Football Manager Series

mattlemon said:
Hope they can bring us a decent FM27 by the end of the year, this is trash...
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I always posted this year the game won't meet expectations, it never does when changing engines.
So they always got a free pass from me, however if FM27 is as bad as FM26 - Then I will be really sad.

The game feels like there is too much missing and they changed the game and engine so it suits the console/casual gamer more.

It isn't just the game for me being terrible and the match engine having the same goal - The UI is just abysmal, they really need to fix this.
The old UI was perfect as when you played at 4K it showed so much information on the screen compared to 1080p.
This UI seems the same on every resolution - It just doesn't work for me.
 
Maybe worth another go @bsmaff?

n3tEvie6_o.jpg


Source: Reddit
 
New update incoming, not very exciting (unless you've been waiting for the January transfer window changes).

Full changelog available here.

I have a question, though. For the January transfer update, they state:

Rosters for certain licensed leagues whose seasons run to the calendar year will only be reflective up until the end of the 2025 season and will not include incoming and outgoing transfers made for 2026.
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How does this work?

If a player in one of those 2025 restricted leagues joins a player in a 2025/26 league, do they stay where they are? Or is removing them allowed? Or, God forbid, are they duplicated (appearing at their old club and new club)?
 
Chris Davies said:
New update incoming, not very exciting (unless you've been waiting for the January transfer window changes).

Full changelog available here.

I have a question, though. For the January transfer update, they state:


How does this work?

If a player in one of those 2025 restricted leagues joins a player in a 2025/26 league, do they stay where they are? Or is removing them allowed? Or, God forbid, are they duplicated (appearing at their old club and new club)?
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That's another thing that have got worse over the years in this franchise, because in the past these leagues had two start years 2025 and 2026 if we talk in FM26 terms, but then they removed it.
 
FM Update April 2026:

FM24:
Data Update to 07/04/26
Faces update for Data Update for new wonderkids.
DAVENCID Increased Realism Update - FINAL VERSION

FM26:
Licensing Update - v4.2
Data Update to 07/0/26
DAVENCID Increased Realism Update - APRIL 2026
3D Stadium Megapack v2.4
Trophies Megapack v2026.04
Faces v2026.05
Logos v2026.02
2D Kits SS Version v2026.10
2D Kits Standard Version v2026.02
3D Kits v2026.06
3D Balls v26.2
FM26 Bootpack v2.0.1

All updates available on OneDrive.
Football Manager
 
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Humble Store has the game for $35 USD, so I may finally buy the game. I'm on the fence though as to whether I just go all-in on FM 27 or buy this one and wait for FM 27 to be cleaned up.
 
Anyone saw a promo for the Women gameplay by the official accounts since the lunch of the game?
 
H_G said:
Anyone saw a promo for the Women gameplay by the official accounts since the lunch of the game?
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No, and their communication has been terrible since this debacle started. I just checked their YT page and they've only posted one video since 08 November 2025. And the video they posted was for Monaco's academy.
 
FCDallas_Fan said:
No, and their communication has been terrible since this debacle started. I just checked their YT page and they've only posted one video since 08 November 2025. And the video they posted was for Monaco's academy.
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Alongside with the game itself, I would say this is one of the worst promo compain they have done for the game.

Their

They are partner with the Premier League but you don't see nothing from both parts about the other part.
 
Communication has been poor and lacks of updates is a bit worrying.

As stated several times though FM26 was always going to be shite with it getting a free pass from me.

But FM27 has to be a massive improvement and made more difficult, never has an FM been as easy as 26.
I have gone back to FM24 as it is just a much better game.

The worrying thing about the game is also the amount of glitches, the new transfer glitch I have seen online is beyond a joke and shouldn’t be on the game.
 
bsmaff said:
Communication has been poor and lacks of updates is a bit worrying.

As stated several times though FM26 was always going to be shite with it getting a free pass from me.

But FM27 has to be a massive improvement and made more difficult, never has an FM been as easy as 26.
I have gone back to FM24 as it is just a much better game.

The worrying thing about the game is also the amount of glitches, the new transfer glitch I have seen online is beyond a joke and shouldn’t be on the game.
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A free pass?! They had FIVE years of planning/execution of this game. And if we all take the blinkers off because we all love the game, it's been stale for years let's be honest. Think we need to up our standards...
 
