Sega today officially announced Football Manager 2023, together with its release date and a confirmation of the series' long-awaited return to PlayStation following a nine-year hiatus. The next entry in the long-running franchise is coming to desktops and consoles on November 8. Football Manager 2023 Touch and Football Manager 2023 Mobile are also scheduled to hit their target platforms on the same date.
Last week marked the 30th anniversary of Sports Interactive's first soccer management simulator, Championship Manager. The British studio was making games under the Eidos umbrella before splitting with the now-Square-Enix-owned publisher in 2004. Since Eidos kept the naming rights, the developer teamed up with Sega on a new series, which started with Football Manager 2005. The success of that game prompted the Japanese publisher to outright acquire Sports Interactive in 2006, which eventually allowed it to corner the soccer management simulation niche.
PC and Xbox gamers will be able to play Football Manager 2023 via Game Pass, with Sega thus continuing its Microsoft partnership after making Football Manager 2022 a day-one Game Pass fixture. The game will also be releasing on the PS5 for the first time ever, marking the series' return to PlayStation consoles which last hosted it almost a decade ago, when Football Manager 2014 debuted on the PS Vita. The wording of today's announcement suggests the PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S builds will be marketed as Football Manager 2023 Console.
Additionally, the series is expanding its reach with Football Manager 2023 Touch, which will be an iPad exclusive on mobile as it's joining the ever-growing roster of Apple Arcade games. This streamlined version of Football Manager 2023 is also returning to the Nintendo Switch for the fourth year in a row, and will once again offer streamlined gameplay with cross-play capabilities, allowing managers to continue playing their console and desktop saves on the go.
Finally, Football Manager 2023 Mobile is confirmed to be arriving on Android and iOS. Neither its Play Store nor App Store listings are yet live, but Sega's track record suggests this simplest iteration of Football Manager 2023 will be priced at $9.99. The desktop version of the game can already be pre-ordered via Steam, Epic Store, and Microsoft Store at 20% off, or $47.99. The Switch version historically debuted at $39.99, but that price tag has yet to be confirmed.
While FM 2022 improved player partnerships and scouting, Sega has yet to share whether the sequel will continue this focus. The first concrete gameplay details about Football Manager 2023 should follow in the coming weeks.
Football Manager 2023 is coming to Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 8.
Source: Football Manager
