EA Sports revealed some major gameplay features for FIFA 22 in their EA Play Live event on Tuesday. The event was headlined by Hypermotion Technology.

Hypermotion Technology

FIFA developers used a full 11-v-11 match to capture player movement. This is a mighty upgrade in comparison to what FIFA has done in the past. They would capture, at most, two or three players to create their animations. A lot of this used to involve staged events, such as the ball carrier tripping over a slide tackle.

Now, thanks to the 11-v-11 capture, developers believe they have created a lot more authenticity. The players were undergoing situations like slide tackles in an actual game, creating a lot more fluidity and real physicality.

Team Intelligence

Another outcome of the 11-v-11 capture was heightened Team Intelligence. Developers stated that the AI will now make six times the decisions per second than previous games. For example, you’ll see players working together in a zone defense. They will play as an entire unit as opposed to just two or three teammates working together.

This puts a deeper emphasis on tactics, which developers see as an important part of modern-day football. This especially comes into play on the attacking side. Players are given more tactical control over their team. This not only aids your AI teammates into doing what you want, but further allows all 11 players to work as a single unit.

Kinetic Air Battles

However, Hypermotion Technology goes much deeper than tactics and AI performance. Developers highlighted what they call Kinetic Air Battles. The 11-v-11 match allowed developers to capture more authentic headers. Now, instead of seeing an animation featuring one player clearly winning the header, both players will leap for the ball at the same time.

This doesn’t merely create the illusion of realism; it actually provides it. Instead of two players gluing to each other for the header, they will make more fluid motions. When colliding during these headers, opposing players will stumble, or be thrown to the ground in more realistic ways.

For example, if two players are coming from different directions for the header, their bodies will collide differently than they would if they were approaching the header from the same direction. This, in turn, can play a huge role in the outcome of a header. If a player goes full speed ahead into the header, they risk putting themselves out of position if they are to lose the battle.

True Ball Physics & Composed Ball Control

Hypermotion Technology also has helped FIFA developers revamp ball physics. In what is called True Ball Physics, the 11-v-11 capture allowed the collection of real-world data. The ball’s friction with the ground and the air now create more realistic spin and speed.

Lob passes will have more realistic hangtime, and ground passes will not slowdown as much. This means users won’t have their players standing idly waiting for a pass. Or, at least, not as often.

Composed Ball Control is another feature provided by Hypermotion Technology. Multi-touch animations will occur when a player takes the ball off their chest. There won’t be much time between the player’s first and second touch.

Users will be able to choose the direction of their second touch quicker than ever. This gives the user much more control on how they receive the ball and the ability to create attacking opportunities faster.

Composed Ball Control also adds 400 new animations when controlling the ball. This will not only look more realistic, but gives users the ability to control the ball more fluidly.

Player Humanization

Gone are the days when off-ball players simply stood around like mannequins. Now, thanks to the 11-v-11 capture, off-ball players will look alive. Players will make gestures to signify who they’re covering, call for passes, and give a negative reaction when you miss a wide-open pass.

Developers stated this will be most noticeable in set pieces, such as free kicks. Players will pump themselves up for the play, jockey for position, and mark the player they’re covering.

It’s possible Hypertmotion Technology could be a gamechanger. Not only can we expect FIFA 22 to look more realistic, but also feel more realistic. It’s all about giving the player more control on every inch of the pitch.