The FIFA 19 1.05 update is here! The November 20 Title Update is rolling out on PC imminently, and is likely to arrive on Xbox One and PS4 in late November. Coming equipped with AI defending changes, Ultimate Team fixes, new faces, and so much more besides that, our deep dive into the FIFA 19 1.05 update patch notes will (hopefully) give you a greater understanding of what’s in the game.
FIFA 19 1.05 Update – AI Defending
Fed up of a non-player controlled defender flinging themselves at a shot and blocking it as it heads goalwards? Worse still, what about a seemingly automatic slide tackle to stop a stellar cross? They could both be things of the past as EA is tweaking the game slightly and clamping down on what it calls “the effectiveness of defending by AI Teammates.”
No longer will players who aren’t controlling another defender be able to get out of jail free card by having an AI defend and poke a flailing leg out at an onrushing attacker. The end result is more manual defending required and, hopefully, an increase in the skill gap for more elite players being stopped in their tracks time and time again by forces out of their (and their opponent’s) hands.
FIFA 19 1.05 Update – Ultimate Team Changes
While not much has been changed when it comes to FIFA 19‘s flagship card-swapping mode, what is new is worth checking out. Both Division Rivals and Champions Channel should run a lot smoother, which is perfect if you want to both perform against and learn from players at the very top level. A few minor errors involving transfer lists and Weekend League redemption options showing incorrect data have now also been fixed.
However, strangely enough, an old Ultimate Team bug may rear its ugly ahead because of the FIFA 19 1.05 update. Remember how players’ legs and other floating appendages would appear in the Ultimate Team menu immediately following a match? Well, they’re probably back, as EA confirms, “issues that were resolved in a previous title update may occur again” and namechecked “player models were appearing in the background after exiting a match.”
FIFA 19 1.05 Update – New Faces
The new faces in FIFA 19 haven’t been confirmed yet, but we do know how many there will be. 18 new “starheads” (as the game refers to them) will go live alongside the 1.05 update, as well 24 starheads with “legacy assets” which may indicate an improvement to Ultimate Team icons, or certain players reverting back to old appearances.
FIFA 19 1.05 Update – Stamina and Pressing
This could be a big change for many. For too long, high pressure has been the go-to tactic for many a FIFA player looking to get the upper hand in easy fashion. It is essentially a shortcut to get the ball back quickly, with many a player falling foul of a tactic that seems to have numerous advantages but very little in the way of drawbacks.
To counter this, EA is looking to increase “the impact to fatigue of playing with defensive pressure.” So, if your Game Plan staple is to spam Constant Pressure or with Team Press, you could suffer with players gassing and hitting a wall late in the game, which will make you ripe for the picking on the counter attack.
However, some will be pleased to know that Pressure On Heavy Touch and Pressure After Possession Loss won’t be affected anywhere near as much as before, which should allow for players to switch things up a bit when it comes to pressuring an opponent.
FIFA 19 1.05 Update – Dribbling Nerf
Finally, the last big, noteworthy change comes from a dribbling nerf that has been introduced to FIFA 19. Previously, tackling someone who is running at you at high speed would do very little to slow their momentum. That’s not the case anymore with the 1.05 update. EA outlines a possibility of having the ball “travel further from the dribbler after the tackle, increasing the likelihood that the dribbler will lose possession of the ball.”
I’m curious to see how that one pans out. From its description alone, you could certainly make the case that someone who is dribbling, and likely to be faster and more agile, will still get to the ball more quickly if it’s further away from the tackle. It may even work in their favor a little more, though that remains to be seen; we’ll have to get out on to the pitch and try it for ourselves.
FIFA 19 1.05 Update – Patch Notes
The official “Pitch Notes” which go into almost scientific detail about the new FIFA 19 changes haven’t yet been released, but the patch notes can be found here on the FIFA Forums.
