How to get Football Manager 2020 for free

The 2020 iteration of the world’s most legendary football management simulator, Football Manager, has officially debuted on the Epic Games Store and is available for free for a limited time.

Football Manager has practically been the quintessential, globally renowned sports simulator since its inception in 2004 and even dating back to its origins with Championship Manager in 1992.

Long available on Steam, September 17, 2020 marks the first day it is available on the Epic Games Store and, to commemorate the first release of the iconic title, it will be available for a full week. 

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As such, football fans anxious to dip their toes into the deep sea of roster construction and management have their opportunity to do so alongside any general sports fans who might be curious to find out why a nuts-and-bolts simulator has built a following that has transcended the cult niche and into mainstream spheres. 

While many unfamiliar fans might not understand the hype behind a simulator when there are actual playable titles like FIFA 20 out there, they can now easily try it out and join the game’s current player base through Epic Games. 

How to get Football Manager 2020 for free

1. If you already have an Epic account, go to the Football Manager 20 page on the Epic Games Store
2. If you don’t have an Epic account, sign up for free through the Epic Games Launcher and then follow Step 1
3. Click “Get” on the FM20 page
4. Enjoy 

Like most annual titles in the franchise’s long history, Football Manager 20 is critically acclaimed. The game’s global release date was on November 18, 2019, and its reviews have been widely positive.

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According to MetaCritic’s Metascore, which compiled 35 critic reviews, the game received an average score of 84, making it one of the top 25 PC games of 2019.

Impressively, Daily Star went so far as to give the game a full 100, citing that the “focus on long-term construction of a footballing powerhouse is refreshing.”

On the other hand, the game received just a 5.8 user score, based on 81 user ratings. That might be due to some degree of fatigue from the series for longtime fans, but now that the game is free for a week, you can come to your own conclusions.