Developers Strikerz Inc has released a fresh set of patch notes ahead of the launch of UFL early access, w??hich will be available on all current-?gen consoles.

After a previous round of delay, players will be able to get their hands on the upcoming football simulator on December 5. Grabbing a Starter Pack will help? you to get seven extra days of gameplay, and a handful of other benefits. Before that, let's take a look at all the changes coming to the game ahead of the early access release.

Complete UFL early access patch notes

UFL was originally scheduled for a release in the month of September. However, the developers decided to push back the launch based on community feedback, and ???come tomorrow, owners of the Starter Pack will be able to enjoy all the content.

UFL early access patch notes Gameplay changes

• Improved animation selection based on player movement. 
• Adjusted ball rebound force during pass receptions, sprints, and bursts. 
• Air ball receptions are now smoother, with delays and glitches in receiving such passes fixed. 
• Fine-tuned ball direction and rebound force during interceptions. 
• Optimized algorithms determining interception success. 
• Added new animations for failed interceptions. 
• Tweaked through passes (ground and lofted) for improved accuracy and better stick-based direction control. 
• Redesigned crosses into the penalty area: improved ball behavior and player interaction. 
• Reduced charge time for passes and shots, especially for ground passes. 
• Enhanced responsiveness when executing passes and shots. 
• Fixed bugs with player switching during lofted passes. 
• Improved player movement and positioning during crosses into the penalty area. 
• Players at the near post now automatically attempt to clear the ball rather than control it. Switching to these players is now disabled. 
• If the ball heads under the crossbar, taller players are more likely to clear it successfully, while shorter players might miss. 
• Increased speed and smoothness of turns, especially for sharp turns (e.g., 180 degrees). 
• Players without the ball are now slightly faster than those with the ball, enhancing game dynamics. 
• Improved responsiveness: players react faster to commands, making controls more comfortable. 
• Fixed animation bugs to ensure smoother and more synchronized movement. 
• Goalkeepers are more effective against shots from long distances and/or at low speeds. 
• Enhanced goalkeeper reactions to crosses and low-driven passes, improving their confidence in intercepting the ball. 
• Increased penalty save success rates. 
• When throwing the ball, goalkeepers now aim to bypass both opponents and teammates, increasing successful throw accuracy. 
• Updated goalkeeper animations and behavior logic.  
• Added new animations for different types of tackles, including long-range lunges, 90-degree tackles from a sprint, and side-tackles from lateral movement. 
• Improved calculation systems for successful tackles. 
• Enhanced animation selection during active defending. 
• The ball now moves in more logical and predictable directions after a passive tackle. 
• Passive tackles will no longer activate if the defender is positioned behind or to the side of the opponent. 
• New animations added for passive tackles. 
• Improved physical interactions during tackles, with more diverse movements in physical battles. 
• Introduced mechanics for missed shots when a player is pushed off their trajectory. 
• Defenders react faster to lofted passes and can catch up with attackers of comparable speed when the ball is played into space, improving the balance between attack and defence. 
• Improved collision physics and player interactions. 
• Refined head and torso movements in various gameplay situations. 
• Updated logic for divisions and leaderboard progression. 

