09 Sep 2024 5 min read Football Manager

Definitive guide to FM25's new features, match engine and UI overhaul

Gamers guide to FM25 features, release date and match engine

FM25 is set to be the twenty-first instalment of one of the most-played football gaming franchises ever.

Developer Sports Interactive announced that FM24 would be the last iteration of the series in its current format, with FM25 signalling a new era for the Football Manager games.

Football Manager 2025 is going to be unlike others that have gone before, with the SEGA-owned developer acknowledging that FM24 fell below the expected standards in terms of new features and updates.

With the gaming company investing years in building the next generation of Football Manager, FM25 is one of the most hotly anticipated games of 2024.

FM25 release date

Whilst there is no official release date, the current reports are that FM25 will officially be released on or around Monday 11 November 2024.

A beta version will be available beforehand for those who pre-order FM25 through Steam.

Here is a definitive list of the best new features coming to FM25:

6. Better in game graphics for FM25

Sports Interactive announced that FM25 will be the first game to be built using a new engine, Unity.

The switch to Unity came from an internal project team, nicknamed Project Dragonfly, which is set to revolutionise the speed, graphics, and capacities of future Football Manager games.

Due to the switch to the Unity engine, Sports Interactive have promised that there will be improved graphics in FM25, especially in the match engine.

The difficulty in the past is that Football Manager typically requires a lot of computational power, with graphics often being sacrificed for performance and speed.

But with Unity, Sports Interactive are hopeful that the FM25 graphics can be significantly improved without impeding performance.

Sports Interactive is set to overhaul its match engine with the switch to Unity, with the development team set to overhaul player movements, the physics of the ball, and in-game situations set to become more realistic than ever before.

Whilst some managers still prefer to play in the 2D classic view, others, especially those who have transitioned from the FIFA series, would like to see an overhaul in in-match graphics to make the experience more immersive.

5. FM25 will have a completely new UI

Sports Interactive's Project Dragonfly, a team made up of the best developers, UX designers and data folks, were asked to approach FM25 from a new perspective.

The UI (User Interface) is set to be completely refreshed, and whilst the below designs are by no means finalised, Sports Interactive have told us that FM25's UI will be simplified.

Sports Interactive are attempting to close the gap between the console version of the game, and the PC/Mac version, stating that FM25 now has over 10 million users, with the majority of those not on a PC or Mac.

This news may create an air of anxiety for many Football Manager veterans, who see the ability to master the game's complex UI as a rite of passage.

4. New in-game UI

For many Football Manager gamers, the touchline shouts were a necessary evil.

Touchline shouts lag behind the gameplay, meaning that you could berate your players for a poor performance, only for them to score in that same passage of play.

This would lead the players to become aggressive or uninterested by your feedback.

Managers will also now be able to watch the game unfold in between highlights, allowing users to keep an eye on what's happening whilst making changes, seeing the latest xG stats or dissecting opposition formation changes.

3. Real-life stadiums

FM25 will contain a complete overhaul of stadiums and match surroundings, with many hoping for real-life stadiums to be represented in the game series.

Whilst Sports Interactive haven't announced the availability of the rights to replicate stadiums, they have announced a secretive partnership with an organisation from the world of professional football, which could unlock a new level of realism to the game.

2. Women's football

Football Manager 2025 will be the first in the game's history to include women's football.

The developer, owned by SEGA, had initially hoped to include women's football in Football Manager back in 2021 but has suffered a series of setbacks, mainly of which were legal issues.

But Sports Interactive seem confident that FM25 will include women's football, which is exciting to many fans as it will add a completely new dimension to saves.

1. The new FM25 Portal will replace the inbox

Savvy FM veterans will also notice that features such as the inbox, and the social media feed have been removed for FM25.

The social media feed added little value to the gameplay experience, and the inbox would often fill up with scouting reports and transfer news from shortlisted players.

The new FM25 Portal is the biggest revamp since the series began, with the Sports Interactive team asking “if they could do this page again, how would they do it?”.

The result is a simplified look to allow Football Manager players to see their schedule, key squad information and key pre-match duties.

New Football Manager 25 redesigned Portal Page

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