M.C - Comments

You are trying to use the SortItOutSI Data Update alongside at least one other overhaul (TheNotoriousPr0 one). Between them, they provide a lot of overlapping content/functionality - you can't use both at the same time. Specifically, you cannot use two files that both alter the structure of a nation/its competition rules together. Any file like this will have the name of the country next to it.

When the game detects more than one file enabled that alters the same nation, it'll show you the red exclamation mark icon - which can be seen in your screenshot for each of England, Albania & France. Indeed, even within your screenshot, you can see two files for England.

If you want to use the SortItOutSI Data Update, you should disable all of the files provided by the other update, as a starting point. You can, of course, choose to use a mixture of files from the two - following the rule of ‘one file for each nation’ as a guide.

One specific nation to mention, from the SortItOutSI Data Update perspective, is Greece. If you enable an up-to-date structure (such as the one in your screenshot called “FM24 Greek G Ethniki (TheNotoriousPr0)”, you will probably need to disable the “sortitoutsi.net FM24 Data Update - Greece (League)” file. Whilst it doesn't change the advanced rules, it does restructure teams between divisions; but this is a work-in-progress and doesn't yet reflect the 2025/26 structure (it is coming soon!). As a result, the number of teams won't match up to the updated structure the other update provides.

For what it's worth, I agree with you on the overall concept that the community has a tendency to overrate (versus underrate) players in their submissions. As someone that is part of the team moderating things, we see a lot of submissions that appear to be people submitting ‘their favourites’ for higher CA/PA values.

However, I also think it's important to maintain a balance - in the sense that how much we know about all of these players is limited. I can't say that I've ever heard of Will Wright, but for all I know he might be really highly regarded at Liverpool and he might be shining in the youth ranks. That would equate to a high potential ability in FM.

I still think the right thing to do, given this is a community site driven by community submissions, is to submit your opposing view. For Will Wright and/or any other newly-created players in Liverpool, you can submit new CA/PA values via the web form on the first table at https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-data-update/team/676.

For Jayden Danns, or any player in the original database, the concept is the same - you browse to the club and then you'll see boxes for submitting CA/PA values. When I moderate, I do so under the concept that anything that I think is a reasonable submission will be accepted. Obvious outliers or spam submissions are rejected.

In terms of the CA/PA values for players in the original database, the Data Update factors in all approved submissions, which is why I am specifically encouraging you to make submissions. In simple terms, the posts you have made on the forums won't alter things, but your submissions can.

Yes, I don't believe that the free version of the update contains any updated player attributes (neither CA, PA nor individual attributes) for players in the 24.3 database. The paid/enhanced version contains updated CA/PA values for all players in the 24.3 database.

Both versions of the update add the many thousands of new players that are created through community submissions through this site. In both cases, those players exist because they are built into the Changes.fmf file.

If you want to edit any details of players in the 24.3 database, I recommend you make those changes in a new file (i.e. just load the database and then perform your edits and save them to a new file). You only need to adjust the values that you want to change - you don't need to replicate values that are changed in the Data Update files. The concept here is that you're supplementing those changes.

If you want to edit any details of players who are introduced as new players, by the update, for those you will need to load the Changes.fmf file and make the adjustments in that file…because those players only exist in that file, so there is no way to edit them otherwise.

SortItOutSI releases a new version of the Data Update every day. This incorporates any transfers and contractual changes, or updates to the new players (including the creation of new ones), that have been submitted and approved throughout the previous day. All of this is in the Changes.fmf file, so really that is the one that iterates daily. The other files that make up the Data Update get iterated, but less frequently - for example, we are still working on updated league constitutions/structures for some nations and those will be integrated as-and-when they are ready.

Which version of the Data Update do you have (free or paid)? I'm asking because the files that are included vary slightly and I don't want to misguide you.

In the free version, I don't believe there are any altered player attributes at all. The free update does include the newly-created players and those are in the Changes.fmf file.

