LinkedIn
TwitterFM23
Football Manager 2022FM22
Football Manager 2021FM21
Football Manager 2020FM20
Football Manager 2019FM19
Football Manager 2018FM18
Football Manager 2017FM17
Football Manager 2016FM16
Football Manager OnlineFMO
Football Manager 2015FM15
Football Manager 2014FM14
Football Manager 2013FM13
Football Manager 2012FM12
Football Manager 2011FM11
Football Manager 2010FM10
Football Manager LiveFML
Football Manager 2009FM09
Football Manager 2008FM08
Football Manager 2007FM07
Football Manager 2006FM06
Football Manager 2005FM05
Released: 30/10/2013
British fans of a certain vintage will remember TV adverts that claimed, "Life's complicated enough." Heading into Football Manager 2014, we felt that keenly, so we rethought key aspects of the core simulation in simpler, more user-friendly ways.
One key change was a tactical overhaul. Gone were the endless slider bars that had previously governed the precise intensity with which your full-backs might invade an attacker's space, for instance. Instead, new managers were able to choose between options like "Defend deeper" and "Defend much deeper". While this approach was simpler, it also better reflected the way players were coached in real life.
The 3D Match Engine was maturing nicely, with more AI tweaks, improved lighting and animations and reactions to on-field incidents. Transfers now included additional real-world clauses, like the option to loan a player straight back to the selling club for the remainder of the season. You could also negotiate your contract and budgets with the board in more nuanced ways, or ask leaders in your squad to help cheer up unhappy team-mates.
This was also the first year we added Linux support, while Steam Workshop let managers create and share custom content, including new challenges. Cloud saves were possible, and when Football Manager Classic was released as a standalone game on PlayStation Vita, we enabled cross-save between FM Classic on Vita and on PC/Mac.
Significant Innovations
• Linux, Cloud Saves & Workshop Support - Play on Linux, access your save file from any PC, create and share content, and use cross-save with FM Classic on Vita
• Tactical Overhaul - A full redesign of how tactics are created, selected and implemented, doing away with slider bars in favour of simpler choices
• 3D Match Engine - A raft of improvements including better AI, lighting and animations, individual player character and kit models, and better reactions
• Classic Mode Evolved - Run more than three playable nations, and 'fast play' mode now included Transfer Deadline Day, a Match Plan wizard and more unlockables
What They Said
GameSpot
9/10
"Not so long ago, Football Manager represented an impenetrable proposition to anyone who didn't know the difference between a False 9 and an Engache. That time is a thing of the past. Kudos to Sports Interactive for delivering a much more inclusive game, but without so much as hinting at compromising the experience for veterans."
The Guardian
4/5
"Promoting his book recently, Sir Alex Ferguson kept reiterating his mantra of control. The joy of Football Manager 2014 comes in deciding precisely what aspects of management of which you want to directly control, and in navigating its myriad systems to stamp your own philosophy on a club."
PC Gamer
87%
"The scarf I hold aloft still has 'Classic Mode' stitched on it, as it's still the most elegant distillation of Football Manager, but I can see now that it's only a matter of time before I'm swallowed whole."
