A new football season is underway, and that means we’re about to see another release of the extremely popular Football Manager 2017 (and FIFA 17).
Ready to build another undefeated club and become the next Sir Alex Ferguson? Here are 5 fast facts you need to know about Football Manager 2017:

It Should Be Released in Early November

We don’t yet know the official release date for Football Manager 2017. However, we can guess at the date based on previous releases. Football Manager 2010 was released on October 30. Over the past few years, every release date has been within 2 weeks of that date, ranging from the 21st of October (2012) to November 13 (2016).
Based on that information, we expect Football Manager 2017 to be released sometime in early November: likely the second week.

We Still Don’t Have an Official Announcement

Anticipation for Football Manager 2017 is already building. However, we don’t even have an official announcement for the game yet. Typically, the games are announced in late August or early September.
During the official announcement, the developer reveals the core new features of the game as well as the final release date. So we don’t know any of this information so far.

Two Versions for Desktop and Mobile

It’s likely that Football Manager 2017 will continue the trend of having two versions: one in-depth version for Mac and PC, and another lighter version for tablets and mobile devices (with cloud-based support connecting the two).

Confusingly, there were two versions of FM 2016 for mobile, including Football Manager Touch and Football Manager Mobile. The first one allowed for cross-play design from your desktop, while the second allowed for light-management simulation on your average smartphone or tablet.
It’s likely we’ll see the same two-mobile version system with FM 2017.

Brexit Could Affect Football Manager

Brexit will not affect Football Manager 2017 in any major way. However, it will affect future versions of Football Manager. Miles Jacobson, who works for developer Sports Interactive, recently published a lengthy LinkedIn post explaining how Brexit could have a major impact on the game, including:
-The work permit system could come into play for EU nations. That means 175 players in the Premier League without work permits could be affected. The article specifically mentions Payet and Kante.
-From a gameplay perspective, that could cause some problems for those who play the game as British clubs. Players could be required to get work permits before joining your club, for example. EU clubs won’t face these problems.
-In terms of actually publishing the game, Football Manager 2017 is unlikely to be majorly affected, as FM box copies are manufactured outside of the UK. Digital goods, meanwhile, will be unaffected by Brexit regardless.
-Nevertheless, goods manufactured outside the UK could face import taxes, which could raise prices of FM 2017 in the UK (at least for box copies). The developer and publisher may have to find a way to manufacture FM 2017 in the UK.
Nevertheless, even if the UK triggered Article 50 today, they would still be in the EU for another two years – so these changes are still a ways away.

Football Manager 2017 Features

We don’t know any features on FM 2017 yet, because the game has not officially been announced. However, here are some of the features that are rumored (or desired) for FM 2017:
-A revamped chairman system that sees chairmen or owners who are ultra-demanding and like to interfere with the team on the pitch. As Alphr explains, this could introduce an interesting risk/reward element to gameplay. Some clubs might have better opportunities – but the chairmen could be challenging to work with. We’ve obviously seen this play out in the real world of football in recent years.

-The ability to take on short-term gigs as a “trial” to a lucrative full-time position. Think of the real football world, where Alan Shearer got appointed manager of Newcastle until the end of the season. These short-term roles could introduce a new challenge.
-Introducing a backstory, where you start the game playing as a player at the end of his career before accepting a position with the club.
Ultimately, Football Manager 2016 is pretty close to a perfect game, and the developer has fine-tuned the game to a ridiculous level. Introducing new features would require a complete upheaval of the game – so we’d be fine if most things are kept the way they are.
Stay tuned to our PC gaming news blog for more information about Football Manager 2017 as we move forward!