In the paid/enhanced version, I believe the CA/PA changes (which is the extent to which the Data Update changes players) are held within the file named ‘Classic FM - Non Dynamic Data.fmf’.

However, as an aside, if you only intend to change details of players who are in the original database (i.e. not newly-created players introduced by the Data Update), then you don't need to Load Editor Data at all.

You can just make the changes you want into a new file and save it with a filename that is later alphabetically than the SortItOutSI Data Update files (i.e. call it something beginning with ‘z’). Then, you'll have a supplementary editor data file that you can load alongside the Data Update. If your changes did alter a value that some other file also altered, your file would overwrite previous changes to that value on account of loading last.

The advantages of this are numerous - the big three are the fact that it'll be quicker to work in the editor with that smaller file, if you make a mistake you won't be breaking the main ‘Changes.fmf’ file and, perhaps most fundamentally of all, you can keep getting the latest version of the Data Update without overwriting the changes you made to one of the files. Otherwise, if you downloaded tomorrow's update, to use it you'd need to replace the Changes.fmf file (with the latest one) and that file would now contain your tweaks, which would be overwritten…

The best advice I can give is for you to submit values that you think are appropriate. Community submissions are what drive these things and, of course, people have different opinions and people will disagree with one another, but the more people that submit CA/PA values for different players, the more the update can reflect the popular view.

Thanks for these. I'll take care of them tomorrow morning, assuming no other staff member has by then.

These ones typically occur due to clubs having B and C teams. Most typical duplicate is when one instance is assigned to the first team and one to a second or third team through the website. Unfortunately it is not as easy to ‘see’ the one that already exists in this case. Highly encourage all community contributors to check second and third team squads before submitting a new player for creation, wherever possible. Of course the moderation step should also become more mature over time and help us to avoid (temporarily) introducing the second instance, too. As moderators, we should always check the ‘Possible duplicates’ section as this can often prevent approving a player creation that already exists.

Just to provide a viewpoint on these:

1. Yes - we have been discussing this internally and this is something that will be changed. Those mental attributes will get pivoted to be 0 by default, so adding a randomness to things (which I think is the best solution for all of these young, unknown players anyway).

2. This is quite an involved thing - it isn't something we can easily do at scale as it isn't exposed to the community for submissions. It is probably down to a staff member, or community member, to take it upon themselves and create a file that includes such changes. There's no doubting that it would be a great addition but it is hard to do at a global scale without a community effort.

3. This is already happening and updated CA/PA values, based on community submissions, are already part of the enhanced/paid Data Update.

They are all in the main Changes.fmf file.

The full filename will be either:

sortitoutsi.net FM24 Data Update - Changes.fmf

Classic FM - Changes.fmf

I appreciate this has been reported a few times - indeed, not just by yourself.

Just to assure you, I'm now actively working on fixing Bulgaria. This not only includes the errant Belarussian club currently playing in Bulgaria, but also updating the league structure to reflect the real-life structure for 2025/26 (Efbet Liga of 16 teams, Vtora Liga of 17 teams, following the withdrawal of one team in July).

If you can bear with me a few days, I should have it integrated into the Data Update by the end of this weekend.

The cause of not being able to select certain nations is typically because you have multiple files trying to update the structure/rules of the same nation. The most common cause is because you have installed files from multiple updates.

Given the widespread number of nations, I am certain you have files from different updates. The SortItOutSI Data Update is intended as an all-in-one solution and can't be used alongside other data updates that provide the same functionality.

You can identify the individual files that clash by looking at the list of Editor Data files enabled (as shown in the screen snippet below). Where you have more than one file trying to adjust the same nation, both of those files will have the warning triangles against them.

For those who are finding that the game appears stuck on ‘Setting up game database’, using the Data Update from 28/08/2025 or later:

I suspect there isn't a technical problem, as such - but that things are taking longer because of the reintroduction of the 'Player History' file; which updates all player histories. The file contains over 3,000,000 database changes and so it significantly slows down the game setup times.

