating showing in the Player Performance screen of the Pause Menu in certain situations.

Online Modes

• Added additional matchmaking regions in Pro Clubs.
• Players being unable to make quick subs if they had used all their available pauses.
• The trophy not being present in the Pro Clubs Championship celebration.
• Captains disconnecting from Pro Clubs matches when Voice Chat is disabled via game launcher (PC only).

Career Mode

• Players signed to pre-contracts, in the first season, not coming to your team if the first summer transfer window was disabled during Career Mode setup.
• Some player attributes were missing from the Squad HUB.

Tournaments

• The tournament tree in the Women's International Cup being empty after the semifinals.

Audio / Visual / Presentation

• Repetitive whistling that was heard in some stadiums.
• Some visual issues with the Bundesliga broadcast package.
• Updates to a number of crests and kits.