Introduction

FIFA 23, the latest installment in EA Sports’ iconic football series, has garnered significant attention for its improvements in graphics, mechanics, and gameplay features. However, despite its numerous enhancements, there is a persistent issue that continues to affect the enjoyment of the game for many players—AI defending. While defending is an essential aspect of football, many players have found the AI-controlled defenders to be inconsistent, overly aggressive, and often frustrating to deal with. This issue can heavily impact both offline and online play, frustrating players who are seeking a more realistic and engaging football experience. In this article, we will dive deep into the problem of AI defending in FIFA 23, exploring its causes, its effects on gameplay, and the potential solutions or improvements that could be made to enhance the player experience.

Understanding AI Defending in FIFA 23

AI defending refers to how the game’s non-player-controlled defenders react and perform during gameplay. In FIFA 23, as in previous iterations of the franchise, players control one athlete on the field, while the remaining players, including defenders, are controlled by the game’s AI. The quality of AI defending can drastically impact the realism and challenge of the game, and it often becomes a point of contention among the player base.

The Role of AI Defenders

In FIFA 23, AI defenders are expected to perform several crucial tasks, including blocking passing lanes, positioning themselves to intercept passes, tackling attackers, and organizing the defense. The effectiveness of these actions relies heavily on the complexity and programming of the AI system. Ideally, AI defenders should make intelligent, calculated decisions, reacting to the opponent’s moves, positioning, and overall gameplay. When done right, it mimics the behavior of human players, resulting in a balanced and competitive experience.

The Issue with AI Defending

Despite its vital role, AI defending in FIFA 23 is often criticized for its lack of consistency. Players report that defenders can sometimes behave erratically, causing frustration. In some cases, defenders make poor positioning decisions, fail to track their marks effectively, or leave spaces open in critical areas. On the other hand, AI defenders may occasionally overcommit, allowing attacking players to break through with ease. These inconsistencies lead to unrealistic outcomes that can detract from the immersion and fairness of the game.

Inconsistent Defensive Behavior

One of the most significant complaints about AI defending in FIFA 23 is the inconsistency in how AI-controlled players perform defensively. In some instances, defenders seem to operate as if they are in perfect position to intercept the ball, only to misjudge an opposing player’s movement and miss a critical tackle. On the flip side, defenders may sometimes act as if they are overly aggressive, charging forward and leaving large gaps in the defense. This inconsistency can lead to situations where, regardless of how well a player positions themselves, the outcome feels random and beyond their control.

Aggressive AI Defenders

Aggressive AI defenders tend to overcommit and chase the ball, leaving space behind them that can easily be exploited by an opponent. While aggression is necessary in some defensive situations, AI defenders in FIFA 23 may become overly zealous, creating openings for counterattacks. These defenders often make risky moves when it is not warranted, allowing attackers to exploit their missteps. This behavior can be especially frustrating during counterattacks or while defending a narrow lead, as defenders seem to lack situational awareness, abandoning their post in the process.

Passive AI Defenders

In contrast, AI defenders may also be too passive, staying in their defensive positions without actively engaging attackers. This passivity often results in the attacker being allowed to roam freely, especially when players are able to outpace defenders or maneuver into dangerous areas. When defenders fail to step up to challenge an attack, it feels like the game is doing too much of the work, and the defending player’s input becomes less impactful. This issue is particularly prominent during one-on-one situations, where AI defenders should ideally be more proactive in closing down attackers.

The Impact on Offline Gameplay

AI defending has a more significant impact on offline gameplay, particularly when playing against the computer. In modes such as Career Mode or FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), players rely on the AI to create competitive matches, and poor AI defending can severely affect this experience.

Career Mode Challenges

In Career Mode, where players control a manager or a player, the reliance on AI teammates is crucial to creating a balanced experience. If defenders are inconsistent or fail to make the right decisions at critical moments, it can disrupt the flow of the match and the player’s overall progression. For example, AI defenders failing to track attackers or making misjudged tackles often leads to frustrating goals that feel unfair. These moments can make matches feel less authentic and more scripted.

FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) Issues

FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) is another mode that suffers from poor AI defending. As players build their dream teams, they depend on AI-controlled players to provide solid defense in between moments of user control. However, the inconsistency in AI defending means that FUT players may find themselves conceding cheap goals in critical matches, leading to frustration, especially in competitive gameplay or high-stakes matches like Division Rivals.

The Impact on Online Gameplay

AI defending not only affects offline gameplay but also has serious implications for online gameplay, especially in competitive modes such as Division Rivals and FUT Champions.

Human vs. AI Defenders in Online Matches

In FIFA 23, players are often paired against teams that feature both human-controlled and AI-controlled players. In competitive modes, human players take on the majority of the actions, but AI defenders can still significantly affect the outcome. In online matches, poor AI defending can result in unearned goals, frustrating players who believe they should have had more control over the situation. Since AI defenders do not exhibit the same skill and reaction time as human-controlled players, this disparity in defensive behavior often leads to one-sided matches, especially when playing against top-tier human opponents who exploit AI weaknesses.

Inconsistencies Between AI Defenders

Another issue arises from the inconsistency between AI defenders in online play. Some AI defenders are incredibly effective, reading the game well and making crucial interceptions, while others seem to completely ignore the flow of the game, allowing easy through balls or goals. The unpredictability of AI defenders creates an uneven playing field in online matches, where a player may not feel they have an equal opportunity to compete. This inconsistency detracts from the strategic depth that FIFA 23 could offer and often feels like the outcome is left up to chance rather than player skill.

Solutions to AI Defending Issues in FIFA 23

While AI defending in FIFA 23 may be imperfect, there are potential solutions that EA Sports could implement to address the problem. These improvements could help create a more realistic and engaging gameplay experience.

Improved Defensive AI Algorithms

To address inconsistencies in AI behavior, EA Sports could enhance the AI's decision-making process. Implementing more advanced defensive algorithms that take into account the game’s flow, the opponent’s positioning, and real-time events could lead to defenders making more intelligent decisions. Rather than relying solely on a set pattern of defensive behavior, AI defenders should be able to read the game and adapt to the circumstances, making adjustments based on the attacking team’s movements and the state of the match.

Better Positioning and Spatial Awareness

Another improvement could be enhancing the AI’s positional awareness. This would involve AI defenders being better at understanding when to close down space, when to press an attacker, and when to hold their position. Defenders should be trained to react dynamically to the flow of the game rather than using generic responses that sometimes seem out of place. This could lead to more realistic and balanced defensive play.

More Balanced Aggression and Passivity

AI defenders need a better balance between aggression and passivity. Over-aggressive defenders can leave gaps for counterattacks, while overly passive defenders may fail to prevent a threat. Striking a balance between these two extremes would allow the AI to adjust based on the context of the game, making more calculated decisions based on how critical the situation is.

Conclusion

AI defending remains one of the most persistent and frustrating issues in FIFA 23. The inconsistencies in defensive behavior—ranging from overly aggressive defenders to passive ones—can significantly impact both offline and online gameplay, frustrating players who seek a more realistic and enjoyable experience. The solution to this issue lies in improving the AI’s decision-making, positioning, and overall spatial awareness. By making defenders react in a more nuanced and intelligent way, EA Sports can enhance the realism of the game and provide players with a more immersive football experience. While the current state of AI defending is far from perfect, the potential for improvement is vast, and players are hopeful that future updates will address these concerns.