Alter-Ego Fighters Arrive! EA UFC 5 Patch Focuses on Gameplay Tweaks

EA UFC 5 Patch Alters Balance, AI Behaviour and new alter-ego fighters added.

Key Highlights:

• New EA Sports UFC 5 update live with major gameplay changes
• Adjustments include increased stamina costs for strikes, vulnerability fixes
• Nerfed range of lunging punches, prevent unfair flying knees in some situations
• Spinning attacks used less frequently by AI opponents after frequency complaints
• Separately, new alter-ego fighters added like Sean O’Malley’s 2017 contender series look

EA Sports UFC 5 received a substantial update focusing solely on gameplay adjustments without any new content additions. Changes aim to improve balance issues raised by players since launch. There’s also a new trailer for the new alter-ego fighters that have been added too.

Now live on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, the patch tweaks stamina costs, attack vulnerability, move property bugs and AI behavior. Developers outlined the goals behind each fix in the published patch notes.

Key Changes and Developer Patch Notes

Feature/Adjustment	Description
Striking Stamina Adjustments	Long-term stamina cost for stand-up strikes has been increased to enhance strategic decision-making during engagements.
Sway Vulnerability Fix	Addressed an issue with excessive vulnerability during returns from side sways. The vulnerability has been significantly reduced, aligning with the intended adjustments from UFC 4 while incorporating sway buffs introduced at launch.
Jab and Straight Consistency	Resolved an inconsistency between different types of jabs and straights. The nerfs that were initially applied to the regular version/skin at launch have now been extended to all alternate versions for a balanced experience.
Clinch Position Stamina Update	Removed stamina drain for the submissive fighter in the headlock (standing guillotine) clinch position. The dominant fighter will still experience stamina drainage, encouraging strategic decisions during submissions.
AI Behavior Tweaks	Reduced the frequency of AI spinning and utilizing spinning strikes for a more realistic and varied combat experience.
Combo Speed Adjustment	Addressed the slow speed issue with the lead hook to rear leg kick combo, ensuring a more reasonable and responsive execution.
Major Lunging Punch Range Reduction	Decreased the range of all four major lunging punches (jab, straight, lead hook, and rear hook) to offer a more authentic visual representation and pacing. The sprinting version of these strikes remains unaffected.
Flying Knee Logic Update	Prevented the use of the flying knee by the submissive fighter in kick catches during certain strike situations. This adjustment eliminates unrealistic and unfair interactions, ensuring the flying knee is appropriately triggered in contextually relevant scenarios.

The team says changes are based on community feedback and aimed at increasing realism and fairness during fights. Further tuning is expected as the meta evolves.

Some fans have expressed disappointment at the slow pace of post-launch content so far. The likes of Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali were added to the fighting title but nothing of great note since. But the change log shows the developers are still actively tweaking and refining the Beat ‘Em Up’s mechanics.

New Alter-Ego Fighters

Where legacies began…

Alter Egos Origins is here #UFC5 https://t.co/afm0dblUFZ pic.twitter.com/jp7Chcmkhq

— EA SPORTS UFC (@EASPORTSUFC) November 7, 2023

Separately, updated alter-ego fighters were added to the selection screen outside of the patch. These allow playing different versions of existing roster members.

New models include Sean O’Malley from his early UFC debut in 2017 along with a kickboxing outfit for Alex Pereira.

While major new DLC is still awaited, the variant fighters help freshen up matchups. Ongoing balance changes also show the team’s commitment to smoothing out issues.

More UFC 5 Content:

• New Deep Dive Trailer
• Official Reveal Trailer And Release Date Confirmed
• The Knockout Announcement from EA Sports

For now, EA UFC 5 remains focused on refinement under the hood rather than flashy new content. But the solid gameplay foundation means more exciting additions could still be on the horizon.

Source – EA