Sports Interactive has revealed a preview of Football Manager 2025’s new user interface (UI), signalling an exciting transformation in the upcoming game.
As we already know, FM25 will run on the Unity Engine – a popular game engine behind many of today’s well-known games.
The update features not only a refreshed user interface designed to “dramatically improve” navigation but also noticeable advancements in the match engine too.
Earlier this month, SI also announced a multi-year partnership with the Premier League, ensuring that all 20 clubs from England’s top division will be officially licensed in future versions of FM.
On 27th June 2024, studio director Miles Jacobson provided further insights into the upcoming release through a detailed development update, which also included concept images of the new UI.
Miles began by highlighting some features and modes that will not be included in the next Football Manager edition including:
- Touchline Shouts
- Create a club
- Versus Mode
- Challenge Mode
- Fantasy Draft
- Social Media Screen
Touchline Shouts will be absent from FM25 and will not return for the foreseeable future. Jacobson explained, “A ‘shout’ should happen instantly, but they only came into effect after the ball had gone out of play. It also wasn’t clear to players how long the shout lasted for. So, for the time being, touchline shouts are gone from the game. I do really want them to come back, but they’ll only reappear if and when we can do them properly.”
Significant changes are coming to the user interface as Miles explained:
“With the new UI, our team have built powerful design and technical foundations that can be easily scaled and improved in the future. This means that every future addition will strengthen the UX without compromising consistency in our UI.”
“FM25’s new UI/UX is driven by what we have called a ’tile and card’ system. A ’tile’ is a panel of information with multiple different states, from small amounts of information to larger ‘cards’ which contain more material. Our Design team wanted to create something that would help to build a sense of exploration for every player to reveal the depth and detail of Football Manager. In this system, the tiles are a way of building curiosity by providing a snapshot of information, while clicking through into cards rewards your interest with further detail. Tiles come in multiple different sizes that we call ‘states’ – this is so that we can use the information appropriately in various different screens and scenarios.”
The accompanying images in the development announcement show a tile, Player Form, in various states, and another screenshot displays what happens when you click on the form tile.
One of the most notable announcements in the latest update is the replacement of the Inbox with a “Portal.”
Jacobson explained, “Historically the screen that people spend the most time on in FM has been the Inbox – essentially, your in-game email. For a while, this has felt quite old school given that modern football managers spend way more time on their phones than laptops. So, welcome to what we now call your ‘Portal’. The Portal will be a richer window to the wider footballing universe. It’ll give you far better tools to develop your story through the Agenda and Messages sections, but also deliver you more insight into what’s happening elsewhere via News and Matches.”
The update also includes a new screen that appears between match highlights, offering a glimpse into the potential of the new ’tile and card’ system. More details on its functionality will be shared during the official gameplay rollout in September.
The release date for Football Manager 25 will also be announced in early September, with new gameplay features unveiled shortly after. The release date is anticipated to be in the first few weeks of November 2024.
Finally, an official Football Manager Podcast is also planned, featuring interviews and stories from the professional football world, as well as segments about the game. There is certainly a lot in store for FM25 and plenty of update to come!
Image Credits: Sports Interactive