It won't be long now until the new edition of the Football Manager series arrives. FM 2020 news has been scarce, though we already know it'll be available on Google Stadia.
For those who don't know, Google Stadia is a new platform from Google that breaks away from what we're used to, like Steam or PlayStation.
In short, you no longer need to install and run the game on your own computer, since it's stored on Google's servers instead, and to play, users just need to log in. Your computer's specs stop being critical to the quality of your gaming experience.
That said, the best part is that you'll be able to play from anywhere with an internet connection, whether at school, at work, or even on public transport. Just log in to your account on any browser and you'll be able to immediately access your saves.
All of this through a paid monthly subscription to the platform.
But that's not all. FMPortugal went straight to the source, Bruno Gens Luís, one of the Portuguese coordinators, to reveal some of the news to us.
Back to research
FMPT: You were away from the research team during the update for FM2019's winter update, are you back for FM2020?
BGL: Yes, unfortunately during the Portuguese database's winter update period, I had health issues that stopped me from contributing. However, I had full confidence in the work being done by my colleague Carlos Bessa and the rest of the team. As for your question, yes, I'm back and in excellent health, thank you very much.
FMPT: Let's talk FM 2020 news. What can you tell us? We've heard rumours that the game will be sold in Brazil?
BGL: All the information I have contradicts those rumours. It very likely won't be available for purchase in Brazil. As for FM 2020 news, that can only really be shared through official channels.
News and women's football
FMPT: Will women's football or any other new league feature in the new edition?
BGL: That's for SI and Miles to announce, but as for women's football, the answer is clear. Miles Jacobson recently said that for that to be possible, popularity would need to grow significantly. In his words, until average attendances at stadiums in the main countries reach 20,000, there won't be women's football in FM. Contrary to what people think, production costs would be too high compared to the interested audience. As for new leagues, I can't share any information either.
FMPT: Can we expect another top-quality database in Portugal?
BGL: Of course, I firmly believe it'll be the best Portuguese database yet, both in quantity and quality. The number of people in it now reaches 30 thousand, of which 22 thousand will be active, all of this in Portugal alone.
Of course, to see that number, you'll need to change the advanced settings and select the option to load every person in the country.
Database and working team
FMPT: As for your working team, are you still attracting the same number of people interested in contributing?
BGL: Not as many as before, in fact our team's size has actually shrunk compared to previous editions, but I believe we have the best group of people since I've been coordinating research. Always available to help.
In fact, we recently added several key members, such as TH3 K1LL3R (in charge of the FMPT District Leagues update), and other members dedicated exclusively to kits, finances and the U23 league.
As a result, we managed to update every active person in our database, which was impossible in previous editions.
FMPT: From what you're saying, we take it the district league teams will be up to date?
BGL: As up to date as they can be. Unfortunately, in reality, squads for a good chunk of the district leagues still haven't been announced, so for those teams we're forced to keep the squads we knew from the previous season. On top of that, we also have another problem: a lack of information on many players' positions.
District leagues and playable divisions
FMPT: Is this the year they'll become playable?
BGL: Not this year, nor are there any future plans for it, since, as we said, there isn't even squad information for a large part of that division. Worse still, there's no information on which teams will take part in some of the regional football associations. To make them playable, you'll still need to use the updates FMPT district leagues updates.
FMPT: So we'll be sticking with the same playable divisions, right?
BGL: Exactly. Primeira Liga, Segunda Liga and the Campeonato de Portugal, all fully updated! There was a massive rework of the coaching coaching staff in Portugal. As for the Campeonato de Portugal, squads are likely to be a bit out of date at the game's release, since the amateur transfer window is still open and only closes at the end of February.
FMPT: And the U23 league?
BGL: It'll also be in the game, without the problem of not starting in the second season like it did in FM2019. As for the U23 cup, which wasn't in that edition, it'll also be present in FM 2020.
I have to admit the Portuguese leagues are a huge headache, not just for me, since I have to translate and explain them in detail, but also for Sports Interactive, given how constantly they change, and SI being based in a country with a completely different culture from ours.
Wonderkids, names and release date
FMPT: On that note, in the previous edition there were issues with some competition rules, more specifically around player registrations, will all that be sorted this time?
It's possible some competition rules aren't working exactly like in real life, since they're difficult to implement and take up a lot of the developers' time.
That said, I've kept in touch with the developers about how player registrations work in the league, and I believe this edition has that all sorted out.
FMPT: Now for the good part, who should we be keeping an eye on in this FM?
BGL: (laughs) Wouldn't it be better for you to find out for yourselves once the game's out? Well, I can reveal that the much-anticipated Joelson (Sporting CP) and Francisco Conceição (FC Porto), Sérgio Conceição's son, will already be in this edition with interesting potential ratings. There's also been an upgrade for the young prospects from our league, Romário Baró, Florentino, Ferro, Doumbia, Wendel, Luis Diaz, Fábio Silva or even Trincão.
FMPT: And outside the big three, any name you can share with us?
I can say I'm a big fan of Tapsoba from Vitória SC and Taremi from Rio Ave, I'll leave the rest for you to discover once the game's out.
FMPT: Finally, dates! When's the game expected to come out?
BGL: There's no official date yet, but everything points to 8 November. The Beta should arrive roughly two weeks before that.
On behalf of FMPortugal, thank you for your time during this especially busy period.
We'll keep waiting for official FM 2020 news, which should start coming out from next week.
For now, you can already pre-order the new edition of Football Manager through our partnership with 2game.com, which offers a 10% discount, bringing the total cost to around €33. Not only will you get access to the BETA version and FM Touch 20, but you'll also be helping the Portuguese research team keep up their work.
Find out more by clicking the image below.