Jowson said:
A free pass?! They had FIVE years of planning/execution of this game. And if we all take the blinkers off because we all love the game, it's been stale for years let's be honest. Think we need to up our standards...
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Never seen anything which states the game has been worked on for 5 years, it is known the original code used to port it to Unity was FM22.
I expected FM26 to be rubbish like every CM/FM when they change engine and it was.

My two biggest issues with the game is the UI is awful and clearly been developed for all platforms and not with PC main focus and tactics - I mean the match engine is so broken any formation where you don't play a striker breaks the engine. (Although they have apparently fixed this now.)
Some of the bugs are really stupid and very amateur, the game is incredibly easy.
 
Came here to post the related statement from Miles - first time we've heard from him since release.

In terms of international management though, it's yet another miss, as he describes it as "improved" but not the international management "revamp" they had promised. (Which makes it sound pretty much the same.)

At this point, they are virtually admitting themselves that FM24 was a better game all-round and that the major change in FM26 (the UI) is, in-fact, considerably worse. It's such a monumental fall from grace, from a team I never thought I'd lose trust in.

I've kept trying (and continue to keep trying) with FM26 - I can't help it, I need a football game in my life - but it's so much more difficult to have fun with.

Miles' statement in full (from the official FM site):

Ahead of the return of International Management, I wanted to speak to you directly to take stock of FM26 overall.  

I’ll start by confirming that International Management will return as a free game update for Football Manager 26, Football Manager 26 Console and Football Manager 26 Touch on May 26. Hitting this date is subject to the relevant platform submissions and licensing approvals, which also includes individual kit manufacturers. Our team will share full feature details and re-confirm the launch date shortly.

In this update you’ll once again be able to manage national teams and see our licensing agreement with FIFA come to life with official FIFA World Cup 2026™ branding, Broadcast Graphics, licensed kits* and the FIFA World Cup 2026™ match ball. 

The initial launch of International Management in FM26 will be supplemented by a second update in June to finalise licensed assets*, including the official 26-man 2026 FIFA World Cup™ tournament squads for participating nations. 

Ahead of that, I want to be transparent with you and manage expectations for what is coming in this update. While the mode represents an improvement on FM24, the full revamp will not be realised at launch and will instead be developed further over time.

Challenges within the existing game that I'll touch on below have limited the scope of what we set out to deliver. Looking ahead, your feedback and the improvements already under way will help shape our priorities for future game development.

Reflecting on FM26 overall, we understand the changes we made to the User Interface weren't well received by everyone. It’s also clear many were frustrated by the changes to navigation and the loss of immersion compared to previous editions. 

For FM26, the intention was to deliver a UI that was more fluid throughout the game, alleviating the disconnect between old and new items we had in FM24. I was open that we wanted to create a UI for our games that would make productivity tools envious, but that we’d rolled back some of our more overambitious changes in FM26.

I also said that we wanted to build something that was ultimately platform agnostic, enabling smoother implementation for our teams across our various products. Instead, this shift was ultimately detrimental to some of your experiences. 

Since launch we have worked hard to try and rectify or remedy issues as best as we can. Direct responses to your feedback include the redesigning of certain game screens, as well as the reintroduction of some features and functionality. Doing this on an active game wouldn’t have been possible without moving to Unity. 

While we haven't been able to address or fix everything you've reported, I hope that the regularity of updates offers some reassurance for the challenges you have encountered. FM26 is now a better game than at launch and the foundations we have in place are much stronger for future iterations. 

That said, we know that what we released has failed to meet the expectations of many. This was the first instalment of a new era and our first release in two years. We know how excited and enthusiastic you were, and so to have come below expectations for some is extremely disappointing. You expect nothing less than excellence from Football Manager, and that’s what the brand stands for. But, despite all the updates thus far, we haven’t got to that level. 

This is something I take full responsibility for.

I know that as a studio we are still filled with tenacious, passionate and talented people who want FM to thrive and evolve. 

To ensure everyone is best equipped to do that, we’re turning as many learnings from this cycle as we can into actionable changes. Whether that’s internal role changes, new hires or new ways of working, I am leading a team committed to putting things right and releasing games more of our fans will love.

