FIFA 23 Squad Battles is a constant source of packs and the best way to earn extra rewards at the start of the Ultimate Team cycle. It is also the only way to complete a number of in-game objectives for certain players and tokens.
In this guide, we break down exactly how Squad Battles works in FIFA 23including the best squad battles tacticsand the kind of Rewards from Squad Battles you can expect to raise by participating. We’ve also highlighted a bunch of evergreens Squad Battles Objectives which you can complete for even more bonus packs. Team Battles can get tedious and you’ll likely spend less time there as the weeks go on, but it’s still a great way to earn some extra packs, and some of these objectives shouldn’t be missed. Think of Squad Battles as the FIFA 23 equivalent of eating your greens, except, you know, actually do it in this case. On this page:
If you are interested in Ultimate Team, we have pages on Top Starting Squads, Milestone Rewards, FUT Champions and FUT Coins and Trading.
FIFA 23 Team Battles Start Time
Squad Battles has been around for many years now, and in FIFA 23 it works much the same as usual, although there are some minor changes to the rewards.
Squad Battles refreshes every Sunday at 08:00 UTC, which corresponds to the following times:
- UK – 9am (BST)
- Europe – 10am (CEST)
- US East Coast – 4am (EDT)
- US West Coast – 1am (PDT)
You then have a week to play up to 40 matches against AI opponents to earn Squad Battles points. The more points you finish with, the better your rewards. Then, when the following Sunday arrives, you can access rewards (coins and packs) based on your final position.
How FIFA 23 Squad Battles works
However, these reward thresholds are a rolling feast, based on the average number of points earned by the entire FIFA player population. So if you get into it quickly and complete a bunch of games to reach Gold 1, you might find that you’ve moved back to Gold 3 by the middle of the week when other players are catching up to you.
You can improve your chances of hanging on to higher ranks by increasing the difficulty of your AI opposition. Each match lets you set the difficulty from Beginner to Ultimate, and the bonus for winning on higher difficulties can be huge.
Your 40 weekly matches are divided into groups of four at a time. Each group of four features teams of increasing quality, from low chemistry bronze teams to full chemistry teams filled with top players. There’s a big difference between playing part-time bronze on Legendary and taking on elite international players on Legendary, so it pays to take a look at every potential opponent before committing.
In addition to these 40 matches, you can also play against a celebrity-chosen team (available with the Sunday refresh) and a team based on the current team of the week (added on Wednesdays). These matches give more points than usual on lower difficulties, so be sure to prioritize them.
FIFA 23 Squad Battles Rewards
Squad Battles gives out a mix of redeemable parts and packs depending on where you finish.
Now that FIFA 23 is available to Ultimate Edition owners, we know exactly what players will be able to unlock at each reward tier. EA has decided to remove the individual “Top 200” reward tiers and consolidate these previously layered rewards into a single “Top 200” pot, which offers the best rewards that are possible to earn in FIFA 23 Squad Battles.
Here is a complete overview of reward levels in FIFA 23 Squad Battles:
- Bronze 3 – Premium Loan Player Reward Pack
- Bronze 2 – Gold package
- Bronze 1 – 500 coins, 2x Gold Pack
- Silver 3 – 1,000 coins, Premium Gold Pack, Gold Pack
- Silver 2 – 2,000 coins, 2x Premium Gold Pack, Gold Pack
- Silver 1 – 4,000 coins, 2x Jumbo Premium Gold Pack
- Gold 3 – 5,000 Coins, Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, Prime Mixed Players Pack
- Gold 2 – 6,000 Coins, Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, Prime Mixed Players Pack
- Gold 1 – 8,000 Coins, Prime Electrum Players Pack, Prime Mixed Players Pack, Jumbo Premium Gold Pack
- Elite 3 – 8,000 coins, 2x Rare Electrum Players Pack, Prime Mixed Players Pack
- Elite 2 – 14,000 coins, 2x Rare Electrum Players Pack, Premium Gold Players Pack
- Elite 1 – 26,000 coins, 2 rare player packs
- Top 200 – 65,000 coins, Rare Players Pack, 2x Mega Pack
It’s also worth noting that EA changed the Squad Battles rewards during last cycle’s Season Squad in-game event (late April to early June), adding TOTS cards to the reward pool for dedicated players. Whether that will happen again remains to be seen, but it might be worth saving some stamina in Squad Battle for the past few months, just in case.
