Days before the Launch Preview, Sports Interactive revealed two more FM27 features. The first is Shuffle Draft, a new multiplayer mode that replaces the old Fantasy Draft. The second is the Roshn Saudi League, which joins the game as a licensed league. So we put both in one article, with what SI confirmed and what the community is already saying.
What Shuffle Draft is
Shuffle Draft is the new take on Fantasy Draft, built in partnership with FIFAe. In other words, the same body that runs FIFA’s official digital tournament circuit, where Indonesia won the first Football Manager World Cup. The idea is simple: you build a squad from sets of players and then face your friends’ squads.
There is also one big difference from the old mode. You can play online or offline. So if none of your friends has FM27, you can set up a tournament against AI managers only.
Formats and player limits
A Shuffle Draft can have between 2 and 32 managers, in private or public lobbies. The host then picks the format:
- Knockout Cup: 2 to 32 teams.
- Group Stage & Knockout: 8, 16 or 32 teams.
- League: 2 to 20 teams, playing each other up to five times.
Empty slots can be filled with AI managers, either to round out the numbers or to practise before facing real opponents.
How the draft works
The host sets the player pool. For example, you can pick from World’s Best, Europe Big 5, Wonderkids, Veterans over 32 or Lower League Legends. There are also sets built on strengths, such as Technical, Creative, Physical, Intelligent or Leadership.
(Image: Sports Interactive)
If you want more control, you can build your own pool with filters for nationality, reputation and division. There are also three quality levels: Mixed, Higher and Highest. However, men’s and women’s football cannot be mixed in the same event.
The pool is then split into sets of 20 players, one per manager. With 10 managers, there are 10 sets of 20. Each round you take one player from your set and pass the rest to the next manager. Everyone picks at the same time, so nobody sits around waiting for their turn.
(Image: Sports Interactive)
Meanwhile, you can watch every rival squad take shape. You can also bookmark players to come back to later, if nobody takes them first. The host sets the time limit for each pick.
Squads, matches and Re-Drafts
Squads can have 14, 16, 18 or 20 players. With 14, you need to draft with a formation already in mind. With 20, there is room to take the best player available, whatever the position.
After the draft, everything works as in a normal career. Team selection, tactics and the match engine are the same. There is one difference, though: injuries and fatigue are wiped between matches, so your whole squad is always available.
The most interesting twist is Re-Drafts. After matchdays, you can return players to the pool or remove them from the tournament and get new ones. A bad draft is no longer the end of the road. The host can switch on up to five Re-Drafts, each with up to 20 changes, or turn them off completely.
(Image: Sports Interactive)
SI also has a handy tip for career players. You can use Shuffle Draft to try out players on your shortlist before spending your transfer budget in your main save.
The Saudi league arrives fully licensed
The second piece of news is the Roshn Saudi League. All 18 clubs come with official logos, player photos and kits. The number of playable nations in FM27 also rises to 59 (see every FM27 playable and licensed league). It joins the list of newly licensed leagues, after the French Première Ligue.
(Image: Sports Interactive)
The league is home to Cristiano Ronaldo, João Félix and Rúben Neves, along with Sadio Mané, Bono, Ivan Toney and recent arrivals such as Ollie Watkins, Gabriel Martinelli, Summerville and Reijnders. In the dugouts you will find Simone Inzaghi, Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou.
According to SI, it is Asia’s top-ranked league in the AFC rankings, and its clubs have won four of the last seven AFC Champions League titles. Anyone managing on the continent will have a real rival.
What the community says
Shuffle Draft has gone down well. Many players single out the offline mode: those who could never keep up with the online draft meta can now play against the AI. Others compare it to booster drafts in card games like Magic, or to FUT Draft. There are questions too. For example, what stops someone from taking every goalkeeper and leaving everyone else without one? People are also asking whether public lobbies will have matchmaking.
The Saudi league split opinion. The top comment is a joke: now even more players will be unsettled by ridiculous wages. Still, many see the upside. Saudi clubs now make real transfers and can even be relegated, which makes long saves feel more alive. Players managing in Asia or doing journeyman saves are happy. Others were critical, pointing out that the league was never a long-standing fan request and that Cyprus, for example, topped the new-nations poll on the SI forums.
Our take
Shuffle Draft looks like the most fun addition for anyone who plays with friends. Re-Drafts and themed pools add variety that Fantasy Draft never had, and the offline mode opens drafting up to solo players. The Saudi league is mostly about authenticity, but with Ronaldo, Félix and Neves in it, plenty of Portuguese players will give it a go.
You can try it all in the free Launch Preview, which opens on PC on 29 October. The game launches on 10 November. Next up, SI will show what is new in the Console, Touch and Mobile versions. For everything else, see our FM27 news roundup.
Sources
- FM27: Introducing Shuffle Draft (footballmanager.com)
- Roshn Saudi League makes debut in FM27 (footballmanager.com)
- Community discussions on r/footballmanagergames (Reddit)
