FIFA 22 First Impressions - New Keepers and Reworked Gameplay
Sep 29, 2021, by Pat
Over the past few days we had the to get our hands on the brand-new FIFA 22. In this post we will detail our first impressions, focusing mostly on gameplay. Please note that this review covers the "old gen" PC version of the game.
When you boot up a game of FIFA 22 the reduced pace is immediately noticeable. Various basic actions such as passes and players accelerating have been clearly slowed down to produce slower gameplay.
While we're talking about gameplay, it's not only slower but the players and ball seem to have increased in size and there's less space available on the pitch as a result. It's now much more difficult to just pass your way through the center of the pitch. If you plan on just pining balls into the frontline, you will have to a be lot more careful here.
Physical duels are now more easily to pull off as a defender while attackers accelerate more slowly and have a worse close control at sprint speed, which makes it easier to defend such moves.
Reworked goalkeepers
The second obvious change on the pitch are goalkeepers, which have undergone a complete rework.
First off, this should be applauded as goalkeepers before were far from good even if not entirely broken. The new keepers are much more capable of saving most shots, although there are some situations were they make unexplainable errors - sometimes it seems have if the wrong animation is playing and they have subsequently have no chance of getting near the shot. But most of the time they are much more competent about saving regular shots and cannot be beaten as easily as was the case in 21. EA absolutely need to fix how they interact with high diagonal shots, though.
As a result, the new detailed stats, which should be helpful in finding weaknesses in your game and include a plethora of a new metrics can sometimes show Expected Goals (xG) values that far exceeds the number of goals scored. It's of course also possible that a bit more practice is needed to fully adjust to the new keepers and return to scoring more reliably.
New stats
There are more gameplay changes, all with the aim of creating a more realistic experience overall. CPU-controlled team-mates will now be much more active in the defensive phase and it's important to choose the right passes or they can get cut short very easily, even if the opponent is not controlling the intercepting defender. Midfielders will now also drop a fair bit deeper and the penalty box and area in front of it can get very crowded if the attack doesn't advance quick enough.
Another clear change was made to low crosses, which were nerved in various ways. They are not as fast and accurate anymore, resulting shots are much weaker and goalkeepers don't spill them as frequently.
One thing that's neat about the PC version is that it now detects the type of controller you've selected and displays the correct buttons in the menu. This includes PlayStation controllers whereas previously the Xbox buttons were exclusively used in menus on the system.
There's now also more visible feedback and a sort of cooldown when using "team-mate pressing", which shows as a triangle above the currently pressing player's head. It will start green and slowly deplete before turning red as a player uses up all short-term stamina.
If you think that this seems like a lot of changes, you can be assured that under the hood it's still using the same foundations as FIFA 21 and in the grand scheme of things all of the changes, while immediately noticeable, are still more on a surface level. Experienced FIFA 21 players should feel right at home with 22 as well.
These are our first impressions on FIFA 22. We hope you liked appreciate them and come back for our full review, where we dive into Career Mode and FUT with more attention to the details of those modes. We will also continue to evaluate the on-pitch gameplay in order to provide a more definitive judgment on that as well.
Al-Ula FC 26-27 Home & Away Kits Released
Italian sportswear brand Kappa and Saudi club Al-Ula FC have officially launched their new home and away kits for the 26-27 season. Both designs incorporate custom graphic textures alongside the club's "Arabian Leopards" tagline printed on the upper back collar.
The Al-Ula 26-27 home kit features a deep navy blue base paired with elegant gold detailing for the logos, sponsor prints, and collar trim. A subtle tonal pattern decorates the front panel, giving the jersey a refined aesthetic.
Complementing the home kit, the Al-Ula 26-27 away shirt comes in a sand white colorway featuring a classic polo collar. Deep blue accents appear on the Kappa logo, crest, and shoulder panels, which showcase patterned striping across the sleeves.
AD Mérida 26-27 Away Kit Released
Spanish Primera Federación club AD Mérida and technical supplier Macron have officially launched the club's new away kit for the 26-27 season. Named 'Aura', the new second shirt was unveiled alongside the club's new home strip during a presentation event at the historic Templo de Diana in Mérida.
The AD Mérida 26-27 away jersey features an eye-catching design built on a dark base, covered in a vibrant geometric teal line pattern across the front torso. Black sleeves, collar trim, and subtle teal accents on the sleeve cuffs complement the detailed body graphics. White branding, including the Macron logo and front sponsor text, completes the look.
NK Veres Rivne 26-27 Home, Away & Third Kits Released
Ukrainian Premier League club NK Veres Rivne and Spanish sportswear brand Kelme have officially launched the team's new home, away, and third kits for the 26-27 season. The release marks a return to Kelme for the Ukrainian side following a single season wearing kits produced by their in-house brand, Buntar.
The new collection brings custom looks for each kit, unified by sponsor logos from Betking that adapt seamlessly to match the color scheme of each shirt. The 26-27 home kit sports a vibrant red look featuring an abstract tonal geometric pattern, accompanied by black trim on the collar and sleeve cuffs. The away kit presents a clean white base with subtle horizontal line graphics and a sharp black traditional collar.
Rounding out the collection is a striking purple third kit featuring dynamic diagonal pattern details on the front, complemented by black shorts. All three kits feature the Ukrainian flag patch prominently placed on the upper chest above the club crest and technical sponsor logos.
Emelec 2026 Third Kit Released
Ecuadorian club CS Emelec and adidas have officially launched the club's new 2026 third kit. Marking the first time in twenty years that Emelec will wear green, the eye-catching shirt breaks away from the team's traditional blue identity while retaining key historic design motifs.
The Emelec 2026 third strip comes in a dark petroleum green base color, highlighted by adidas' signature three stripes in white on the shoulders and light teal graphics across the front. A subtle diagonal cross-band pattern covers the chest, giving a nod to Emelec's classic sash design. The front of the jersey features the logo of SOLCA (Sociedad de Lucha Contra el Cáncer), continuing a special partnership to raise cancer awareness.
The kit is completed with dark green shorts and socks featuring matching teal and white details. Emelec will debut the new third kit in their upcoming LigaPro fixture against Aucas at the Estadio George Capwell, with replica shirts priced at US$99.99 for men and US$84.99 for women.
Manchester City Reveal Special Asia Tour Nameset in Hong Kong
As part of their pre-season trip to Asia, Manchester City have unveiled a special custom font and nameset during their event in Hong Kong. The unique printing style was showcased at the club's Harbour Pitch pop-up activation, giving local supporters an exclusive custom option for the 26-27 home kit.
The special font features a bold, rounded bubbly silhouette with stylized graphic cutouts integrated directly into the numbers, including skull motifs and exaggerated curves. Displayed on jerseys for players such as Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, and Antoine Semenyo, the playful design offers a distinct creative departure from standard Premier League and cup competition typefaces.
This limited tour nameset is available at official event pop-ups in Hong Kong during the 26-27 Asia Tour. While it serves primarily as a special retail customization option for local fans, it adds a unique collectible twist to City's summer pre-season campaign in Asia.
