Players Slam EA FC 27 Passing: Short Passes Veer Off, Stick Input Ignored

EA Sports FC 27 is set for its full launch tomorrow, though early access has already been underway for some time. Players have probably noticed a distinct shift in the game's overall style compared to its predecessor; while current feedback highlights several impressive features, it also reveals significant shortcomings.

Passing System

The passing system in FC 27 has sparked considerable debate. In actual gameplay, short passes frequently veer off-target; even with late pass lock enabled, the ball often ignores the direction indicated by the analog stick and travels to the wrong player.

Features promoted by the developers - such as the precise Pinged Pass PlayStyle, through balls, and crossing mechanics - were intended to foster creativity and enhance the technical aspect of the game.

However, the actual handling makes precise control difficult for players.

Often, a simple tap for a through ball might send the ball rolling to the far side of the pitch or straight to an opponent, leaving players exasperated.

Players feel that passing accuracy now depends less on their own skill and more on the quality of the player card's stats. This seems to contradict the developers' goal of emphasizing technical skill.

If executing a good pass requires a player card with high stats, does that imply that FIFA 27 no longer prioritizes player skill?

Additionally, using a high-Pace winger to receive through balls remains highly effective, and the balance of the passing system continues to be a source of frustration for players.

Defensive System

Judging by player feedback, the manual defending experience in FC 27 isn't as bad as rumors suggested; once players adjust slightly, it proves less difficult than anticipated.

However, some community members have noted that defending can feel overpowered.

When a defender closes in on an attacker preparing to shoot, an automatic block-off is easily triggered; simply using the X or A button to press and initiate physical contact often results in winning back possession.

While this change has its merits - making your defense less prone to errors - players feel that if it becomes too powerful, it negatively affects the overall experience.

Furthermore, when defending against through balls, defenders sometimes suddenly slow down; it is unclear whether this is because of lag or a bug, but it feels baffling.

Even worse, defenders occasionally teleport after physical contact. Unlike the sudden slowdown, this clearly looks like a bug, effectively rendering your defense useless.

At the same time, judging the landing spot when defending against crosses remains difficult.

Combining all these factors, manual defending in EA FC 27 feels like a constant struggle between being overpowered and being frustratingly difficult to control.

Attacking System

The attacking system is another major problem frequently discussed by the community.

Many players have noticed that shooting feels inconsistent: volleys are very hard to keep on target, and while headers have been improved compared to the previous iteration, shots overall often lack a sense of power.

In one-on-one situations with the goalkeeper, shots frequently go wide - partly because players' Shooting and Composure stats are low early on - causing many players to lose confidence even when they have a golden opportunity inside the box.

AI movement in this edition is a love-hate affair. Perhaps expectations were set too high by official claims of improved attacking AI runs, yet in actual gameplay, AI's positioning often feels clumsy.

When triggering a run command, the player's path is often unpredictable; conversely, without manual triggers, attackers in the final third move just as disappointing as in the previous game, showing little initiative to make runs.

Not to mention instances where the game fails to register pass or shot inputs, or players inexplicably lose the ball while dribbling - are they intentionally giving up possession? No one knows for sure.

In short, these attacking issues collectively disrupt the flow of play. If you haven't encountered these situations yet, you might be lucky, but it is worth keeping an eye out for them as you play.

Current Meta

The current competitive landscape of FUT 27 is defined by a pace-first mentality and extreme polarization.

Players have realized that, when it comes to player cards, Pace attribute is paramount, surpassing almost everything else.

The performance gap between fast and slow players on the pitch is simply too stark; consequently, slow players are rarely chosen by the community.

Tactically speaking, through balls and crosses are undoubtedly the dominant scoring methods in FUT 27, whereas Finesse Shots have mediocre conversion rates and Power Shots lack practical utility.

At the same time, left-stick dribbling with high-agility players is arguably overpowered.

It is incredibly difficult to defend against players like Anthony Gordon or Phil Foden when they change direction in tight spaces - a frustration many defensive players know all too well.

On the plus side, players can now fill a wider variety of positions than in the past, offering greater flexibility when building squads.

However, the current game environment has directly affected the cost of assembling an Ultimate Team squad.

Take Anthony Gordon and Phil Foden, for instance: can you really acquire them without a massive stash of FIFA 27 coins? Not to mention Kylian Mbappé, the fastest player in the game.

If you want to build a team around players with high Pace and Agility, the strain on your budget is immense.

Since FIFA 27 hasn't seen its full, official release yet, the issues regarding overpowered mechanics aren't necessarily beyond repair; provided future patches steer the game in the right direction, it still has a chance to win over the player base.