FC 26 totally scraps a core shooting mechanic and brings back an old favorite

FC 26's reveal trailer really was something - doing away with the usual affair of fancy cinematics and wild celebrations, it bombarded fans with gameplay changes that have been inspired by community feedback. A very, very encouraging start. Admittedly, the annual hype cycle for a new EA FC game can get a bit buzzword-y, and that trailer was no different, but now some of its gameplay tweaks, improvements, and innovations have been fully unveiled. Alongside new details about the split between realistic and competitive gameplay, new Play Styles, and better goalkeepers, EA has revealed a big change coming to shooting. Timed finishing is no more, and in its place is the returning 'low driven shot.'

If you're a relatively fresh EA FC or FIFA player, you may not know about the low driven meta. In past games, you could perform an incredibly effective low, powerful strike that goalkeepers would find very difficult to deal with - if you could aim it precisely with fully manual shooting. However, in recent years, timed finishing (or 'greened' shots) has been EA's weapon of choice when it comes to creating a skill gap with shooting. I personally found timed finishing to be a rather tedious mechanic that could make pretty much any shot type extremely effective. At least with low drivens, more skill with your aim and player positioning was required. Well, the reign of timed finishing is over in FC 26. Low drivens are back.

Performed by tapping the shoot button a second time after powering up your shot, the low driven "global shot modifier," as EA describes it, can now be applied to all types of shot aside from chips. That means volleys, finesse shots, headers, and power shots can all be turned into low drivens with that second tap. Will it be overpowered? Most likely. Is it better than timed finishing? Absolutely. Will it earn FC 26 a spot on our best sports games list? I sure hope so.

Elsewhere, EA has revealed more about its radical decision to, essentially, create two versions of FC 26's gameplay - 'competitive' applies to all online multiplayer modes like Ultimate Team and Clubs, while 'authentic' aims to be a more lifelike simulation for those playing Kick Off or Career Mode.

Competitive gameplay is described as "fast, dynamic, and attacking football that rewards you for skill, timing, and correct decision making." Things should feel a bit zippier, fluid, and (most importantly) consistent. Auto-tackles and blocks are also "less common" here, ensuring that there is still a skill gap when it comes to defending as well as attacking. Goalkeepers will also "parry the ball to safety more often" to minimize those infuriating rebound goals.

Authentic gameplay, meanwhile, is all about immersing you in a more lifelike simulation. Players will move more realistically, the general pace of matches will be a touch slower, and there will be more deflections and rebounds. If regularly switching from FUT or Clubs to Kick Off or Career Mode starts to feel jarring, there is the option to turn on the competitive gameplay experience for these offline modes.

Elsewhere, five new outfield Play Styles have been revealed: Precision Header, Aerial Fortress, Gamechanger, Inventive, and Enforcer. The first two are pretty self explanatory. Gamechanger and Inventive will give expressive players more flair finishes and flair passes, respectively. Meanwhile, Enforcer cranks up a player's ability to shield the ball and hold back defenders with FC 26's new physical shielding mechanic.

So many more gameplay tweaks are outlined in the new deep dive video above, but these are certainly the highlights. I always try not to get too wrapped up in the pre-launch hype cycle and buzzword soup, but I have to admit, EA is saying all the right things ahead of the FC 26 release date.

Until we get to see and hear more about the new game, brush up on all the leaked and confirmed FC 26 Heroes and FC 26 Icons so far.

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