The release of the newest installment in Sports Interactive’s football-management simulator, Football Manager 2023, offers players new ways to join the managerial elite and come out on top of the competition. While the core mechanics of the game are largely unchanged from Football Manager 2022, several new features have been added for Football Manager 2023 that will make for an even more immersive experience.

The release of Football Manager 2023 has been met with a particular setback for PlayStation players, however. Although the game has already been released across most platforms, PlayStation 5 players will have to wait a bit longer. Due to “unforeseen circumstances,” Sega and Sports Interactive have been forced to delay the PS5 release indefinitely, a decision that was announced just a week before the game’s planned release. Since the game will not be released on PS4, this delay seriously restricts PlayStation players’ abilities to get their hands on the high-anticipated simulator. Though there are not yet any updates on the schedule for PS5, studio director Miles Jacobson hopes that Football Manager 2023 will release soon since the team worked hard to push through production.

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Football Manager 2023 Adds Much-Needed Features

Football Manager 2023: Best Free Agents, Faouzi Ghoulam, Fernando Llorente, and Han Kwang-Song

Football Manager’s annual releases usually bring a series of updated or entirely new gameplay features to the table, and Football Manager 2023 is certainly no different. Although these additions can materially feel pretty insignificant, a few long-awaited features have been added to the game. The highly-anticipated inclusion of the fully licensed UEFA Championship is sure to bring an added sense of realism and excitement to the experience. Players will now be able to compete in the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, and the UEFA Europa Conference League. This means UEFA Club Championship branding, team sheets, scoreboards, the league’s anthem, and goal graphics will all be added to the game, increasing the sense of immersion and bringing much-needed realism to the game.

Another exciting addition to the game is the new Supporter Confidence system. This added gameplay feature brings fans closer than ever before by showing what expectations they have for their beloved team, both off and on the pitch. Insight into fans’ loyalty levels and the degree to which these opinions affect the club are now a much more important aspect of the game. Achieving these goals helps players ensure a loyal base that’ll help carry them forward along the path to victory. The bigger emphasis on getting to know the fans will no doubt offer players an even more comprehensive Football Manager player experience.

More Advanced AI is Sure To Keep Gameplay Engaging

Ansu Fati, Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga in Football Manager 2023

Players who enjoy a challenge will also find new reasons to sink hours into Football Manager 23. The latest game offers the most advanced rival AI managers to date, so plowing through the competition with a single tactic will no longer be a sure-fire path to victory. This overhaul of the opponent’s decision-making skills has also been paired with new out-of-possession tactical instructions that make defensive decisions more practical and the competition noticeably tougher. The game now encourages players to think more strategically in order to outsmart their rivals.

Long-time fans of the series are sure to hardly notice the changes that have been made to Football Manager 2023, especially if the inclusion of the UEFA Championship League significant important. While the dated graphics of the game are still in need of a considerable touch-up, the gameplay itself is still solid. Football Manager’s devoted fanbase is sure to still get a lot out of the newest addition to the Sega franchise and new players may find the latest game that'll have them playing for hours of addicting fun.

Football Manager 23 is available now on Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. A PS5 version has been delayed indefinitely.

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