New features to lookout for in Football Manager 2024

Expectations are high before the release of the next edition of the viral video game.

Football Manager 2024 is set to release on 6 November 2023. The latest installment in the long-running line of football simulation video games which have built a niche for themselves in the gaming community has high expectations before its global release. 

Gamers cannot wait to get their hands on the Football Manager 2024 video game which promises to bring brilliant new features to make the overall experience more fulfilling and enthralling. Expectedly, reports suggest that Football Manager 2024 is going to be playable on platforms such as the PC, Mac, Xbox (console version), PlayStation 5 (console version), Nintendo Switch, tablet devices and mobile (touch version).

Features like smart transfers, setting individual performance targets and more have built the hype around the game's release. As the gaming community awaits the release of Football Manager 2024, here are the new features to look out for from the game:

Smarter Transfers, Squad Building and Finance

Makers of Football Manager 2024 claim that AI managers will make smarter and more strategic transfers in the game. The way other clubs behave in the market is set to reflect the real-life market trends which makes the overall experience much more immersive. 

The developers claim that the AI managers will identify weak links in their squads and push to sign players by considering form and reputation. Smart decision-making will see the AI managers sign players based on potential rather than current ability. 

The AI teams will include youth prospects more often. There will be more transfer battles and the in-game finances have been revamped to deliver a more realistic experience. Failing to balance the books can lead to the board taking over the finances and selling players of the user’s team. There are sanctions if FFP (Financial Fair Play) rules are broken in addition to more features that work around football finances.

Introducing Intermediaries and Offloading Players

A new ‘Ask Agent About Market Interest’ option is introduced to help the players stay informed and make better choices while looking to sell players. The introduction of intermediaries will help in situations when the agent is unable to generate interest in a player to sell. They are hired by the club’s Director of Football and can help the managers generate leads with a 10% commission from the overall transfer fee.

Furthermore, terms like Active Interest or Rumoured Interest rather than Major or Minor have been introduced in an attempt to revamp the transfer experience.

Individual Player Targets and Interaction Logic

Setting individual player targets will be a great way to encourage the players to improve their performances and the same can be checked at the Targets tab on the Home screen of FM24. Targets can vary such as training improvements (new position, role, traits and average ratings), goals, assists, clean sheets, match performances (first team or reserve team), etc.

The interaction system in FM24 has been revamped with over 2000 new AI responses that steer away from extreme responses from the players and agents alike. Staff meetings have been revamped in FM24 where one can skip individual topics to focus on relevant areas of discussion. 

New Game Modes

There are three new ways to start an FM24 save which are - ‘Original’, ‘Real World’ and ‘Your World’. In the Original game mode, players will be employed at the clubs they play for in the current Football Manager database at the start of the game, reflecting the most accurate real-life data.

In the Real World mode, players start the game contracted to the clubs they were with on the real-life date the user’s Career begins. They will then move to their new club on the same date as they did in real life. Whereas, in Your World mode, clubs and squad budgets are set according to the start date of the save and players who joined the club prior to that date will be available in the squad. The future transfers (for Real World mode) will stand cancelled, giving gamers the opportunity to change the course of history as they see fit. 

A bunch of new features and quality-of-life improvements have been made to the national pool for the players who are interested in international football management.

Set Pieces Refresh and Coaches Debut

Set Piece Coaches are debuting in FM24 and a revamped Set Piece Creator tool is set to be introduced to help the managers. The profile of Set Piece Coaches will be different from other coaches and will show their Set Piece preferences instead of the Scouting Knowledge panel.

The Set Piece Coach will assign roles to the players automatically so that the managers do not have to micromanage the set-piece situations. Some of the key roles that the Set Piece Coach will assign are Aerial Threat, Box Threat, Recovery Defender, and Creator. Be it in defensive situations or attacks, Set Piece Coach will be instrumental in both areas to deliver positive outcomes.

Truer Football Motion, Match Authenticity and Positional Play

There are several matchday changes coming in FM 24 from animation locomotion upgrades that improve off-the-ball movement right through to player rotation enhancements that enable the users to incorporate more positional play in their tactics. Upgrades have been made in regards to ball physics and matchday lighting to make the experience realistic and immersive for gamers.

The Inverted-Full Back is a new player role that gamers will be excited to implement in their squads to elevate their strategic approach to any matchday. This gives the manager the option to experiment with a three-man defensive shape during the possession phase while having a back-four formation in defence. An Inverted Wing-Back role is also going to give managers more control in executing positional play during matchdays. A “John Stones role”, aka the Libero will also give managers an exciting new way to execute their tactics. 

All in all, Football Manager 2024 is packed with exciting new features. The gamers cannot wait to dive into the game and experience everything that is new. It remains faithful to its loyal fanbase and is appealing to newcomers as well.