New Explosive Sprint mechanism may be most OP feature we have ever seen

Our excitement can barely be contained ahead of FIFA 22, especially now the gameplay reveal has taken place and shown off the epic new Hypermotion Technology.

However, our excitement is also met with caution after the announcement of the new 'Explosive Sprint' mechanic.

The new feature has the potential to be incredibly overpowered (OP), especially when using the top players.

Gameplay Reveal

Before we get stuck into the Explosive Sprint mechanic, take a look at the FIFA 22 Gameplay reveal here.

With several new features coming to the game, there looks to be something for everyone.

What is the Explosive Sprint mechanic?

The official statement from EA reads as follows;

"A new gameplay mechanic that changes the dynamic of one-on-one situations, Explosive Sprint gives you more control over acceleration when dribbling or defending.

Lure opponents in and choose when to unleash your full speed to get away from the defender as you drive your team forward in attack."

This looks remarkably similar to the 'Bridge' we saw wreak havoc in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team for several weeks, so we hope it does not go down the same route.

How does it work?

FIFA Gameplay Director Kantcho Doskov explained in short how the new feature will be applied in FIFA 22.

"When you press that right trigger at the right time, you are going to get a bigger push and acceleration with the ball," he said.

"This works both on dribbling and defending, so if you are trying to catch up to a dribbler who has got a step on you, you're going to get that boost while running and sprinting.

"But if you are a dribbler you can really lure that opponent in to get close and get by him with a quick acceleration."

There was also mention of a cooling-off period so the mechanic cannot be overused.

Call us old-fashioned, but this seems a bit gimmicky to be added into what is meant to be a hyper-realistic football sim.

Will it be OP?

Our first instinct tells us that this will be a feature heavily used in the early weeks of the game as players will be learning how to defend against it.

Much like the Bridge and Directional Nutmeg in FIFA 21, we can see this feature being the subject of many patchings throughout the FIFA 22 cycle.

EA is clearly aware that this feature could become seriously OP though, with FIFA Lead Gameplay Producer Sam Rivera quick to stress they are still working on it.

"One of the biggest questions around this feature is, is it going to make the game OP, but no that is exactly what we are tuning," he said.

"We are making sure that you feel that explosiveness but that is not necessarily going to be the only way to play so we are balancing things considering how players will be trying to use this mechanic."

Even if the mechanic is not OP, it feels like players such as Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo will have a field day just bursting past defenders at will!