Complete UFL early access patch notes AI and Bot changes

• Increased baseline width for attacking players. 
• Improved logic for identifying open spaces during attacking runs. Runs are now less linear, focusing more on exploiting gaps between defenders. 
• Midfielders and attackers will now make attacking runs more frequently. 
• In the opponent’s final third, players on the opposite flank will more actively shift into the half-space and make attacking runs toward the far post. 
• Players now better account for opponent positioning and movement when getting open for passes. 
• Midfielders will push forward more frequently when positioning for passes in the opponent’s final third. 
• Increased baseline width for defensive players. 
• Reduced the influence of ball positioning on defensive shape width. 
• Improved player positioning when marking opponents, with a focus on maintaining a half-position between the ball and the opponent. 
• Fullbacks now have greater freedom to press opponents during marking. 
• When passing the responsibility of marking a ball carrier, the second defender will wait for the first to close the gap before engaging. 
• Reduced the distance defenders follow attacking runs, preventing the defensive line from being pulled too far toward the penalty area in a single run. 
• Defensive players no longer immediately react to attacking runs by opponents. 
• Increased the influence of team tactic settings like “Depthâ€?on where the defensive line engages the opponent. 
• Fullbacks will push forward more actively in attack when individual tactic “Attack Supportâ€?is set to the “Attacking Runsâ€?instruction.  
• Enhanced the impact of wide and narrow formations in the “Attacking Widthâ€?instruction on the positioning of flank players. 
• Completely revised AI-controlled player movement dynamics. The number of sprints has been significantly reduced to create a more measured gameplay rhythm and make player movement more predictable and situational. 
• Increased spacing between the trio of central midfielders during both attack and defence. 
• Players from both teamsâ€?midfield and attack will remain inside the penalty area for a brief period after a corner or free kick. 
• Fixed goalkeeper positioning during free kicks at the moment of the strike. 
• Fixed camera focus on the ball after a throw-in replay. 
• Reduced time for goalkeeper interception animations. 
• Fixed striker positioning for pass reception when the ball carrier stops. 
• On easy difficulty, the bot behaves like a novice player, utilizing limited gameplay features and having a constrained perception of game situations. 
• The bot no longer blindly chases the ball; instead, it reacts to the situation: 
• Maintains distance from the player when appropriate. 
• Closes gaps aggressively when the ball carrier plays forward. 
• Focuses on preventing progression toward the goal. 
• Utilizes various movement modes available to the user. 
• Bots use passes more frequently. 
• Bots no longer retreat from the opponent’s goal unnecessarily. 
• Bots no longer get stuck running in circles. 
• Bots now perform crosses in certain situations. 
• Improved accuracy of through passes by bots. 

UFL early access patch notes Audio and Video changes

• Added an option to display FPS during gameplay. 
• Improved HUD functionality, including in-match statistics display. 
• Refined the Match Results screen. 
• Added new dirt effects on kits. 
• Fixed several bugs related to UI, localization, and crashes. 
• Adjusted in-game announcement volume. 
• Tweaked crowd reaction volume. 
• Added whistle sound echoes. 
• Enhanced commentator lines and ball sound effects. 
• Enabled maximum speaker volume for DualShock. 
• Adjusted vibration feedback. 
• Seasonal update to the player list. 
• Added new players. 
• Removed unavailable players. 
• Updated ratings, attributes, and player costs. 
• Refreshed photos for 1,100+ players. 
• Added new equipment items. 
• Added new stadiums. 
• Refined stadium lighting and environment visuals. 
• Updated the list of local clubs. 
• Added three new skin series. 

It will be interesting to see the gameplay changes in UFL, and how much work the developers have managed? to done? in the last couple of months. If you're eager to jump in right away to check everything out, you have to purchase

The post UFL v0.59 early access launch patch notes appeared first on Destructoid.

Free-to-play football title UFL, which was initially scheduled to come out on September 12 as a likely competitor for EA FC 25, has officially been delayed.

On September 2, developers Strikerz Inc. announced it would be pushing back its launch based on community feedback. Now, UFL is aiming to launch on December 5, 2024.

Considering that the older release date was September 12, the delay?? is pretty substantial. In the? official blog post, the developers have explained the reason behind this decision:

"While we could release the game as scheduled, we believe taking a little more time will allow us to provide the best experience possible. The majority of issues are related to polishing and fine-tuning the features that contribute to the game’s overall feel. We understand that there’s no recipe for a perfect football game, but it’s essential for us to ensure the game meets our high ??standards �and your expectations."

The decision has been made amidst the ongoing common test that's available to players on? the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. While pla??yers will have to start fresh on full launch, the common test is an excellent way to test out the work that has been done so far.

