Football Manager 2021 Covid: SI balance realism & escapism in their coronavirus additions

Covid has made 2020 a tough year for basically everyone, and while not patched into FM20, Sports Interactive has had to react to the real-world situations when it comes to Football Manager 2021.

Football Manager 2021 will have some of the impacts of covid built into it, but thankfully not all of them. Miles Jacobson explores what FM21 is doing.

Shaky finances

The primary way covid will impact FM21 is in club finances. Every team will have been hit in some way, and this will be reflected in FM21.

Miles' statement says that the most visible impact will be on the transfer market.

"we’ve rewritten chunks of our transfer system to ensure that while superstars and wonderkids will retain their value, FM21 will see more ‘loan to buy’ offers, the value of mid-range players dropping and clubs in real financial trouble trying to move players on a more regular basis.

However, as money comes back into the game over time, the transfer system will adapt and eventually return to some sense of ‘normal’."

This is a nice touch, and thankfully one that you won't have to put up with for years, because the realism of the starting finances is balanced with some escapism.

Full stadiums, normal crowds

Thankfully, FM21 won't go full real-life on us and close all stadiums to fans.

Your matchday experience in FM21 will as you'd expect, with packed stands and busy concession stands.

This will help correct finances and generate revenue into clubs, helping move the transfer market.

Of course, it makes having good facilities and a big fanbase all the more important to expect teams like Manchester United and Real Madrid to be even more financially dominant than usual.

Calendar moves

Obviously the calendars for most football leagues are vastly different this year to what they normally are.

Where appropriate SI has adjusted the calendar to suit. However, in season two and beyond they will revert to 'normal'.

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There are a lot of leagues, like the MLS, that this will majorly impact but for most of Europe (which is where 95% of players play anyway) it won't be too big.

This follows for any temporary expansions of subs that leagues are implimenting this season.

Release date

Football Manager 2021 hits the digital shelves on 24 November.

As usual, there will be a beta that is available two weeks before hand for those that pre-order.