Despite being released every November on the App Store like clockwork, I’m a huge fan of the iterative improvements that Sports Interactive make in their Football Manager series. For a game that is so easy to essentially commit every waking hour to, the small changes in the series can make all the difference, and Football Manager Mobile 2018 ($8.99) seems to be no different. As a more basic mobile alternative of the management simulator on the App Store, the ‘mobile’ version of Football Manager has always struggled in comparison to the Football Manager Touch alternative on the iPad, but the addition of up to 21300 active players serves as a notable step forward from previous iterations. As well as the long-awaited inclusion of the MLS, it’s clear SI are pushing Football Manager Mobile 2018 hard this year, and the game is finally available to download for $8.99 on the App Store today.

Despite previous reports stating otherwise, the more meticulous Football Manager Touch 2018 edition will be available a few weeks later on November 24th. This means that Football Manager Mobile 2018 is the only new version of the game on the App Store as of now – whether you can hold out two weeks for the Touch title entirely depends what sort of experience you want from the series on the go. Personally, the mobile version has always been enough for me, as the convenience of having Football Manager on the device I take everywhere with me outweighs the fact that it is technically inferior. Either way, the Football Manager series is unparalleled on any platform for its take on football management simulation, and Football Manager Mobile 2018 is no exception. Download Football Manager Mobile 2018 on the App Store today, and let us know whether it’s worth the yearly upgrade on our forum thread.