Escape Artist is one of the most useful abilities in the Madden franchise. It increases the player's scramble speed when they enter the zone, making it much more difficult for opposition players to catch them. Madden NFL 23 changes things up a little though, with Escape Artist no longer classed as a passive ability.
With Madden 23 season 3, EA transformed the Escape Artist ability into an X-Factor. Players must now meet a specific condition to activate it and also have a chance of getting knocked out of it by the opposition. These changes have left some players wondering how to activate the Escape Artist X-Factor in Madden 23.
How to Activate Escape Artist in Madden 23
When playing in arcade mode, players will need to attempt four 10-yard rushes with the quarterback to activate Escape Artist. In the online mode, they'll be able to activate the X-Factor by performing six 10-yard rushes. This improves the QB’s scrambling speed when leaving the passing pocket.
It's important to remember that the rushes must be consecutive and done with the same player. Otherwise, Escape Artist won’t activate. On a side note, Escape Artist costs no Ability Points to acquire in the Upgrades menu, so any player can equip it. Some footballers, like Josh Johnson, have it as a built-in X-Factor.
How to Know if Escape Artist Is Activate
Once activated, Escape Artist pops up next to the quarterback’s name (indicated by a locked chain icon). Besides that, the player’s marker turns into a shiny red X on the ground.
Ability-wise, Escape Artist becomes noticeable when the quarterback scrambles after leaving the pocket. He runs faster and has a lower chance of fumbling or causing a sack.
Beginner Madden 23 players might not see a big difference, but that’s mainly because EA nerfed this ability in the latest update. It’s currently just a slight speed buff for the passing quarterback.
How to Deactivate Escape Artist
To knock an opponent out of Escape Artist, players will need to get two consecutive sacks. This particular X-Factor remains active until the quarterback gets tackled behind the line of scrimmage two times in a row.
However, since Escape Artist is already nerfed, players don’t need to worry about it that much. Unlike Bazooka or Dots, Escape Artist gives a negligible advantage to the opponent these days.
The Best MUT 23 Players with Escape Artist
Madden Ultimate Team 23 is home to many impressive players and some of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. Among them, the top QBs with Escape Artist are Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, L. Jackson Big Truzz, Mark Brunell, and Josh Johnson.
Madden NFL 23 is available now for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.