Last year’s edition of Football Manager started life on Steam before eventually making its way across to the Epic Game Store as a free game giveaway. Football Manager 2021 is available from the start on both platforms, allowing players to pick where they purchase the game.
Numerous issues plagued the online play feature following crossplay implementation between the two versions of the game last year. However, the game has made considerations for this from the beginning, so stability concerns should be moot this time around.
To start a crossplay online game of Football Manager 2021, on the start screen, head into the main menu and use the ‘Start a New Game’ option and ‘Online Career.’ From here, you will be invited to log into your Epic Games account, which will allow you to have access to your friends list within the game.
Clicking ‘Log In’ will open up a web browser requesting a link between the game and your Epic Games Store account. You will need to use your credentials to log in if the client is not already open. Authorize the link between the game and the client, and you will now have access to your friends list within the game, with the overlay accessible by pressing Shift and F3 together.
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After giving your server a name and optional password, you can begin the game. Players on Steam and the Epic Game client can then find your game in the ‘Join Online Game’ menu option and search for your game. By linking your Epic Friends list, they should be able to use the ‘Created by’ option within this menu to find you and other players from their friends list on both platforms and join this way. You can still find games by server name and join them regardless of which platform the game was purchased on.