FIFA 23 Team Battles Tactics
Gameplay may evolve from year to year, but beating AI opponents in Squad Battles follows consistent patterns. In short, they’re vulnerable to breakaways, and if you can start the game quickly with a few goals, they’re unlikely to come back.
You can also take advantage of the kickoff to catch the AI nap. Sprint diagonally across their midfield and you can often smash your way past most team members before they react. At the very least, you can create a chance that can fire a save and win you a corner.
Corner kicks at your end of the field can also be a great goal-scoring opportunity – for you. As in previous years, sending the ball to a winger or fast striker will give you plenty of room to run, and opposing defenders will struggle to catch up the field in time to deny a shot.
The best advice we can give you is to find a cooperative buddy to play with. Squad Battles supports two-player co-op, you’ll both receive reward points and progress towards all objectives, and it’s much easier to split defenses and exploit space with a human teammate. Plus, it’s nice to have someone to chat with as you race through time at the end of a 5-0 stickout.
It may also be a good idea to quit games if you are not progressing. We tend to play Squad Battles on Legendary difficulty, and if we’re not firmly on top after 20 minutes of play, we often give up and move on to the next match. The AI will really crush you in a close match, which can affect your performance in the next one, so give up and start over. You will earn more points for winning all other matches on Legendary than for eliminating all matches on Semi-Pro.
This isn’t a good strategy if you plan to complete all 40 matches, as quitting uses up one of the 40. But if you don’t have time to do them all anyway, it’s worth being considered.
FIFA 23 Team Battles Objectives
There are several types of Objectives to complete in FIFA 23, but the most critical for Squad Battles are the time-limited ones found in the main ‘Objectives’ menu and a range of evergreen objectives hidden in ‘Milestones’. .
New objectives are added several times a week, so it’s always worth checking out the objectives section before you start playing Squad Battles. There are usually in-game tasks to complete in the Bronze, Silver, and Gold weekly objective tiers, which contribute to your season progress and provide access to Battle Pass-like rewards. There may also be unlockable players, packs, picks, or trade tokens to complete other goals.
One of the best sources of extra packs early in the game is the Milestones section. Most of these goals are designed to be completed during the FUT cycle, but there are many that can be completed much faster. For example, last year there were Bronze Squad and Silver Squad goal groups, where players could earn more packs by completing game tasks with bronze and silver squads. By playing on low difficulty in Squad Battles, it was possible to literally score dozens of goals in the span of one or two matches, earn rewards quickly, and add a few points to the weekly Squad Battles total in the process. . FIFA 23 will no doubt feature more of these groups of Milestone Objectives, and many of them can be completed in parallel, so if you’re looking for extra packs or things to grind in the early weeks of the cycle, this is it. a good place to keep an eye out.
If you’re new to FIFA 23, check out our Ultimate Team best starting squads page. You can improve your squad by redeeming and spending FUT Coins – some of which can be earned by completing Milestone Objectives. It’s also a good idea to learn how team battles and champions work in FIFA 23. Chemistry has also been completely changed in FIFA 23 and don’t forget the wide variety of skill moves, and make sure you to claim your Ted Lasso and AFC Richmond rewards in FUT while you can! Finally, if you need help building the perfect squad, we have pages on the best players overall, the best Premier League players and the fastest players. With the wonders of FIFA 23, the best forwards, the best wingers, the best midfielders and the best defenders.
Other things you would like to know about FIFA 23 Squad Battles
Our tips so far should set you up for a great return to FIFA 23 Squad Battles, but before you go, here are a few other things that are always worth keeping in mind:
- Loan players – While it is possible to use loan players in Live FUT Friendlies mode without using loan matches, this is not the case in Squad Battles, so while it may be tempting to use this brilliant loan Mbappe pre-order card to guarantee victory, just beware that it will mean one less game on his card afterwards.
- Squad Battles Issues – It turns out there are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and FUT players desperately trying to avoid actually playing Squad Battles. Every year someone finds a glitch or exploit that confuses the AI and lets you score a goal and then go AFK in Squad Battles for the rest of the 90s. EA Sports doesn’t seem to punish this behavior. If all you need is a 1-0 win, it’s worth searching YouTube for the latest trick.
- Endless refreshments – The first 40 matches of each week are the ones that count towards your Squad Battles score, but if you need to complete a few extra objectives afterward, you’re free to keep refreshing and playing additional matches.
Now get out there and grind some packs!
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