Because some people also mention the step before you select playable leagues, here's a broad overview of how things flow:

In general, the initial step (before you select playable leagues) will visually go to 100% on the progress bar and then process all of the Data Update files. At this stage, it has to read all the files and process the ones that make changes to what leagues are available/playable (because the player is going to then choose which ones to enable for that save). So this step takes longer than vanilla and because the in-game UI shows the progress bar at 100%, people think it is stuck. It is doing its thing. On my machine, vanilla takes about 2-3 seconds to do this step and with the Data Update that is more like 40-45 seconds.

The next bit is where there is a significantly longer wait time because 'Setting up game database' involves reading and executing all of the Editor Data files that make database changes. This was already a high number and is now an extra 3,000,000+ to apply the player histories. There is no magic fix for this going faster - the option people have is to remove/disable this file if it is too long to wait.

In your Editor Data folder, you're looking for a file named either 'sortitoutsi.net FM24 Data Update - Player History.fmf' (free version) or 'Classic FM - Player History.fmf' (paid version). Hope that helps.

If it helps with making a decision about whether to use the file, whilst the game setup process will take significantly longer, once in-game there should be no difference to the game speed.

Just to provide some more detailed, contextual information on why this is happening:

I suspect there isn't a technical problem, as such - but that things are taking longer because of the reintroduction of the 'Player History' file; which updates all player histories. The file contains over 3,000,000 database changes and so it significantly slows down the game setup times.

Because some people also mention the step before you select playable leagues, here's a broad overview of how things flow:

In general, the initial step (before you select playable leagues) will visually go to 100% on the progress bar and then process all of the Data Update files. At this stage, it has to read all the files and process the ones that make changes to what leagues are available/playable (because the player is going to then choose which ones to enable for that save). So this step takes longer than vanilla and because the in-game UI shows the progress bar at 100%, people think it is stuck. It is doing its thing. On my machine, vanilla takes about 2-3 seconds to do this step and with the Data Update that is more like 40-45 seconds.

The next bit is where there is a significantly longer wait time because 'Setting up game database' involves reading and executing all of the Editor Data files that make database changes. This was already a high number and is now an extra 3,000,000+ to apply the player histories. There is no magic fix for this going faster - the option people have is to remove/disable this file if it is too long to wait.

If it helps with making a decision about whether to use the file, whilst the game setup process will take significantly longer, once in-game there should be no difference to the game speed.

In your Editor Data folder, you're looking for a file named either 'sortitoutsi.net FM24 Data Update - Player History.fmf' (free version) or 'Classic FM - Player History.fmf' (paid version). Hope that helps.

For those who are finding that the game appears stuck on ‘Setting up game database’, using the Data Update from 28/08/2025 or later:

I suspect there isn't a technical problem, as such - but that things are taking longer because of the reintroduction of the 'Player History' file; which updates all player histories. The file contains over 3,000,000 database changes and so it significantly slows down the game setup times.

Because some people also mention the step before you select playable leagues, here's a broad overview of how things flow:

In general, the initial step (before you select playable leagues) will visually go to 100% on the progress bar and then process all of the Data Update files. At this stage, it has to read all the files and process the ones that make changes to what leagues are available/playable (because the player is going to then choose which ones to enable for that save). So this step takes longer than vanilla and because the in-game UI shows the progress bar at 100%, people think it is stuck. It is doing its thing. On my machine, vanilla takes about 2-3 seconds to do this step and with the Data Update that is more like 40-45 seconds.

The next bit is where there is a significantly longer wait time because 'Setting up game database' involves reading and executing all of the Editor Data files that make database changes. This was already a high number and is now an extra 3,000,000+ to apply the player histories. There is no magic fix for this going faster - the option people have is to remove/disable this file if it is too long to wait.

In your Editor Data folder, you're looking for a file named either 'sortitoutsi.net FM24 Data Update - Player History.fmf' (free version) or 'Classic FM - Player History.fmf' (paid version). Hope that helps.

If it helps with making a decision about whether to use the file, whilst the game setup process will take significantly longer, once in-game there should be no difference to the game speed.

