Football Manager game brings back controversial striker

The makers of Football Manager are bringing Mason Greenwood back into the game. Developer Sports Interactive has officially announced that the disgraced striker will soon return to the popular video game. Football Manager 2022 removed Greenwood and FM23 did not feature him at all.

Authorities took Greenwood into custody in February of 2022 on suspicion of rape, assault, and threats to kill. They formally arrested Greenwood eight months later for violating his bail terms. The withdrawal of a witness’s testimony dropped all charges against Greenwood in early 2023.

After Manchester United conducted a review, the club made Greenwood available for transfer in August. Then, a few teams suggested interest. However, Getafe secured a loan deal for the English winger. The deal helps bring the forward back into Football Manager.

Developer claims that reinstated players return to video game

“Players or officials serving indefinite suspensions from football, for any reason, are removed from Football Manager at the first opportunity,” a Sports Interactive spokesperson told The Athletic. “When suspensions or playing restrictions are lifted, the player or official will be reinstated in-game at the next scheduled update.”

The disgraced player will return to the latest installment of Football Manager. Yet, the game developer is not adding him to the 2023 version.

“The game’s database is generally fixed and final, barring certain exceptions, upon release of the Final Data Update which follows the closure of transfer windows active in January and February,” Sports Interactive told the Manchester Evening News.

Football Manager 2024 releases this fall with Mason Greenwood

There is no official release date for Football Manager. Traditionally, Football Manager drops a new game in November, as it did with FM23 in November 2022. Football Manager is one of the most popular soccer video games in the world. For example, the game regularly sells over one million copies each year.

The Athletic reached out to EA Sports regarding the issue as well. EA Sports removed Greenwood from previous installments of the FIFA video game franchise. Nevertheless, the developer would not give a response at the time. EA Sports FC 24 releases this month.

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