The full release of Football Manager 2020 (FM20) is just a matter of hours away, with Beta gameplay having been available for a few weeks.
Sports Interactive's football sim has long been considered the ultimate immersive experience for armchair pundits, so with that in mind we cover absolutely everything you need to know about the new game.
Football Manager 2020 Release Date and Beta
Football Manager 2020 arrives on November 19th 2019.
That includes the full PC Steam version of the game, as well as the reduced FM20 Touch (Steam, iOS & Android) and FM20 Mobile (iOS & Android) versions.
Release dates are coming soon for Google Stadia (with the new platform arrving on the market in November) and Nintendo Switch.
Nonetheless, for those of you who cannot wait and will be pre-ordering the game, the Beta is already available - as of 31st October 2019.
Haven't pre-ordered? Fear not, by buying the game now, you will receive the FM20 Beta so you can get playing immediately.
As you will be aware of, Football Manager 2020 will be available on PC and Mac OS via Steam and now Xbox Game Pass, but also on Nintendo Switch after moving to the console last year.
READ MORE: Football Manager 2020 Review - subtle tweaks and superb formula take game to the next level
Mobile and Touch versions will also be available for those wanting to play wherever you are.
FM20 will also be available on Google Stadia when the cloud-based gaming platform launches in November.
Football Manager 2020 will cost £39.99 on release, and £9.99 for the mobile version.
You can save 10% by pre-purchasing FM 20 from the Steam store. Meaning it will cost you just £35.99.
Trailer
Sports Interactive have fittingly launched their very own interactive trailer - click here for the full version and plot your first journey on FM 20!
Team Editions
AUTHENTICITY: Picking up the Arsenal Team Edition will take things up a notch when playing with the Gunners
There are currently two team editions available to pre-order; Valencia and Arsenal.
They offer each team's officially licensed kits, club crests, and player faces to improve the managerial experience for fans.
These will not be available in the standard edition, and the team editions are exclusive to the FM Store, but as they don't cost any more than the standard one you might as well pick up one of these editions.
New features
There are plenty of new features coming when FM20 finally arrives. SI are focusing on long-term managers this year, which is a welcome thing and most players go so deep into their saves that Kylian Mbappe retires.
READ MORE: Every single new feature coming to Football Manager 2020
This focus includes an overhaul to the boardroom experience. This comes with a new five-year plan from your board that is tailored to each club. There is also expectations regarding club culture and this may even extend into deeper requirements when it comes to the transfer market and on-field style.
Environmentally friendly packaging
Any gamer worth the name has a stack of hard plastic boxes taking up shelves. Be it every version of FIFA since 1998 or the last 12 Football Managers, there is something special about getting the physical copy that digital downloads simply cannot replace.
FRESH LOOK: For those wanting a hard-copy of the game, a recyclable box should be compulsory nowadays!
But those boxes are not exactly good for the environment, nevermind keeping your house uncluttered. Sports Interactive are making an effort to change that.
Football Manager 2020 will be packaged in 100% recycled board and will come with a manual printed on 100% recycled paper, shrink-wrapped in fully recyclable low-density polyethylene (LDPE). This effort could save up to 20 tonnes of plastic packaging and possibly create a movement to help the entire industry become more responsible.
This is just the next step in Sports Interactive's admirable social platform that sees them use charities on their advertising hoardings in the game and make donations to War Child. You can read more about their reasoning for this packaging change here.