Football Manager 2023: Winter Update brings changes to MAJOR stars

The Football Manager 2023 Winter Update has arrived, with fans able to jump in now and get started in their brand-new managerial career.

Of course, the update has brought gameplay changes and bug fixes, but updates have also been made to some of the best players in the game. From Premier League upgrades to the removal of a talented wonderkid, the FM23 Winter Update has certainly caused a major shift in the FM landscape.

Check out some of these major changes below, including the patch notes for the new update.

Arsenal Upgrades

Arsenal are flying at the top of the Premier League and it’s no surprise that their players have received a significant upgrade in Football Manager 2023.

The Gunners are somewhat the darlings of FM, with their youthful squad and expansive play-style certainly resonating with many players.

In that case, there’s no shock that Bukayo Saka is now the most exciting talent in Arteta’s squad, with the England international receiving a +6 in his current ability, and now boasting a maximum potential ability of 182.

Similarly, Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba and Thomas Partey have also been handed upgrades in the Winter Update, with Arsenal now boasting a dangerously strong squad.

Following a host of upgrades for Arsenal stars in FIFA 23, Gunners fans can certainly breathe a sigh of relief that their stars have also been acknowledged in Football Manager 2023.

Wonderkid Departs

It’s not all good news for Football Manager 2023 fans, with one of the best wonderkids no longer available to buy.

Endrick is undoubtedly one of the best wonderkids in the game and his impact in many people’s saves has seen him achieve FM cult hero status.

With Real Madrid agreeing a deal for the Brazilian forward, it means that his contract status has been changed in FM23, with the 16-year-old set to move to the Bernabeu in 2024.

Locked away until Madrid get their hands on him, it doesn’t look like anyone will be paying less than £100 Million for Endrick in Football Manager 2023.

Brighton Rockers

We mentioned Arsenal as the Football Manager darlings of the Premier League, but we’re sure Brighton may have something to say about that.

Their high-tempo, relentless play style has seen them stride forward and once again cement themselves as a Premier League mainstay.

Now, exciting stars like Karou Mitoma, Moises Caicdeo and striker Evan Ferguson have all been upgraded in the Winter Update.

Ferguson is one of the highest rises from the update, with the Republic of Ireland international boasting a CA of 128, an increase of 22, and a max PA of 180, making him one of the best wonderkids in FM23.

The same can be said for Mitoma, who rises 19 ability points in the Winter Update. The Japanese star has rocked the Premier League and it’s no surprise he’s been handed a healthy upgrade.

Expensive Downgrade

Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t exactly received a lot of love in the football gaming sphere, with the former Ballon d’Or winner being downgraded once again in the Winter Update.

Only dropping 3 ability points in this update, Ronaldo drops outside of the 100 top-rated players in the game.

However, CR7 does still boast a maximum PA of 196, but we’re thinking it’s unlikely he’ll rise to that point in this year’s game.

Fear not Ronaldo fans, as we’re certain that the Portuguese sensation has received an ample consolation prize, with a staggering £1.7 million per week wage listed on his profile, following his move to Al-Nassr.

Winter Update Patch Notes

The Football Manager 2023 Main Data Update went live on Thursday, 2 March, bringing a host of major changes to the game.

The FM23 Winter Update is highly anticipated every year as it brings new transfers, gameplay updates and bug fixes to the game. Changes in the 23.3 update include, but are not limited to:

• Stability and crash fixes
• Fixes to reduce mistakes from bad touches in certain areas of the pitch
• Fixes to defenders not preparing correctly for crosses in certain situations
• Improvements to defender reaction to long through balls
• Tweaks to make attacking players move quicker to support counter-attacks
• Improvements to how AI managers use different midfield role combinations
• Improvements to central defender and defensive midfielder positioning from long goal kicks
• Improvements to how attacking wide players track back when defending
• Fixes for defending wide indirect free kicks at the edge of the area
• ‘Header won’ statistic now only counts contested headers
• Improvements to the Recruitment Focus logic
• Fixed cases of reserve or youth team tactics appearing blank in the Development Centre
• Tweaks to development loans for AI teams
• Improvements to fixture scheduling, particularly the frequency of consecutive home or away games
• Updated substitution rules across various competitions