While the release date has been changed, the early access program remains intact. If someone has purchased the Foundation pack, they can jump into UFL starting November 28. The official notice also mentions PS5 and Xbox Series X|S as the release platforms. While UFL is eventually ex?pected to come on PCs, those waiting on that platform will have to keep an ear to the ground.

Based on the reactions of the official tweet, it appears that most players are happy about the decision. There seems to be a general consensus that waiting for UFL seems to be better than playing it in a rough state. H??aving played the common test, I felt that a September release would have been premature. There are still several gameplay elements that need improvement. Hopefully, the next three months will allow Strikerz Inc. to make those much-required changes.

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Free-to-play football title UFL is currently conducting a common test, which is available for all players on PS5 and the Xb??ox Series X|S consoles.

The common test comes ahead of the scheduled global launch on September 12 (hopefully, there's no delay). Those who participated in the earlier be??ta couldn't retain their squads and the progress they made, as the common test puts everyone at the same starting point. This has raised some question marks over whether any in-game progression made during the common test will carry over to the full launch or not.

All players will start UFL from the same point at global launch

In the official X posts made by the developers, it wa?s a common question as to whether the players would retain their progression. In response to one such tweet,? it was informed that everyone will start from scratch when the full launch takes place.

In other words, you won't be able to? retain any of your in-game progression as per the current system in place. Of course, the common test has a lot more activities com?pared to what was available during the two previous open beta tests. But it still has its limitations, and the main objective is to provide the developers with valuable feedback for them to improve.

If you have a PS5/Xbox Series X|S, you can try out the common test to find out how the product looks and feels after the?? two open betas. So far, Strikerz Inc. hasn't informed about any changes from their original launch schedule for the global release.

Although it's free-to-play, UFL has a Foundation Pack you can get for $14.99.?? It's not mandatory, but buying one gets you certain advantages, including in-game resources an??d up to seven days of early access. It's a neat head start if you're planning on grinding several hours into the title to build up your squad.

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On August 26, 2024, Strikerz released the UFL 0.56 patch for a Common Test, a period for players to check and try out the new features ??and updates before its official launch.

The UFL 0.56 patch update includes three new game modes: Training Room, Friendly Matches against AI, and Quick Match. This will give you more options to warm up and get a hold of the game mechanics before jumping into competitive matches, unlike the open betas earlier in 2024.

Coming to other changes, the addition of Super Cancel is a highlight. You can activate it by pressing LT and RT and comes in handy during passes and shots. Apart from that, there are multiple AI enhancements and other quality-of-life changes to improve gameplay. You can find the full UFL patch notes below.

Full UFL update v0.56 patch notes

New Game Modes

• Added Training Room mode: an arena where you can familiarize yourself with the game mechanics
• Added Friendly Match mode:

  • you can play against an AI opponent
  • you can play with a friend on the same console

• Added Quick match mode:

  • you can play with a random opponent without affecting your statistics and rating
  • you can play with a friend by providing them with a match join code

Gameplay

• Added Super Cancel during passes and shots (Activated by pressing the LT+RT buttons simultaneously)
• Reworked through passes, passes into the penalty area, crosses, low crosses, and pass targets
• Added Idle animations for players waiting to take a penalty, removed synchronous playback of animations
• Revised the active tackle mechanic:

  • added new animations
  • allowed tackles from behind
  • revised the strength and direction of the ball rebound when tackled

• Revised the goal celebration mechanic: teammates and the goalscorer now run around opponents
• Added the ability to make up to 5 substitutions in a match
• Fixed an issue where the passive tackle would trigger first, followed immediately by the active tackle
• Fixed an issue where the wall would move in the opposite direction to the one requested by the user
• Improved facial animations
• Goalkeeper:

  • Adjusted the correct direction of the deflection after goalkeeper's saves
  • Improved current animations and added new animations

• Fixed an issue where the player could not put the ball into play from a set piece
• Improved ball control in dribbling
• Fixed an issue where the player would fly into the air upon physical contact
• Fixed an issue with incorrect player animation during aerial combat

