Football Manager 2022: Release date, beta, new features, more

Every year we get a new Football Manager title, and every year we hand over our cash to SEGA / Sports Interactive because let's be honest, there is simply no other game in town.

Even a "bad" year for the title still offers up more than enough for you to easily sink hundreds (if not thousands) of hours over the length of the title.

And for many, this is the time of year where you will be winding down your saves on the previous game; with a new season ahead and a crazy transfer market behind us, the temptation to get this year's Football Manager only grows.

This is also the period where we usually get a few pieces of info about what players can expect in the latest title, but Sports Interactive have remained tight-lipped about Football Manager 2022 as of right now, though there are a few things out there that we can hang our hats on.

So if you want the lowdown on FM 2022, then you have come to the right place as we break down everything you need to know.

What is Football Manager 2022's release date?

The wait for Football Manager will not be as long as it was for the 2021 edition which came out on 24th November 2020.

FM 2022, on the other hand, is scheduled to come out on 9th November 2021.

How do I get into the Football Manager 2022 beta?

Getting access to the FM 2022 beta is easy and only requires you to pre-order the game.

Pre-orders are currently available for £39.99 / $54.99 from the Epic Games or Steam stores, with 10% off for those who pre-purchase.

The beta will likely only be for two weeks prior to the official launch, so a while to wait yet.

What new features are expected?

Sports Interactive have said little about new features for the game but the short teaser trailer makes much of smaller teams managing to overcome the odds and overachieve, with references to Union Berlin's highest-ever Bundesliga finish and Lille OSC beating out PSG to the Ligue 1 title.

There have been some rumours of women's teams and leagues entering the game.

Everton FC Women recently signed a deal with Sports Interactive which will see the Football Manager branding appear on interview backdrops and across content output from the Club’s official social media accounts for the women’s team. This follows a similar deal made with Leicester City Women.

Previous declarations from the developers have said that they intend to add women's football to the management simulation, not as a standalone game but integrated into the main one, whether that happens in time for FM 2022 has yet to be seen.

Licensed leagues

There are several licensed leagues in FM 2021 and there may well be more added for FM 2022.

Here are the ones that are likely to make it into FM 2022:

• Australian A-League
• Canadian Premier League
• Danish Superliga
• English Football League (EFL)
• English National League
• French Ligue 1
• French Ligue 2
• German Bundesliga
• German 2. Bundesliga
• German 3. Liga
• Gibraltar National League
• Dutch Eredivisie
• Dutch Eerste Divisie
• North Ireland Football League
• Polish Ekstraklasa
• Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL)
• South Korea K League 1
• South Korea K League 2
• MLS
• Welsh Cymru Premier, North & South

Licensed teams

• Dinamo Zagreb
• Leicester City
• Southampton
• Chievo
• Empoli
• Lecce
• SPAL
• Dutch National Team
• Gibraltar National Team
• All Serie A clubs excluding Juventus

Platforms

FM 2021 was playable on PC, Android/iOS, Xbox consoles and the Nintendo Switch.

It is likely all will be served this year but chances of a PlayStation version are slim-to-none.

Additionally, it has been confirmed that Football Manager 2022 is coming to Xbox Game Pass for PC on day one, which means that if you are a subscriber you don't even need to buy the game unless you specifically want to own it.

We will continue to update this page with more information as it becomes available.