Matches now restart the way real football does. Penalties are taken in the box, free kicks where the foul happened, and after every goal both teams line up for a proper kick-off from the centre spot, with a quick TV-style cut while they get there. Highlights cut cleanly from one big moment to the next. Play on now stops right before a final or a play-off, so the biggest matches are always yours to play. Running a club costs less, so making a profit is easier, and the board sets calmer targets in the season after a promotion or a relegation. The Saturday show has new pictures too: a full stand of fans, a diving header, a tap-in and more volleys.
Matches now play out on a 2D pitch. Every chance is acted out the way it happened, from through balls and crosses to counter-attacks and corners, and finished with a header, a volley or a tap-in while the keeper dives full stretch. The players run, jump for headers and celebrate, goals are replayed up close, and the pitch wears as the season goes on. The latest build made it all more natural: players run at real speeds, a tackle comes from someone close by, and a match at normal speed takes about seven and a half minutes. In a hurry? Fast, Highlights and the text view are still there.
The last three builds gave Matchnight a long memory. Club records now name their holders and change hands when someone beats them, the greatest careers make the Hall of Fame, and a retiring legend gets a guard of honour in his last home game. Everything has a reputation too, from players to towns, so a famous name costs more and a hidden gem costs less. And every match now has a commentary line, with a text view if you'd rather read the match than watch it.
Matchnight has found its voice. A floodlit intro switches the stadium on before the title screen, music plays on the start screens, and every match has its own sounds, with a crowd that reacts to every chance and a commentator for the big moments. You can also tap any player, club or score to open its card, with full career histories, match reports and a search that finds anyone as you type.
Matchnight already plays season after season: pick any club in the four English divisions, then chase promotion, cup runs and European nights while 128 nations play on around you. The latest builds brought young players who grow into their talent (one in ten never quite makes it), free agents who find new clubs, and a quicker way to play through the weeks.
Waiting list
Want to play early?
Matchnight is still being built. Join the waiting list to play it early: we invite a few players at a time to try new versions and tell us what they think.
The form is on Google Forms and needs no Google account. Your details are only used to invite you, ask for your feedback and, if you tick that box, send you news.