Football Manager 2016 New Features

Sports Interactive have just announced (September 7th) Football Manager 2016. The announcement arrived a month earlier compared to last year (early October), but the pre-order has been significantly delayed this time (started late July for FM15). They had revealed a couple of new features during the previous months though (Manager Motion Capture and Dynamic Rivalries).

Miles Jacobson insisted that their target for new releases remains the same and it's about having at least a thousand new features in the game every year. So what news exactly does the FM 2016 announce have for us? First off, FM16 will be released in November. What about the key new features though? Read on to find out.


Published: 7 September
Updated: 26 September

We'll be updating this page whenever there is new information to be added.

Football Manager 2016 headline features

New Game Mode – Create-A-Club

Replace an existing team with one of your own. Choose a name, colours & add yourself with Create-a-Club mode

For the first time, Football Manager 2016 allows fans to add their own custom-built club to any league they choose, through the single player ‘Create-a-club’ mode. Create-A-Club allows you to name the club, add yourself and a friend to the line-up, edit the squad to your heart’s content and even choose the colours.

New Game Mode – Fantasy Draft

Go head-to-head with mates in Fantasy Draft mode

Create your dream team and take on your mates in ‘Fantasy Draft’ mode. Starting with a fixed budget, each manager builds a squad from scratch, competing with other managers to sign the best talent before going head-to-head against one another in a mini-league.
A little secret regarding Fantasy Draft mode - it's for up to 32 players.

Manager on the Touchline

Customise your own touchline manager character & see them and other managers on the touchline

Get closer to the action than ever before with your own customisable character to bark out instructions and join the celebrations from the touchline.

Improved Matchday Experience

Match engine - 2000+ new animations, deeper set-piece control, improved AI & brand-new highlights package

More than 2,000 new animations, alongside lots of other graphical improvements and improved AI, make the Football Manager 2016 match view the best ever.

Multi match highlights

A highlights package available to easily view other fixtures in your own competition (or others) to keep you up-to-date with everything that’s going on in the world around you.

Prozone Match Analysis

Deeper match analysis, player & team stats with Prozone integration

Sports Interactive’s partnership with the leading sports statistics provider, Prozone, has seen a wide reaching revamp of the in-game match analysis tool, adding lots of useful functionality whilst also making it a lot more prominent and easier to use.

Set-Piece Creator

Football Manager 2016’s powerful, yet easy-to-use set piece creator allows managers to set up multiple set piece routines to be used across multiple tactics; with different set pieces for each set piece taker, new zonal marking options and much, much more.

More Realistic Injuries

Sports Interactive has worked alongside a number of physiotherapists, doctors and related organisations to ensure that the depiction and treatment of injuries in Football Manager 2016 is more realistic than ever before. This doesn’t mean that fewer injuries will be sustained, but that those which do occur will be treated and develop more realistically. Injuries will now be determined during matches, while new injury types have been added and there is now a tangible distinction between player condition and match sharpness.

Expanded Press Interaction

Press conferences are more varied than ever before, with many new conversations to be had with the press, especially more contextual questions & responses. In addition, unemployed managers can now use media interviews to help get them back into the game.

Stats, Stats, Stats

Managers now have access to more detailed statistical information than ever before, with the introduction of a revamped stats screen and an all-new rolling stats panel.

New and Improved Screens

Information is now easier to find as a result of a revamp to many of the main screens, including player overview, tactics, the manager’s home screen and the transfer offer screen.

And Much, Much More...
Further additions and updates include staff shortlisting, improved manager and staff movement, revised board requests, a revamp of board confidence, more contextual team talks, fully updated competition rules & squad information, an improved financial module, improved AI transfers and team selection, new social media features and many more – all of which combine to make Football Manager 2016 the most complete and immersive simulation of football management ever.

Big changes and improvements to transfer, contract, player & contract screens (and many more)


FM16 TOUCH: Cross-play between desktop & tablet


EXTRAS: Upgrades to board requests, finances, press conferences & more


Depiction and treatment of injuries more realistic than ever before

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Timeline of all revealed FM16 features

September 26

• Something very useful for those with small staff budgets - staff can have dual roles at the same club.
• New formations introduced, including the 4-2-3-1-0 DM.

September 24

• When a non-player isn't interested in joining your club, they'll now tell you the reasons why.
• New formations introduced, including the 4-2-3-1-0 DM.

September 23

• Changes to the contract offer news item. In higher resolutions, you can make changes directly in the news item.
• Ability to view the future contract of a player who has agreed to join on a future transfer.
• New 'Dribble Less' team instruction.

September 22

• Your Chief Scout/Director of Football will recommend potential signings at the start of each transfer window.
• The mouse cursor will now display on the stream on Twitch.

September 21

• Players condition bar is now also available above players whilst on the pitch.
• Revamped team stats overview.

September 20

• You can now easily see how much a player will cost you per month in fees & salaries for loan players.
• Your scout report will indicate how marketable a potential signing may be.

September 19

• Managers can replay talking-point incidents immediately after they happen in FM16, like 'little flick of the studs'.
• Twitch TV support for titling broadcast.

September 18

• Improved contract offer screen.
• Scottish development team loan rules.

September 17

• New search for player/staff.
• Improved scout report summary screen.

September 16

• Late fitness tests have been added for players that are pre-match injury doubts.
• More staff revamp stuff - non playing football staff now split out in staff responsibility instruction.
• In FM16 talking point incidents are a new match replay type

September 14

• Improved handling of unhappy players from opposing (AI) managers.
• When approached by another club, managers have an option to have a private chat with players and staff regarding the move.

September 13

• Improvements to frequency, quality & usability for in season friendlies for reserve, B teams & youth teams.

September 12

• The commentator will mention a player's birthday in commentary of the match in FM16.

September 11

• You will receive backroom advice on moving players to and from your B team based on changes to their ability and form.
• On Touch mode you can 'create your own son' too.
• Both shirts and squares on tactics screen; shirts used when non-interactive, squares where interactive.

September 10

• Non-players that have been handed a ban in real life will also have to serve that ban in FM16.
• English work permit regulation changes have been implemented in FM16.
• You will receive backroom advice on moving players to and from your B team based on changes to their ability and form.

September 9

• There is more advice on what to do with new signings who don't qualify for a work permit.
• As part of a wide ranging staff revamp, manager reputation is now on a 20 point star scale rather than a 6 point scale.
• Top players will be more likely to retire while they're still in their prime.

September 8

• Any players who are still active (non-retired) can return for former teammate's testimonials.
• Player insurance is in FM16. So when players get injured, their salaries are insured.

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