I found some time to try and replicate at my end - I am using the SortItOutSI Data Update, wholesale, with no extra files. Contracts appear to be correctly aligned. For example, Bryan Mbeumo's expires in June 2028.

Just to be certain, can you share screenshots of your Editor Data folder/confirm your setup, just so we can rule out some nuance associated with the combination of files you're using?

OK - and as a very simple follow-up, because I just loaded up the main ‘+2 years’ offset file. I think I can see what the situation is - and it is a simple explanation, but needs some action to tackle:

The content of the ‘+2 years’ file is not dynamic/iterated daily, based on the data that gets committed to the Changes.fmf file (which is driven from the website). It's a point-in-time offset based on what the data was at the time. Strictly speaking, the ‘+2 years’ file is not offsetting any contractual dates by two years, either - it is setting them to a specific date, which is identified as two years different from the original data.

So Bryan Mbeumo - at the time of creation of the ‘+2 years’ file - had a contract he signed in January 2022 which expired in June 2026. As a result, the ‘+2 years’ file sets these dates two years earlier - so a contract expiring in June 2024.

Now, the Changes.fmf file also supplies the database with an entry that changes his contract signed and contract expiry dates. Those are based on the dates that are supplied by the community through the website. However, there is logic that also offsets these by two years to match up - which makes sense. Bryan Mbeumo's contract expiry is set to June 2028 in that file. The Changes.fmf file is later in the load order than the ‘+2 years’ file and it absolutely should overwrite these values.

Essentially - and that is a long way around to say it - I concur with you that it would appear that the contract expiry is not being overwritten and that is probably the area to troubleshoot (i.e. why that is happening). Whilst blanket-removing the contract alterations in the ‘+2 years’ file may solve the problem for players who have contract changes in the Changes.fmf file, it would fail to apply an offset for players that don't have contract changes in the Changes.fmf file.

I don't really want to accept making a concession either way, hence there is some testing and work needed to tackle this. I'll report back when I've had a proper chance to test various scenarios and see if there is something logical that we can isolate here.

I haven't personally had a chance to delve into the situation with the Age/Contract offset file - but I do acknowledge it has been reported a few times. There is no doubt something that isn't quite right. I suspect it to be a sequencing issue - with the Age/Contract offset file loading first and then any contract that has been changed (i.e. any player who has had their contract record updated through the website and thus written into the main Changes file) overwriting whatever the value was set by the Age/Contract offset file.

I do not think there are specific plans to produce a “+2 Age” only file. This is not a variation that has been discussed. If the inconsistency associated with the overall Age/Contract offset file can't be resolved cleanly, then I suspect that may be what we fall back to.

In practice, I think the solution is tackling whatever the problem is. If it's a file sequence issue - that will be an easy solution.

As per your perspective - with which I agree - the target here is accuracy and the immersion that accuracy brings. The Data Update intends to represent the footballing world as it is currently (i.e. Summer 2025) at the corresponding in-game moment of Summer 2023 (i.e. the start of a new game). With that in mind, offsetting the ages and the contracts is the right thing to do. August 2023 in-game is equivalent to August 2025 in real-life and, therefore, if a real-life contract expires in June 2026, it should expire in August 2024 in-game.

Using only the Bryan Mbeumo example, I cannot see why he'd end up with a contract that expires in 2024. His original database contract is set to expire in 2026. The offset would put that at 2024, sure. But if someone is using the Changes.fmf file, which transfers him to Manchester United and sets a contract expiry of 2030, the offset should put him at 2028. I could understand if he was at Brentford with a contract expiring in 2024 - which suggests there is perhaps something else at play that is causing certain contract end dates in the Changes.fmf file to be ignored. I must stress, though, that is is entirely speculative right now on my part.

I am sure with a targeted effort we'll resolve whatever is causing the change not to apply as intended across the board. I will do my best to inspect the files in the next 24 hours and try and get a clear picture on where the conflict is coming from and the cause.