For our next release, we’ve got a clear set of priorities, informed by the recurring pain points you’ve raised. Immersion is the main element we're focused on - be that game world, UI navigation or the UI itself. We are looking to elevate all of them and are making good headway. 

Everyone at the Studio is committed to rebuilding your full confidence in us, but we know that trust is earned not given. So, we will speak with you about our work when the time is right and look forward to sharing updates with you.

Miles Jacobson 
Studio Director 

*While we previously indicated that official kits would be included as part of the international management feature, licensing approvals are still ongoing. As a result, not all FIFA World Cup 26™ team kits will be available upon launch of the feature and some may be added at a later date.
 
Chris Davies said:
Came here to post the related statement from Miles - first time we've heard from him since release.

In terms of international management though, it's yet another miss, as he describes it as "improved" but not the international management "revamp" they had promised. (Which makes it sound pretty much the same.)

At this point, they are virtually admitting themselves that FM24 was a better game all-round and that the major change in FM26 (the UI) is, in-fact, considerably worse. It's such a monumental fall from grace, from a team I never thought I'd lose trust in.

I've kept trying (and continue to keep trying) with FM26 - I can't help it, I need a football game in my life - but it's so much more difficult to have fun with.

Miles' statement in full (from the official FM site):

Ahead of the return of International Management, I wanted to speak to you directly to take stock of FM26 overall.  

I’ll start by confirming that International Management will return as a free game update for Football Manager 26, Football Manager 26 Console and Football Manager 26 Touch on May 26. Hitting this date is subject to the relevant platform submissions and licensing approvals, which also includes individual kit manufacturers. Our team will share full feature details and re-confirm the launch date shortly.

In this update you’ll once again be able to manage national teams and see our licensing agreement with FIFA come to life with official FIFA World Cup 2026™ branding, Broadcast Graphics, licensed kits* and the FIFA World Cup 2026™ match ball. 

The initial launch of International Management in FM26 will be supplemented by a second update in June to finalise licensed assets*, including the official 26-man 2026 FIFA World Cup™ tournament squads for participating nations. 

Ahead of that, I want to be transparent with you and manage expectations for what is coming in this update. While the mode represents an improvement on FM24, the full revamp will not be realised at launch and will instead be developed further over time.

Challenges within the existing game that I'll touch on below have limited the scope of what we set out to deliver. Looking ahead, your feedback and the improvements already under way will help shape our priorities for future game development.

Reflecting on FM26 overall, we understand the changes we made to the User Interface weren't well received by everyone. It’s also clear many were frustrated by the changes to navigation and the loss of immersion compared to previous editions. 

For FM26, the intention was to deliver a UI that was more fluid throughout the game, alleviating the disconnect between old and new items we had in FM24. I was open that we wanted to create a UI for our games that would make productivity tools envious, but that we’d rolled back some of our more overambitious changes in FM26.

I also said that we wanted to build something that was ultimately platform agnostic, enabling smoother implementation for our teams across our various products. Instead, this shift was ultimately detrimental to some of your experiences. 

Since launch we have worked hard to try and rectify or remedy issues as best as we can. Direct responses to your feedback include the redesigning of certain game screens, as well as the reintroduction of some features and functionality. Doing this on an active game wouldn’t have been possible without moving to Unity. 

While we haven't been able to address or fix everything you've reported, I hope that the regularity of updates offers some reassurance for the challenges you have encountered. FM26 is now a better game than at launch and the foundations we have in place are much stronger for future iterations. 

That said, we know that what we released has failed to meet the expectations of many. This was the first instalment of a new era and our first release in two years. We know how excited and enthusiastic you were, and so to have come below expectations for some is extremely disappointing. You expect nothing less than excellence from Football Manager, and that’s what the brand stands for. But, despite all the updates thus far, we haven’t got to that level. 

This is something I take full responsibility for.

I know that as a studio we are still filled with tenacious, passionate and talented people who want FM to thrive and evolve. 

To ensure everyone is best equipped to do that, we’re turning as many learnings from this cycle as we can into actionable changes. Whether that’s internal role changes, new hires or new ways of working, I am leading a team committed to putting things right and releasing games more of our fans will love.

