Football Manager 2021 release date delayed due to COVID-19

"They will be delivered a little later than we’d originally planned, but they’ll have exceptionally strong feature sets"

You’re going to have to wait a little bit longer to get your yearly fix of Football Manager. Developer Sports Interactive confirms that Football Manager 2021 will be delayed due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19. The update was shared on the developer’s website and details what’s going on at the studio right now.

“What I can confirm today is that, despite all the problems going on in the world, there will be new Football Manager games released later this year,” the blog post reads. “They will be delivered a little later than we’d originally planned, but they’ll have exceptionally strong feature sets… albeit different to those we thought we’d settled on back in January when I completed my ‘dream feature set’.”

The update goes on to say that while the pandemic has been challenging for the developer, it has been luckier than most and remains financially healthy. One example given was that the studio managed to make Football Manager 2020 free-to-play for a fortnight in March without suffering any drawbacks. The free spell clearly worked, too, as the FM20 player count jumped to 129,637 on through Steam during those two weeks.

If you need something to keep you busy while you wait, the good news is that last year’s Football Manager is a strong bet if you haven’t got it already. In his Football Manager 2020 review, Dave explains that if you “get past the overly familiar visuals you’ll find extra depths and a footballing RPG that’s more addictive than it’s ever been”.

If you have already been playing and need some new ideas, then check out our FM20 tactics and wonderkids guides. Who knows, they may give you the know-how to get a team like Bristol City FC promoted.