When you make the purchase, it is linked to your sortitoutsi.net account. As such, when you go to https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-data-update the download link presented to you should take you straight to the enhanced/paid version of the data update. Below the green download button, it should indicate the version of the update to which you have access. For someone with access to the paid version, it should look like this:

Please do let us know if this is not the case for yourself.

You are free to use whichever numbered ones you wish. Or not use them at all - they are optional and designed to provide some variety.

In the main folder of the download, you'll find a file named “Classic FM - Non Dynamic Data.fmf”. This should be used/enabled if you don't want to use the optional, dynamic data files.

If you wish to use the optional, dynamic data files, “Classic FM - Non Dynamic Data.fmf” should not be used (i.e. it should be removed or disabled). In its place, you should use a total of three files from the ‘Optional Dynamic Data’ folder, specifically:

• one of the ten files named ‘Classic FM - Dynamic Data X.fmf' (where X can be 1-10)
• one of the ten files named ‘Classic FM - Dynamic New Players X.fmf' (where X can be 1-10)
• one of the ten files named ‘Classic FM - Dynamic Pre Window Budgets X.fmf' (where X can be 1-10)

Which one of each group of ten files you use is entirely up to you - you do not have to combine the three files numbered ‘1’ with each other; any combination is fine and, as I say, it is designed to add some randomness to your game world.

I am not 100% sure, but I think this is a result of time passing (in real-life) without subsequent budget updates being incorporated into the Data Update.

I can say that the numbers you're seeing are what has been entered into the Data Update by the staff team. To this end, your game is not glitching/it isn't a bug. I am not saying they are real-life accurate numbers based on today, though.

If I use the Chelsea example, I suspect what has happened is that there was a level of update done early on/before the transfer window and not a subsequent update done since. I am no expert on exactly how a Transfer Budget is interpreted by the game versus FPP responsibilities, but given Chelsea have spent ~£250m this window, I would estimate that a value of ~£300m reflecting the start of the window is not a million miles off. In real-life, clubs spend beyond their means and then work to sell afterwards to recoup, in many cases.

As I'm sure you can imagine, updating budgets in real-time as the transfer window unfolds would be quite the task. However, as the window comes to a close in real-life, I would expect a subsequent update to reconcile the numbers. Maintaining end-to-end accuracy across the whole game world throughout a transfer window is tricky. If you don't up the budgets at the start based on the likely spending a club will do, they are too low. When you do up them, as soon as they spend some of it in real-life, that original budget (again) becomes wrong. I'm not sounding that out as an excuse, just explaining my take on why it isn't aligned to the real-world at all times.

If you are attempting to use all of the dynamic files simultaneously, that is probably causing your database load to get stuck endlessly.

You need to use one each of the numbered (1-10) variations for any given save.

Taken care of now - thank you for flagging. Will reflect from the next daily update (i.e. tomorrow) onwards.

I spot-checked our update for all of those that I could easily locate: I was not able to find a duplicate for any of them. Specifically, I looked up Tristan Panduro, Tyresse Noubissie, Chido Obi, Jorthy Mokio & Sander Alamaa.

For each of these players there is only one instance at their club. As such, I am highly confident that the presence of other update files with overlapping content is causing the duplications at your end.

This site offers a Data Update that sounds pretty much like what you are after. It is designed to be an all-in-one update. It includes all global transfers, submitted on a continuous basis by this community and moderated by the staff team. It also includes almost 20,000 new players (mostly youth players) - which, again, are mostly submitted by the community, as well as a growing number of ability/attribute updates to players in the original database.

It also includes updated league structures for many nations (not all playable nations, yet, but those not yet completed are being worked on) to reflect 2025/26. This includes promotions, relegations and league rules where applicable/possible.

The Data Update has a new release daily, so whichever point in time you get it, you will have transfers reflected more-or-less in real-time. It can be accessed via https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-data-update and is a free download.

There is an enhanced/paid version, which costs £5 for a year, which additionally provides some dynamic data variations to mix things up a bit between saves.

