When it comes to gaming, there are very few titles I play often. In fact, I rarely refer to myself as a gamer at all, owing to the absolute lack of time I find to play.
With that being said, there is one exception to that rule. Yes folks, my name is Sam, and I'm a Football Manager addict. I've loved this game for over two decades now, having first played the iconic Championship Manager 01/02 back at the turn of the millennium.
My real love for the game started with Football Manager 2005, though, making it a neat 20 years since I fell in love with it. And now, the release date for the next iteration of the franchise – Football Manager 25 – has been revealed.
As seen in the announcement trailer (linked below) the game will be available on the 26th of November. Users will be able to play on PC and Mac, as well as on PS5 and Xbox.
This isn't just a new skin and an updated database, though. FM25 has been hallmarked as the year of evolution for the Football Manager franchise, with a range of substantial updates set to come into play.
For the first time ever, women's football leagues will be playable in-game. That's a huge coup for fans of women's football, and marks a significant turning point for the franchise.
The whole game is also powered by a new engine. Built on the Unity platform, the game has been redesigned from the ground up, and marks the most substantial technological leap for the series in a generation.
That brings with it enhanced graphics and a revamped user interface. All of that is topped off by a new partnership with the Premier League, bringing officially licenced players and teams to the game.
It's not all plain sailing though. A series of blogs from creator, Miles Jacobson, confirmed a range of features will be missing from this iteration. Users won't be able to play as an international manager, for example, while the often criticised touchline shouts will also be absent.
That has caused some concern from users. Indeed, this does feel like the first draft of a new era, rather than the divine coming of age release we'd been promised for many years.
Despite that, I think I'll still find myself on the new game. While it's not the finished product we'd all hoped for, the title does look pretty revolutionary. I, for one, can't wait to get stuck into a new era of football management.
