Sports Interactive has announced new features in the next edition of their successful Football simulation series.
In a teaser announcement on Thursday evening, fans of the most popular football simulation game on the market learned what to expect in the upcoming edition.
Social media timelines and chatrooms have seen the yearly influx of half-truths and speculations that always surround the release of Football Manager 2023 (FM23).
In a follow-up to their initial announcements, Sports Interactive revealed more improvements and new features that fans can expect to see in FM23.
With more than 3 million players, there is constant pressure to innovate and develop new features which would attract new fans while holding the interest of the existing fanbase.
Returning managers like this writer would be excited to know that we can expect an improved match engine, more realistic and immersive recruitment, and much more.
To help you sift through the noise, we here at Pulse Sports have decided to highlight three (3) of best features to expect in FM23.
The Squad Planner
Arguably the most interesting of all the new features is the squad planner.
As the name suggests, the squad planner is a new tab in your sidebar which will help you plan your squad for the current season and in the near future according to your resources.
It allows you to rank your players and youth team prospects according to their suitability for specific roles in your chosen tactic.
Another interesting part of this feature is that it also ties into your scouting department, as you can add players from your shortlist to see how they will fit into your team or tactic.
Improved Gameplay
As mentioned earlier, players will enjoy a new and improved match engine with more realistic decision-making. While many people would take that announcement with a pinch of salt as this is not the first time fans are getting that promise, specific improvements were mentioned.
According to senior match producer Nic Madden, defender and goalkeeper reactions have improved in FM23 and should affect things like positioning and decision-making.
In the current version of the game, many players complain about how overpowered crosses are and as a player myself, I have been at the mercy of many wingers with slightly above-average crossing attributes.
To complement the realistic match engine, we will also have an improved tactics panel for fans to replicate their favourite teams even more.
The new tactic panels will impact defending the most, and it already looks exciting.
Supporters confidence
The last feature on this list will have as many critics as it will supporters.
In FM23, you can expect another determining factor for your overall success with the new look supporter confidence interface.
In previous versions of the game, supporter feedback was not a determining factor, only coming up on the social media feed, and some rarely opened tabs under club vision.
However, to make the game more realistic, Lead game designer Remy Boicherot confirmed that supporters now play a crucial role in how your board views overall success.
“The fans will have a big say on your job security, but depending on the club you are managing it might not matter. Essentially if you are ignoring the fans and they have a huge influence on your board then it might put you in trouble.” Mr Boicherot said.
So if you manage a team like Barcelona or Manchester United with very vocal ultras, you will have an interesting save.
Football Manager 2023 will be available from November 8.
Pulse
