Players are reporting that the previously dominant Finesse Shot has been significantly nerfed following the latest title update, despite no mention of changes in the official notes.
Following the release of Patch 1.4.2, reports have surfaced regarding a drastic change to the Finesse Shot mechanic. While this shot type has been a staple for scoring throughout the game’s cycle, users are now experiencing instances where the shot generates almost no power.
Footage circulating in the community shows Finesse Shots – which would typically fly into the net – floating towards the goal with very low velocity, allowing goalkeepers to make easy saves.
“Shadow Nerf” or Glitch?
This change appears to have been undocumented. EA did not mention any adjustments to shooting mechanics or the Finesse Shot in the Patch 1.4.2 notes. This has led to speculation that the change was either an inadvertent mistake introduced with the update or a deliberate “shadow nerf” implemented without public announcement.
The issue has been corroborated by recognized figures in the community. FC Coach Venny confirmed on Twitter that the problem is widespread and not limited to specific game modes:
“Happened to me on stream last night too, I was thinking maybe it was the mode as I was playing the fs (Future Stars) tournament but seems everyone is having the same problem…”
– Venny
Connection to Playstyles Poll?
The timing of this issue has raised questions regarding EA’s testing of Playstyles. Just days prior to the update, EA posted a poll on their official Discord server asking users: “In your opinion, which has a bigger impact on gameplay?”
The results showed a massive lean towards Playstyles, with 89% of respondents voting that they have a bigger impact than Attributes.
The community is now speculating that developers might be testing the game environment with a nerfed “Finesse Shot+” Playstyle to see how it impacts gameplay, potentially in response to the community’s feedback on the dominance of Playstyles.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation from EA regarding whether this change to the Finesse Shot is intended behavior or a bug to be hotfixed.