AI

• Defensive behavior:

  • Completely reworked the logic of team pressing when using the defensive styles "Constant Pressing", "Press After Possession Loss" and "Press on Unsuccessful Touch":

    • New logic for determining targets and their subsequent distribution among players for maximum effective pressing
    • Depending on the situation, players in pressing are positioned to intercept a potential pass or to prevent the opponent from advancing towards their goal
    • Team pressing now works throughout the pitch, not just in the opponent's half

  • Added additional cover in defense when man-marking a player with the ball. If the current marker falls behind the opponent and is below the ball line, another player who is in front of the opponent with the ball will come to his aid
  • Defensive line players will stay closer to each other in their half

• Attacking behavior:

  • Attacking runs

    • Revised the conditions under which players make runs behind defenders. Now players will only make them if they are in the line of sight of the player with the ball and he can physically pass to them
    • Players have better awareness of each other's positions on the pitch and will no longer make attacking runs into the areas of another position or "cross" with each other

  • Positioning for a pass

    • Improved overall player positioning depending on the actions and direction of movement of the player with the ball
    • In fast attacks, central midfielders will primarily try to move forward, while in slow attacks they will slightly drop down to help advance the ball
    • Flank players will try to open up for a pass only within their flank, maintaining width and not drifting into the center

• Set pieces:

  • Reworked the conditions for completing set pieces. Now the transitions between a set piece and play will be smoother
  • Improved attacking behavior of players on corners and free kicks

• In case of a dangerous situation, such as an interception or contested ball, and until it is resolved one way or another, attacking players will act more passively (not moving forward, stopping current runs, etc.)
• Fixed an issue where the referee was positioned directly in front of the ball on a free kick in the center of the pitch
• After rushing out, the goalkeeper tries to return to his goal as quickly as possible (previously, he was backing away)
• Fixed a situation where the players ran out of their penalty area after the goalkeeper saved a penalty
• After a penalty or free kick, players no longer get stuck in idles, but instead quickly engage in their mechanics and do not repeat the same reactions
• Players leave the wall immediately after a free kick and are assigned the appropriate game AI mechanics

Audio and Visual

• Connected commentator events to the "Free Kick" cut-scenes
• Added commentator event sounds to "Seasons"
• Added city sounds to city stadiums, such as car horns
• Changed the sound of the ball hitting the net and the post/crossbar
• Improved the animation of player interaction in cutscenes
• Temporarily disabled foul replay
• Added replay of a dangerous moment in the highlights
• Improved ball display in replays
• Added sweat effect on players
• Improved the appearance of 11 players

  • DuÅ¡an Vlahović
  • Micky van de Ven
  • Levi Lаmar Samuels Colwill
  • Warren Zaïre-Emery
  • Enzo Jeremías Fernández
  • Daniel Olmo Carvajal
  • Moisés Isaac Caicedo Corozo
  • Pedro Neto
  • Manuel Ugarte Ribeiro
  • Nicholas Williams Arthuer
  • Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana

• Updated 350 player photos
• Fixed a bug with the jersey penetrating the player's texture

Other Changes

• Added a tab to Match Result showing the progress of playersâ€?leveling up and Skill Points earned;

  • User can open the footballer's profile from the squad
  • Skill Points can be spent directly from this screen

• Tutorial windows have been added to all meta gameplay mechanics on the first visit
• Added tooltips for working with skills
• Added new markers to notify users of changes
• Changed the bulk purchase mechanic for skin packs, now you can select the number of skin packs directly on the store screen
• Improved UI mechanics:

  • skip skin pack opening
  • buying/selling footballers via the radial menu
  • displaying interaction with skins and skin sets in the Squad section

• Fixed several UI bugs

The post UFL August 26 patch notes: New g??ame modes, revised tackle mechanics, AI i??mprovements, more appeared first on Destructoid.

