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Football Manager 2021’s main winter update is out now

Another update will follow in the coming weeks that covers transfer windows that closed in February

Football Manager 2021’s main winter update is available now, and it brings with it more than 3.7 million database changes that reflect up-to-date information on players’ performance through this season so far. The update also includes some improvements and fixes to the game, addressing some of the weird little annoyances you may have encountered in the football game.

The database changes cover things like real-world transfers, managerial changes, and player stats that have changed over the course of the current season. You’ll have to start a new career in order to see those data changes and competition updates in your game, but the rest of the improvements in the patch are compatible with your current saves.

Sports Interactive has made some changes to the logic governing Club Vision and manager appointments, and has addressed some issues with incorrect (and puzzling) questions being asked during press conferences that don’t correspond with the results of the latest match. The match engine has seen some tweaks, including improvements to goalkeeper distribution and assistant advice during the pre-game build up and matches.

The studio says another winter update is due out in a few weeks, which will reflect transfer windows that close in February. These include Russian and Chinese leagues, the American MLS, free transfers in the EFL, and others.

Here is the full (non-exhaustive) changelog for the 21.3 Winter Update, via the Football Manager forums:

Database and Research

  • Over 3.7 million updates reflect real life, including (but not limited to) transfers, managerial changes, and player attributes

Stability and Technical

  • Number of stability fixes and improvements

Gameplay

  • Further improvements to total player count and number of newgens generated in youth intakes
  • Number of improvements to keeping player promises
  • Re-enabled option to ask board for Reserve/U23 team
  • Improvements to Club Vision logic
  • Tweaked logic to make user manager appointments more realistic
  • Fixed press conference questions being asked incorrectly following certain results
  • Recruitment meetings being driven more by agreed club visions
  • ‘Interest in transfer’ filter player search fix for when user manager changes clubs
  • Improvements to staff given non-playing staff appointment responsibilities
  • Newgen staff now correctly having second nationalities set
  • Improved transfer logic for MLS teams at game start
  • Improved MLS teams salary cap management

Match Engine 21.6.0

  • Further balancing of player ratings across both full and quick match engines
  • Number of improvements and fixes to match stats, including key tackles, clear-cut chances and interceptions
  • Improved goalkeeper distribution when set tactically via instructions
  • Improvements to assistant advice during pre-game build up and matches

Competitions and Rule Groups*

  • Removed salary cap for EFL League One and Two
  • AI teams making better player registration choices in England
  • Fix for user not being able to register squad changes
  • Champions Cup sub rules corrected for second knock-out round
  • Fixed incorrect age restriction appearing in Germany
  • Improvements to MLS transfer window and roster freeze dates
  • Added MLS 2021 Schedule dates and updated Superdraft process
  • Fixed incorrect Serie C and D teams appearing in Italian Cup in 2020/21
  • Updated structure in India for 2020-21 season
  • Various Brazilian state championship updates
  • Resolved Portuguese transfer window and registration window end date mismatch
  • Resolved French transfer window and registration window end date mismatch

User Interface

  • Added assist details to the goal caption in matches
  • Fix for blank speech bubble appearing when discussing broken promise with player
  • Sent off player now clearly shown during team talks
  • Fixed rare issue where goal captions could get stuck on screen
  • Fixed team beaten in the cup incorrectly displaying as the previous winner
  • Addressed issue where users unable to return to team talk after entering tactics at half-time

Pre-Game Editor

  • Enable users to be able to search by player attributes
  • Fixed warning when verifying any advanced European club continental rules file

Network Games

  • Fixes for mid-term draft process in Fantasy Draft
  • Fix for clients being able to set highlights level outside those set by host

*In some instances, changes to competitions, rules and registrations will require starting a new game to come into effect.