New meta in town

The most recent update for EA FC 24 has brought about significant alterations to the game, signaling a much-needed change.

During the early access period of EA FC 24, it held the promise of being EA Sports' finest football release in years. The introduction of HyperMotion V technology had raised expectations for a more immersive and realistic gaming experience. However, it didn't take long for players to identify and exploit overpowered tactics that allowed them to secure victories. Consequently, the gameplay experience began to deteriorate rapidly.

EA FC 24 witnessed an influx of players resorting to pull-back strategies, incessant exploitation of the overpowered Finesse Shot PlayStyle Plus, and a growing prevalence of the 71-depth meta, making it exceedingly difficult to maneuver through the midfield. The 71-depth tactic blurred the lines between what was considered a legitimate strategy and an exploit, given its overwhelming effectiveness, which seemed to be adopted by nearly every player.

Numerous updates were rolled out for EA FC 24 following its initial release, but none of them addressed the fundamental gameplay issues that required attention. EA's priority appeared to be rectifying glitches, such as the calf dribble glitch in Title Update 4 and the Ada Hegerberg glitch in Title Update 3.

Now, EA has unveiled a substantial Winter Update for EA FC 24, bringing with it an extensive overhaul of gameplay mechanics and addressing the long-standing issues outlined in the patch notes. After a few initial matches following the EA FC 24 update, it is evident that many of these issues have finally been resolved. Nevertheless, the emergence of a new meta is always a possibility.

In the Winter Update patch notes, EA stated that the update aimed to enhance attacking creativity, particularly through the central and sideline areas of the pitch. The changes included reducing midfield congestion, alleviating sideline pressure on attackers, diminishing manual goalkeeper movement speed and positioning, and introducing more offensive-minded wingbacks in three and five at-the-back formations.

The problem of midfield congestion was primarily exacerbated by players consistently employing a 71-depth tactic. By configuring their defensive depth to 71 in custom tactics, players effectively initiated relentless pressing of the opponent and midfield battles without stamina depletion.

Thankfully, the Winter Update has nerfed the effectiveness of the 71-depth tactic, alleviating the midfield congestion. Passes through the middle of the pitch can now be executed without immediate pressure, and teams employing a 71-depth strategy will observe a quicker depletion of their midfielders' stamina, aligning with the game's intended balance.

My attacking lineup features Mohamed Salah, Heung-Min Son, and Megan Rapinoe, all of whom possessed the Finesse PlayStyle Plus, widely recognized as the most overpowered PlayStyle in EA FC 24—until the Winter Update.

As part of the update, EA fulfilled its promise by reducing the accuracy of finesse shots executed by players with the Finesse Plus PlayStyle. Consequently, scoring from finesse shots with these players has become less likely. Rapinoe, in particular, was known for her ability to score from almost anywhere on the pitch using finesse shots. However, post-update, those unrealistic 35-yard attempts no longer find the top corner of the net. Nevertheless, Finesse Plus remains remarkably potent within the penalty area and its vicinity.

While it may seem as though EA is removing enjoyable scoring methods by nerfing Finesse Plus, my gameplay experience revealed the emergence of a new, even more potent meta: trivela shots. It appeared that almost every trivela shot attempted by myself or my opponents from around the box found its way into the far corner of the goal post-update.