After two open beta tests in recent weeks, the upcoming football video game UFL has an offi??cial release date and is available for pre-order on console?s.

The game has been in developm??ent for several years and finally looks set for the official launch. While all game modes will be available for free, you can pre-order starter bundles, which have several benefits and early access.

When will UFL release?

If there are no delays, the game will go live worldwi??de on September 12 on all available platforms. The developers have announced the official date on the game's X/Twitter account. Do note that this date could be pushed back (in that case, this article will be duly updated with the correct launch date).

All UFL platforms

Like the last two open beta tests, the game will be released on PS5, the Xbox Series S, and the Xbox Series X. It's not known if the older-gen consoles will get a release. There are also some question marks over the game's release on PC. For now, there's no official information about whether PC players will be able to play UFL in the near future.

All UFL pre-order bundles

W??hile this will be a free-to-play title, you can have up to seven days of early access by purchasing the Starter Pack. Here are the other benefits you will ?get from your purchase:

• Exclusive customization items: Lovorika shirt, Zlato boots, and Lavalampe Gloves
• Stadium "Estádio do Redentor"
• СP 20,000,000 in-game currency

The starter bundle, priced at $14.99 on both the Xbox and PSN stores, allows you to start playing on September 5. It will be interesting to observe the kind of reception UFL could have among football fans. The release date is set one week before the early access of EA FC 25, which would be a direct competitor.

The post UFL relea??se date, pl??atforms, early access, and more appeared first on Destructoid.

The UFL 2nd Open Beta is coming very soon to football fans, offering another chance to test out the upcoming game before its final launch, which is predicted to happen?? later in 2024.

Developers Strikerz Inc. already conducted an open beta earlier in June, but the second phase is expected to offer a more polished product. In an official trailer, the developers also give a glimpse of what fans can expect to get in terms of gameplay content. With?out any ?delay, let's take a look at the dates and see how you can participate in the second beta test.

UFL 2nd Open Beta dates

The second beta phase begins on A??ugust 2, and it will be a three-day affair once again. Testers will have until August ??4 to enjoy all the available content.

How do you participate in the UFL 2nd Open Beta?

Like the first p??hase, you won't have to pre-register or fill out any form. The open beta is going to be available for Xbox Series XlS and PS5 users. All you need to d?o is pre-download the game, and you'll be able to enjoy all the content once the beta goes live.

Do note that the game is expected to arrive on more platforms like PC, but it appears that the developers are restricting the beta tests to current-gen consoles only. Whet?her there will be a future beta phase for PC users remains to be seen, but there has been no official information on th?is matter for now.

UFL 2nd Open Beta features

Like the first beta, the second pha?se will also have certain limitations, mostly related to the available game mode. However, here are some?? of the features promised by the developers (based on the trailer).

• Bug fixes
• Improved gameplay
• New servers (this could be huge as there were several server-related issues during the last phase).

Additionally, all the features from the first beta phase, like leveling and reputation system, will also be available. It remains to be seen whether beta testers will be able to retain their previous squads during the fir??st phase or not.

The post How to participate?? in UFL?? 2nd Open Beta? Dates, platforms, and more appeared first on Destructoid.

With the UFL open beta up and running, you can try it out for free on your current-gen Xbox and Pl?ayStation consoles.

Squad building is very different in this game from the underlying systems in other titles like EA FC 24 and eFootball 24. Wh?ile you can buy a footballer directly from the market using in-game resources, there are packs to be opened for skins. But skins aren't the only way to improve players, as there's a smooth system to train them.

How to train cards in UFL open beta

All cards begin at level 0, but they can improve a lot once you train them. While the proces??s takes time, the cards will soon become better versions of themselves.

• Play as many matches as possible. Every time a game is over, all cards participating in it will gain experience points. The number of points earned will vary, and certain epic and legendary skins will help any card get more from a concluded match.
• Select a card that has enough experience points to be leveled up. Select the level-up option, and a host of available choices will appear.
• When you level up a card, you either increase a particular attribute or boost it (like an additional position).
• Every level-up will cost 1 point; more can be earned by using the card in more matches.

