FIFA 20's New Gameplay Features Detailed--Before The Game Has Been Announced

FIFA 20 isn't technically official yet, but publisher EA is already talking about some of the game's new features. In a post on the FIFA blog, the series' gameplay team set out its priorities for the "next product iteration" (read: FIFA 20).

Top of the list is AI defending, EA said, with a larger emphasis and incentive placed on manual defending, as opposed to letting the computer defend for you. One of the ways EA plans to do this is by increasing the likelihood a manual tackle will propel the ball to a teammate. Automatic defending will see its overall efficacy reduced and reaction times slowed.

Shooting is also being revamped, with attackers given greater accuracy during easy shooting scenarios, such as being clean through against the 'keeper. Goalkeepers' reaction times will be reduced in these situations to resolve the sometimes "superhuman" reactions players complained of. Additionally, the timing window for green timed shots is being reduced to two frames for all shots, and they'll also be "slightly less precise." EA did, however, reassure players that green timed shots will "still be more accurate than non-timed shots."

Lots of work is being done on making passing and shooting more realistic, EA says, especially when it comes to difficult strikes. Volleys will be more variable and less accurate, for example, while 180° and first-time passes will result in "slower/weaker balls." To compensate, easy situation passes will now be more accurate. Two new passing options will also be introduced: the driven pass-and-go (which will replace the current manual pass button combo) and the dinked pass, which will cease to be an automatic, contextual pass variant and instead be user-controlled only.

FIFA 20 has not yet been announced, but EA plans to talk about the future of the franchise at EA play, right before E3, on June 8. For more, check out everything we know about EA's E3 2019 plans, or everything we know about FIFA 20.