EA Sports UFC 5 Update Introduces New Fighter and Enhancements

EA Vancouver, the developer behind EA Sports UFC 5, will roll out a new update for the mixed martial arts game on January 9, introducing an undefeated fighter to the roster alongside various bug fixes and improvements. Patch 1.18, available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S at 1 PM ET, requires no downtime.

Despite speculation about a new EA Sports UFC title, EA Vancouver remains focused on enhancing the current game. Following its October 2023 release, EA Sports UFC 5 faced criticism for its initial fighter roster. In response, EA Vancouver committed to expanding the lineup with ranked fighters across weight classes, achieving 98% alignment with UFC’s top ten rankings through consistent content updates.

Marking the start of EA Sports UFC 5’s second year, the January 9 update, available at 1 PM ET, introduces Azamat Murzakanov to the Light Heavyweight division. The Russian fighter joins with an undefeated record, boasting a 97 power punch rating, 95 accuracy, and 94 ground striking. The update also includes three new alter egos, though EA Vancouver has not disclosed which fighters they represent.

In addition to the new fighter and alter egos, the update addresses minor bugs and adjusts gameplay. Per the official patch notes, detailed below, patch 1.18 lowers the muscle modifier’s stamina cost from x3.125 to 2.5. Bug fixes include correcting translations for certain languages, resolving an issue with Stand and Bang in Ranked mode, and more.

This update follows Microsoft’s announcement that EA Sports UFC 5 will join Xbox Game Pass on January 14. While games like Road 96, Lightyear Frontier, and My Time at Sandrock will be available on the Standard tier, EA Sports UFC 5 is exclusive to the Ultimate tier via EA Play.

EA Sports UFC 5 Patch Notes for January 9 Update

General

• New Fighters
  • Azamat Murzakanov
  • Three new Alter Egos

• More Offers Store - Sort by Release Series (ie Pride, Prime, Champion, etc)
• New assorted vanity rewards added

Gameplay

• Reduced the stamina cost of the muscle modifier from x 3.125 to 2.5.

Bugs

• Fixed incorrect translations in some languages
• Fixed an issue where the match result method (KO/TKO, etc) wouldn’t appear in Ranked Championship: Stand and Bang
• Updated AE UFC 309 Stipe and Jones portraits to match their glove update