Do note that cards with higher overall ratings will take longer to get sufficient level-up points (considering all other factors are the same). Also, make sure to buy players from ?the market based on the skins you have (this will make squad-building a lot easier).

UFL open beta will be available worldwide until June 9, and it's very easy to build up a mighty squad. While getting new cards is always an attraction, make sure to keep upgrading your existing ones to win more g??ames.

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UFL open bet??a is up and running on consoles worldwide, but there have been a few issues related to matc??hmaking.

For two days, Strikerz developers have opened their ongoing project to the general public. According to the same developers, their game is in th??e final stage of development, and this open beta is a stress test. While things definitely appear positive on certain fronts, matchmaking issues have been plaguing many gamers.

Potential UFL open beta matchmaking error fixes

Matchmaking during the open be??ta has been far from smooth, which has been a cause of irritation for some. Many users have been getting the "too far from the game servers" error message eve??n when the beta is live in their respective regions. Certain tricks and tips can help you enjoy the beta content.

• Ensure the servers are working normally: The developers have acknowledged that matchmaking has suffered from errors. There's a high chance that matchmaking will remain troublesome for the time being. It's best to wait till the servers are fixed, as online matches are the only option in the beta.
• Check your connectivity NAT type: If your internet connection has a 'Strict' NAT type, matchmaking will likely fail. The process of changing the NAT type depends on your connection and platform (currently, the UFL open beta is only available on current-gen PS and Xbox consoles). Make sure to check a proper guide before trying to change the NAT type.
• Ensure crossplay is enabled: By default, crossplay should be enabled, allowing you to access a broader base of player pool. You can ensure that crossplay is turned on from in-game settings in case it gets switched off due to an error.

If all these steps are checked and your internet is working as intended, there's not much to do. The servers are expected to work more efficiently once the developers review them, and there's still plenty of time left to play UFL open beta over the weekend.

The developers can always extend the beta, but there hasn't been an announcement like that until no??w.

The post How to ??fix matchmaking errors in UFL open beta? Potenti?al solutions and more appeared first on Destructoid.

Strikerz Inc has announced that the UFL ??Open Be?ta is set to take place on consoles very soon.

Fans have been eagerly waiting for this moment, as the market for football video games has been pretty limited. PC and console users have had to stay satisfied with EA Sports FC 24 and Konami's eFootball 2024. However, a thi?rd option might become available soon enough, and the upcoming beta test could be a gre?at way to get early impressions about the new game.

UFL Open Beta dates

The UFL Open Beta will be the first time where Xten and Strikerz will be opening their game to a broad audien??ce. Up until now, only selected testers have been able to play the experimental batches. The developers have announced the dates for the upcoming beta period, which?? will take place between June 7 and 9.

How to pre-download UFL Open Beta?

As mentioned earlier, this beta phase wil??l be open to all. Hence, there's no waiting period (at least as of this writing), and all you need to do is download the gam?e. However, this beta test will only be available for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 users, who can pre-download the game using the following links:

It's yet to be determined whether such open beta tests will be conducted for other platforms. Both PC and old-gen console users won't be able to participate in the upcoming tests. This will undoubtedly disappoint many, especially those who have a proper gaming rig. It's worth noting that UFL is expected to be released ??on both PC and consoles in the near future.

Nevertheless, football fans owning a PlayStation 5 or the Xbox Series X|S should look to make the most of this upcoming opportunity. The UFL Open Beta, like the full release, will be available to everyone for free of cost. Developers Strikerz Inc has already emphasized the "fair-to-play" aspect of the project - a major point of discontentment that has plagued many FC 24 fans. A robust open beta could do a world of good for the developers, who are being backed by superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

The post How to particip??ate in UFL Open Beta? Dates and more appeared first on Destructoid.