Football Manager 2022 will be coming to screens across the world this November as the latest edition gets ready to launch.
Last year's title - Football Manager 2021 - proved typically popular (with over 446 million matches played since launch) and the excitement is building ahead of the release of the new game.
So if you're considering getting the game, wondering what's new and just generally curious, Goal brings you all you need to know!
On this page
- What is the Football Manager 2022 release date?
- How much will Football Manager 2022 cost?
- What devices will Football Manager 2022 be on?
- What new features will Football Manager 2022 have?
- Football Manager 2022 trailer
- Best Football Manager 2022 wonderkids
- Best Football Manager 2022 free agents
What is the Football Manager 2022 release date?
November 9, 2021 is the release date for Football Manager 2022. The date was confirmed on September 9.
That means it will be available to buy and play in time for the busy holiday and Christmas period, so those who want the game can include it on their wishlists.
Early Access is available from October 22, 2021 to those who pre-purchase the game, but it is a beta version of the game. The beta version of Football Manager 2022 is a near-complete, but not final, version.
The launch date has reverted to the customary early November time. Last year, the launch of Football Manager 2021 was delayed until the end of the November.
How much will Football Manager 2022 cost?
| Edition | UK price | US price |
|---|---|---|
| Football Manager 2022 | £39.99 (£36*) | $54.99 ($49.50*) |
| Football Manager 2022 Xbox | £29.99 | $39.99 |
| Football Manager 2022 Touch | TBC | TBC |
| Football Manager 2022 Mobile | $9.99 | $9.99 |
Football Manager 2022 is priced at £39.99 in the UK and $54.99 in the U.S.
However, a 10 per cent reduction* applies if you wish to pre-purchase the game, meaning it will cost £36 or $49.50.
The game is available to buy as a PC or Mac download via Epic or Steam and the official Sega store, as well as the Microsoft store.
Football Manager 2022 Xbox edition and Football Manager 2022 Touch are cheaper than the full PC game.
Football Manager 2022 Xbox costs £29.99 in the UK and $39.99 in the U.S.. The price of Football Manager 2022 Touch will be confirmed in due course, but the 2021 version cost £21.99 or $29.99.
What devices will Football Manager 2022 be on?
Football Manager 2022 will be available to play on PC, Mac, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and mobile devices.
The Xbox edition of Football Manager 2022 will launch on the same date as the PC/Mac version, as will FM22 Mobile.
Football Manager 2022 Touch will only be available to play on the Nintendo Switch.
#FM22 🤝 From Nov 9th
— Football Manager (@FootballManager) September 9, 2021
💻 PC/Mac
📱 Mobile
🎮 Xbox Edition
☑️ Xbox Game Pass
🕹️ Switch™ coming soon https://t.co/LFalEDEOvN
What new features will Football Manager 2022 have?
Last year, Football Manager 2021 saw a number of fresh additions, including xG data and match analysis, and Football Manager 2022 will no doubt aim to satisfy some desires.
Here are some of the new features on the game.
Transfer system changes
Football Manager Studio Director Miles Jacobson indicated that there are more changes to the game's transfer system in order to reflect the financial realities that have arisen out of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
"Many more clubs than normal will start the game with much smaller budgets available or still being in the position of having to try to sell players (as they still find themselves in real life)," Jacobson wrote in a September blog post. "Others will be struggling to reduce their squad sizes and wage bills."
While you could partake in transfer deadline day drama in FM 21, there is a whole new immersive deadline day experience in FM 22, tweaked in an attempt to replicate the true chaos of the date in the calendar.
You will be able to filter between agent offers, the players on your team whose contracts are expiring, those who are attracting interest and transfer listed players
Graphics
With each iteration of Football Manager, efforts have been made to improve the gameplay graphics and that is no different for Football Manager 2022.
The animation of the players in the 3D game has become much more dynamic, with AI enhancements and features such as dribbling being much more realistic.
Players will react to situations in the game as it happens, anticipating breakdowns in possession and forming a cohesive press unit.
Data Hub
Having successfully introduced data analysis and xG features to the last game, Football Manager 2022 will see a greater emphasis on statistics, with a new Data Hub.
There are more visual presentations of the data and you will be able to engage your data analysts to seek further marginal gains from players.
In staff meetings, you'll be able to have meetings to discuss players' development in order to figure out how to help them reach their potential.
Leagues & licensing
There will be an update to the licensing in Football Manager 2022, with full details set to be confirmed ahead of release.
One notable change is the absence of 'Manchester United' from the game following a trademark dispute between the Premier League club and Sega.
For the first time in the history of the game, the Old Trafford team will be known as 'Manchester UFC' or 'Man UFC' instead of their official name.
A tweet from the official Football Manager account in August 2021 read: "From FM22 onwards, the Manchester United football club will be named ‘Manchester UFC’ or ‘Man UFC’.
"These name changes have been made purely to settle the dispute on a no admissions basis."
Manchester United and Sega have agreed a settlement to amicably resolve their trade mark dispute relating to Football Manager. Both parties are pleased to resolve this matter to their mutual satisfaction. pic.twitter.com/OQXeY7nMXP
— Football Manager (@FootballManager) August 6, 2021
There have long been omissions in the history of Football Manager, with a number of teams and leagues not playable due to licensing.
Football Manager 2021 featured over 100 leagues from 52 different countries spread across five continents and Football Manager 2022 will be similarly stacked full of options.
The game's developers are always open to new suggestions and a common request on the Sports Interactive Community forums is to include the Japanese football pyramid.
Women's football
In 2021, the brains behind Football Manager announced that women's football would soon be introduced to the game, but Football Manager 2022 comes too early.
“We've been doing this behind the scenes for over a year. I'm sick of having to say to people on social media, when they're asking me about it, 'when we do it, we'll do it properly'. We can now actually talk about it more," Football Manager studio director Miles Jacobson said in July.
Tina Keech has been appointed the game's head of women's football research and the expectation is that the database required will take a number of years to build, so the women's game will not be a feature in FM 22.
Women coaches will feature, however, and have done for a number of editions of Football Manager.
Will Covid-19 be a factor?
Covid-19 will not be a feature in Football Manager 2022, with the game's developers keen to ensure the game is an escape from reality.
Jacobson wrote in his September update: "Players will not miss matches because of Covid, players will not need to isolate when returning from holiday and, no, we will not have health officials coming onto the pitch to call off friendlies because some players haven’t followed the local isolation rules.
He added: "Crowds will fill stadiums to pre-pandemic levels and club finances will, over time, return to normal – and handshakes are still there too, as you voted for last year."
Football Manager 2022 trailer
A teaser trailer for Football Manager 2022 was released on September 9 in conjunction with the launch-date announcement.
Very little is given away in the trailer, with the focus mostly on reflecting on what has come before, with lines about dreaming big and earning success for the fans figuring prominently.
You can watch the trailer in the video above.
Football Manager 2022: Best wonderkids to sign
If you've got Football Manager 2022 and are about to get started, Goal has compiled a comprehensive list of the best wonderkids to sign on the game.
There are a number of obvious - and hard to get - candidates, such as Ansu Fati, Jude Bellingham and Pedri, but there are plenty of bargains too.
Football Manager 2022: Best free agents to sign
Dani Alves, Carlos Tevez and Jack Wilshere are just a handful of players who are out of contract and available on free transfer in Football Manager 2022.
Dipping into the market for free agents is a good way to add depth and experience to your squad if you don't have a transfer budget to play with.
Check out the best free agents to sign on FM22.