EA SPORTS FIFA 23 launched on 30 September 2022 and is the last football game EA published under the FIFA name, because the licensing deal that started in 1993 ended after this release. It introduced HyperMotion2 with roughly 6,000 new animations, a new shot type called the Power Shot, rebuilt free kicks, penalties and corners, and the first playable women's club football in the series through the Barclays Women's Super League and France's Division 1 Arkema. Two facts matter more than any of that if you are looking at it in 2026: EA delisted the game from Steam and every other storefront in September 2023, before EA SPORTS FC 24 had even shipped, and EA switched off the online servers on 30 October 2025. If you already own a copy it still installs and runs, but Ultimate Team, Division Rivals, Pro Clubs, cross-play and every other connected mode are gone for good. What remains is offline Career Mode, offline Kick Off, Volta against the AI and the offline side of the World Cup content, which is still a lot of football with the last officially licensed FIFA badge on the box.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Shot | S | Shooting from just outside the penalty area when you have already beaten the last man and nobody is closing the angle. | Hold both shoulder buttons and shoot to trigger the cinematic wind up that FIFA 23 added. |
| Drag Back | A | Escaping a defender who has committed to a slide tackle, and resetting play near the touchline. | A one star skill move available to every player in the game, which makes it the only trick you can rely on with a centre back or a low rated card. |
| Ball Roll | A | Creating a yard of shooting space for a left footed player cutting in from the right, or the mirror image. | A two star move that rolls the ball sideways under the sole while your body stays square, so you can shift the shooting angle without a full touch. |
| La Croqueta | B | Attacking players rated four stars or higher for skill moves, driving through the middle at a flat back four. | A four star move that pushes the ball from one foot to the other while carrying the player forward through the gap. |
| Elastico | B | One on one situations near the byline where the defender has to guess which side you are going. | Another four star move, sending the ball outside then sharply back inside in one motion. |
S-Tier: Power Shot
Hold both shoulder buttons and shoot to trigger the cinematic wind up that FIFA 23 added. The strike is far harder than a normal shot but the animation is long enough that a defender within a couple of metres will block it, and the camera zoom itself costs you awareness of the rest of the pitch.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Shooting from just outside the penalty area when you have already beaten the last man and nobody is closing the angle. |
| Key Mechanic | HyperMotion2 match capture |
| Recommended Role | 4-3-3 Holding |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Power Shot: Pairs naturally with 4-3-3 Holding thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Drag Back
A one star skill move available to every player in the game, which makes it the only trick you can rely on with a centre back or a low rated card. It kills your momentum instantly and turns you back towards your own goal, which is a way out of pressure rather than a way past a defender.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Escaping a defender who has committed to a slide tackle, and resetting play near the touchline. |
| Key Mechanic | Power Shots |
| Recommended Role | 4-2-3-1 |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Drag Back: Pairs naturally with 4-2-3-1 thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Ball Roll
A two star move that rolls the ball sideways under the sole while your body stays square, so you can shift the shooting angle without a full touch. Chaining a ball roll into a finesse shot is the single most reliable route to a goal from the edge of the box.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Creating a yard of shooting space for a left footed player cutting in from the right, or the mirror image. |
| Key Mechanic | Rebuilt set pieces and penalties |
| Recommended Role | 4-4-2 |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Ball Roll: Pairs naturally with 4-4-2 thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: La Croqueta
A four star move that pushes the ball from one foot to the other while carrying the player forward through the gap. Because it covers ground rather than standing still, it beats a defender who steps in without a tackle, and it is the go to move against a player using the contain button.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Attacking players rated four stars or higher for skill moves, driving through the middle at a flat back four. |
| Key Mechanic | Ultimate Team chemistry rework |
| Recommended Role | 4-1-2-1-2 Narrow |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using La Croqueta: Pairs naturally with 4-1-2-1-2 Narrow thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Elastico
Another four star move, sending the ball outside then sharply back inside in one motion. It has a longer commitment than La Croqueta, so it works against a defender who has already lunged rather than one holding position.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | One on one situations near the byline where the defender has to guess which side you are going. |
| Key Mechanic | Offline only play since 30 October 2025 |
| Recommended Role | 5-2-1-2 |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Elastico: Pairs naturally with 5-2-1-2 thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Career Mode
- Drag Back → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Ball Roll → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Power Shot → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Power Shots take roughly twice as long to release as a normal shot, so only pull them out when the nearest defender is at least two yards away or the block animation eats the whole attempt.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Guides
- EA SPORTS FIFA 23 EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Overview
- EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Best Builds
- EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Tier List
- EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Walkthrough
- EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Beginner's Guide
- EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Tips & Tricks
- EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Combat Guide
- EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Boss Guide
- EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Maps & Locations
- EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Crafting Guide
- EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Classes & Characters
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