Football Manager 2024 has been billed as “the last of its kind” by Sports Interactive's Miles Jacobson, but what is the release date, price and new features on the 20th game of the Football Manager series?
Find out everything you need to know about FM24 here in this detailed, regularly updated guide…
FM24 release date
Football Manager 2024 was released on 6 November 2023. Pre-orders began on 12 September. It is the 20th edition of the series and is now available across all platforms.
The preorder started on September 12th, alongside a brief video trailer and some insight on features. Proper feature reveals are dropping between 18-24 September.
FM24 price
Football Manager 2024 is priced at £44.99. However, those who pre-purchased, that is, bought it before the official release date on 6 November, were lucky to get a generous discount of 10% off on many of its platforms. That means they bought it for £40.49.
Football Manager 2024 Console also costs £44.99, although you're less likely to find a 10% offer at the moment. In total, both games cost $59.99 in the USA.
What platforms is FM24 on?
Regardless of where you purchase the FM24, the prices are the same or may vary, so get ready for unmatched fun at unbeatable prices with the latest version of the video game available on all platforms.
Notably, Football Manager is currently available on all platforms namely Steam, Microsoft Store, Game Pass (all PC), PS5, Xbox and Switch for Touch, Netflix, iOS and Android for Mobile.
Moreover, PC users had early access to the FM24 Beta version around two weeks before the official release.
The Demo version of the FM2024 was also launched on 6 November, the same day it was released on all platforms.
Round-up of new features in FM24
A brief video trailer was released on 12 September, followed by the full feature reveals at the start of October. Here's what we know:
Move saved games over
The biggest and most long-requested feature that has been included in FM24 is the ability to transfer saved games from previous versions of Football Manager onto the next. This means FM23 players can continue their careers on FM24.
More focus on set pieces
The set pieces are as important as any other aspect of football, so that is now taken care of in FM24. You can sign a set-piece coach to focus on delivering impactful set-piece performances. Therefore, you will get more action from corners and free-kicks in the latest version.
Importantly, many EPL teams now have set-piece managers in their ranks. Liverpool in particular, signed a throw-in coach in 2020, steps that have revolutionized the game and consequently influenced necessary evolutionary improvements on Football Manager.
A major overhaul here. A set-piece coach can now be added to your backroom staff, the Set Piece Creator is refreshed with a new workflow and your coach will create smart routines to match your preferences. There is a new concept around this, too, called ‘Set Piece Familiarity' which reflects how much work you do with your players on each routine in training.
Tweaks to the TransferRoom
Football transfers in FM24 will happen like they do in real-life football. It means the speed of buying or selling players has been tweaked a little to reflect the effective buying and selling of players.
You now have to wait longer to see deals go through because first, you must make an ‘Offer via TransferRoom' feature before getting a buyer. Secondly, you can hire an intermediary to negotiate a transfer deal or reduce the asking price.
In this case, an intermediary will take a commission from the final transfer fee usually known as commission, which reflects the reality of dealing with football agents in real life.
A new league
Japanese players are taking the world by storm and now fans can pretend to be Brighton's scouting department and watch the J.League. And play in it, as well! Japanese language has also been added, a big step for the game.
Sixty Japanese clubs in total, across three divisions, will be playable on FM24 with the official logos, kits and player photos.
Player Targets System
Managers can now try to inspire players to kick on by setting official targets around performance. You can use a variety of criteria here to set player targets namely average rating in a match, training rating, goals scored and assists.
It means a player has to earn a regular spot in the first XI by meeting the set target. The player target system is also used in negotiating contracts, which means guaranteeing playing time in future is premised on player performances.
Player Responses
The AI system behind player responses is improved, with 2,000 new responses, too. The idea behind this is to decrease the number of over-the-top reactions from players.
Staff Meetings
These are now customisable to get the information you genuinely care about. With this, FM24 comes with more interactivity and improved decision-making.
Match Engine
A few things in this department. Improved positional play, the introduction of the inverted full-back player role and a few tweaks to other player roles to increase the fluidity of gameplay.
Improved game animations
The engine behind the animation is better, FM says that Lighting, pitch textures and environments have all received enhancements. “Ball physics improvements” will mean you'll see players doing things they didn't before! So expect some nice dribbles and surprising finishing styles when you play Football Manager 2024.
In the video below, Carl Anka, Manchester United writer for The Athletic, walks you through all the new features on FM24:
What are the Football Manager 2024 stadium graphics like?
Well, the key changes to FM stadium graphics in the new edition surrounded aesthetics. Sports Interactive say enhancements have been made in regards to the lighting, pitch textures and environments, all designed to make it look just that little bit more real.
How good is it? Well, take a look for yourself…
Will women's football be on Football Manager 2024?
Women's football is not on FM24. Plans to introduce the women's game to Football Manager have been in place since 2021, but it's taken a long time to introduce and won't be included until FM25. This is because there is a need to build up the data around the game to make the integration successful and meaningful.