Want to know how to get better at FIFA 23?
Why not go directly to the source of all things elite FIFA?
This is exactly what we did recently, at the Fnatic headquarters in London, in an interview with Donovan ‘Tekkz’ Hunt.
Fnatic athlete Tekkz, 21, has been dominating the competitive eFIFA scene since 2017 with FIFA 18. He’s the all-time most successful FIFA player in the history of esports, winning 11 titles in his three years pro, more than any other player. He made a name for himself after bursting on the scene by winning his first ever FIFA tournament, the FUT Champions Cup in Barcelona, when he was just 16.
In FIFA 23, Tekkz has just gone 20-0 in his first FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) Weekend League, and is currently ranked #1 in the Rivals skill rating. Seriously impressive stuff.
We thought we’d ask Tekkz for some tips on how to get GOATed at FIFA, whether you’re a rookie or a veteran of the game. Here’s what he had to say.
Step one: nail your settings
Having the right view of the pitch makes all the difference in FIFA 23. What camera does Tekkz use?
“I’ve always used the same one – it’s tele broadcast,” said Tekkz. His height and zoom are both set to the default 10. If you watch Tekkz’ Twitch stream, you’ll also see that he always has player names on so he knows who he has on the ball.
“My controller settings are pretty self-explanatory. On the right stick switching, make sure it’s on classic, that’s it,” he pointed out.
Find the right shape
“Choosing formations, just use something with two up front so you can play one-twos with the strikers and then eventually get in behind,” said Tekkz.
There are plenty of formations in FIFA 23, and if you’re playing FUT, then choosing the right formation can make a difference to your player chemistry, too.
Tekkz has just put out his first custom tactics video for FIFA 23, which you can watch on YouTube here.
Master these three skill moves
Tekkz is known for his show-stopping showboating, putting FIFA skill moves to the best use.
“Just go onto YouTube and search for the three most effective skill moves. A McGeady cancel, yeah, it’s quite hard to do…” Not only does this skill move require you to know how to do the McGeady spin, but also how to hard cancel a skill. However, it can be devastating to defenses when executed with a 4-star skilled player.
The other two essential skill moves? “An elastico and a ball roll.”
“Learn them, perfect them. You’ll be so much harder to defend. You don’t get tackled in the box. And you’ve got a little bit about you!”
The FIFA 23 meta
It might be too early to discuss the meta in FIFA 23, but with competitions looming, Tekkz already has his eyes on what is working…
“I think the meta is lobbed through balls,” he said. “I’d not played any pros yet, I didn’t know what was good and what was not. So in that first game against a pro player, I go into it. I’m just getting through ball, through ball, through ball…lobbed through balls. So from that moment, I know now that through balls are good..
“I like to press and when I press someone and I get a through-balled in behind, that’s my biggest hate. It happens all the time but we’re trying to adapt!
“I’ve learned it’s better to have lengthy players too.”.
Lengthy refers to AcceleRATE, the new acceleration type on FIFA 23, which has been introduced with HyperMotion2 (so players on last-gen consoles don’t need to worry about it). Lengthy players start sprinting slowly, but get faster as they cover more distances – Tekkz gave Erling Haaland as a prime example.
“Haaland’s unbelievable. You just put him behind a lobbed-through ball when he can’t get caught and he’ll finish everything. Before [AcceleRATE], Haaland would never ever be good on FIFA.”
Learn from the best
There’s nothing you can’t learn online, these days…
“If you really want to be one of the best guys, just go onto YouTube and watch tutorials,” Tekkz said, and then proceeded to plug his own YouTube channel.
Tekkz got to the top by learning from the original creators. “I started watching YouTube, people like AA9Skillz, Nepenthez… back in the day. So I just watched them, and they would have these cheap overpowered players and I’d buy them. Eventually, after watching them, you just learn what Ultimate Team is.”
Being so competitive, there was another method Tekkz used to hone in his game. “The first FUT Champs came out in FIFA 17, I got like 26 wins out of 40. I thought, ‘I’m meant to be good! I used to beat all my friends and I’m getting 26 wins, I want 40 wins.’ So I just started putting myself against pros.
“There was a way you could look at who you’re playing before you go into the lobby. And if it wasn’t a pro, I’d back out. I just wanted to play pros after pros after pros, and then I went out and started beating them.”
This technique is harder to do now as you don’t see the player ID of your opposition straight away, but playing better players will always make you better at the game. For single players, just take the plunge and up your difficulty level. Losing short term will make you a much better at FIFA.
Watch it back
Tekkz recommends learning from those that school you on the pitch rather than getting angry and backing out. “If you play someone and they’re way better than you, just record the game and watch it back and see what they’re doing,” he explained.
Were your defenders out of shape? Were your wingers being stopped before they could get a cross in? The post-match highlights section is a goldmine of information, so you can see where your opposition got one over on you.
Be your own player
“A lot of mistakes that I think players make is they just try play the meta and nothing else. But I think the key is having your own game style and being your own player,” he says.
“Just enjoy yourself when you’re playing. And then like, if you’re enjoying yourself, you’ll play more. Then the more you play, obviously, the better you get. Everything just stems from enjoying yourself. So my one bit of advice is just to have fun when you play.”
Tekkz represents Fnatic, the number one esports organization in the world. He’s been a Fnatic Athlete for two years and has won four FIFA Championships in that time, including the eChampions League.
Want to give FIFA a go and try to reach the top like Tekkz? FIFA 23 is out now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Written by Alex Bugg on behalf of GLHF.