I can't really speak about other all-in-one updates offered by other sites/groups, as I have never used any of them. Have been a regular user of the SortItOutSI Data Update for many years and it has always felt very thorough to me. I've only recently joined the staff team to help with moderation, so please rest assured my opinion is not solely based on the fact that I ‘work here’.

--

If you then supplement it with some of the other essential downloads - such as the FM24 Real Name Fix (https://sortitoutsi.net/content/63651/fm24-real-name-fix) and the graphics megapacks, all together it really enhances the experience of FM24 versus the vanilla game.

As of a few weeks ago, the ability exists for the community to specify details related to the player's appearances - namely their Ethnicity, Skin Tone, Hair Colour, Hair Length, Height and Weight. These are all on the web form and are all optional fields. Some of the community - and staff - have begun the process of retrospectively populating these fields for already-created players, so I am hoping that will continue.

Of course, for more obscure youngsters this information is not always easily available, but it'll get populated as much as possible, hopefully. Going back through the existing submissions will also happen but will inevitably take time.

No need to apologise. I am glad you figured it out. I'll be honest, I have never played - nor paid any attention to - any options other than ‘Original’, so that didn't even enter my thoughts.

Now you mention it, though, it's a good time to reiterate that the SortItOutSI Data Update is designed to be used with ‘Original’ mode. It cites not working correctly with ‘Real World’ mode and I suspect the same is true for ‘Your World’ mode.

The general concept of the update is to put players at the club they are at, in real-life, at any given moment in real-life. It doesn't operate on a ‘future transfers’ basis. Furthermore, the general idea is to change the in-game date of Summer 2023 to reflect the real-world date of Summer 2025. It does this by (1) having all of the transfers having already taken place, (2) offsetting player ages and contract end-dates by two years and (3) having promotions, relegations and league structures reflect the 2025/26 season in real-life in the 2023/24 season in-game (caveat: not every playable league is updated yet; this is still a work-in-progress). Effectively, it's how the Data Update handles the fact that two years have now passed.

Thanks for sharing those. Very, very strange. Personally, I can't see a reinstallation doing any good as something this specific is driven by the database contents.

Considering these players have never been at these clubs in the 24.3 database, this is even more puzzling. I can't even think of a speculative reason that this could be happening.

There are files in a vanilla installation that control aspects related to licensed/unlicensed clubs, but these are typically graphical and/or to enforce names…I have never seen, or considered, that they would control player details. In fact, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be able to. As an aside to what you're experiencing, I'd recommend making use of the ‘FM24 Real Name Fix’ (https://sortitoutsi.net/content/63651/fm24-real-name-fix). This is more just a generic piece of advice for someone new to the game.

For a quick thing to try, the only thing I can recommend is trying to re-download the Data Update and re-apply it. I am very curious as to the cause of this error.

So you appear to have installed the Data Update correctly and you're running the right FM database version. This is very strange.

I am not able to replicate it and, dare I say it, nor is anyone else as I am certain we would've heard similar complaints from other community members, given these are two players at a big club.

There is nothing in any of the Data Update files that would be moving them from Manchester United, as best I can tell. The fact that they are at their previous clubs is bizarre.

Can you share a screenshot showing them at those clubs, respectively? Not because I don't believe you, just because perhaps there will be a clue in the screenshot as to how this is happening.

Can you please provide screenshots from the game setup screen, specifically the part where you select which database to use as well as where you enable Editor Data files?

The odd thing about the examples you've cited are that, as best I can tell, both of these players have been at Manchester United throughout…so it is not like these transfers to Manchester United are introduced by the Data Update.

There are full installation instructions at https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-data-update. Please try to follow those and if you have done, please elaborate on what you have tried and share screenshots of your ‘editor data’ folder along with details of the experience when trying to start a new game. I will be glad to assist but need a little more to go on.

If you go to https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-data-update you will be presented with the ‘Classic FM’ update (enhanced/paid) version automatically. Apologies if that was unclear.