For our next release, we’ve got a clear set of priorities, informed by the recurring pain points you’ve raised. Immersion is the main element we're focused on - be that game world, UI navigation or the UI itself. We are looking to elevate all of them and are making good headway. 

Everyone at the Studio is committed to rebuilding your full confidence in us, but we know that trust is earned not given. So, we will speak with you about our work when the time is right and look forward to sharing updates with you.

Miles Jacobson 
Studio Director 

*While we previously indicated that official kits would be included as part of the international management feature, licensing approvals are still ongoing. As a result, not all FIFA World Cup 26™ team kits will be available upon launch of the feature and some may be added at a later date.
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This is my problem with FM26, it seems that I am playing it and I am forcing myself to play.
I am still doing just one more game but this is to see if the one more game makes an improvement to my opinion, rather than just one more game because I am super addicted.

I have given up with FM26 and have started now and again playing FM24 again, howver I find it really difficult to motivate myself for that too.
TBH I kind of thought this would happen given that the game was getting licenses and trying to push the console version, as this is where they will go from making money to making a lot of money. If SI could just get some of the FIFA money that is their ultimate goal.
 
What I've understood that Miles - this time - doesn't promise that all problems on FM 26 will be solved on FM 27.
He didn't give any promises for the next editions, learning from what happened with the current edition.
 
Miles explained that FM26 was a huge challenge because they moved to a new engine (Unity). He admitted they had to cancel some of their biggest ideas because they were too difficult to finish in time.
We’d rolled back some of our more overambitious changes in FM26.
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What this means:
The version of FM26 we are playing is actually "simpler" than what SI originally planned. They had to simplify the game just to get it released.


 
H_G said:
Miles explained that FM26 was a huge challenge because they moved to a new engine (Unity). He admitted they had to cancel some of their biggest ideas because they were too difficult to finish in time.

What this means:
The version of FM26 we are playing is actually "simpler" than what SI originally planned. They had to simplify the game just to get it released.


Click to expand...

Moving to a new engine is very difficult, especially from a custom one to a "one size fits all" approach. My issue is not with the technical challenges they face but rather how they didn't catch / notice these problems sooner. Was it a culture issue (people afraid to speak up, etc.)? Or serious lack of testing throughout the development process?
 
FCDallas_Fan said:
Moving to a new engine is very difficult, especially from a custom one to a "one size fits all" approach. My issue is not with the technical challenges they face but rather how they didn't catch / notice these problems sooner. Was it a culture issue (people afraid to speak up, etc.)? Or serious lack of testing throughout the development process?
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Personally, I fell that they probably didn't realise how big the task was and probably didn't have enough Unity developers to work on the project.
They moved across to a new engine due to Unity being much better for multi platform development, FM was previous developed solely for PC and then ported to consoles and I remember reading a few years ago SI hired a load of Intel engineers to massively optimise their code which benefitted PC processors.

I feel they need to develop two versions, a PC version which allows all us geeks to see as much data as possible as I miss using my 4K monitor to be full of match information and information.
This is only a UI issue as a one size fits all UI just doesn't work - Everyone gets the same screen and information and they have put so much stuff in incredibly weird places as it is easier for users on console to get to a certain screen.

I keep trying to force myself to play the game but everytime I do, I struggle to get into it.
3/4 weeks ago I started a game as Amiens and due to budget wasn't able to sign anyone, however I am top of the league by 5 points after 10 games.
The game needs to be made more difficult and let's be honest it's not like FM is the most difficult of games anyway but it was challenging.

They still have 6 months of development for FM27 but I feel they should of just released FM25 or 26 as Early Access and provided fixes every few weeks until the game was working or didn't miss loads of features, this would also of taken a lot of stick of SI.

But the match engine was pretty decent in FM24, although people have now found loads of flaws in FM24 match engine too and there are cheat formations out there.
FM26 on the other hand, yes the graphics are better but the actual match engine is terrible.
It is not as bad as when it was released when you saw the same cut back goal again and again, plus the broken strikerless formations which won you every game as the defenders never tracked the AM running through on goal.

FM26 is a 4/10 game.
It has far too many issues and just isn't that fun to play - It feels more like a mobile game than a Football Manager.

Hopefully FM27 has massive improvements but I am starting to have doubts if the game is going to see significant improvements.
 
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