FM 26: Release Date, Features, and the Big Comeback | OneFootball

Football Manager fans were gutted when FM 25 was cancelled – but FM 26 is set to make up for lost time. With a release set for late 2025, the game promises major upgrades, a new engine and the long-awaited arrival of women’s football.

From tactical overhauls to a sleek new interface, here’s everything we know so far about FM 26.

Why FM 25 was cancelled

Before diving into promising details about FM 26, it’s worth reflecting on the absence that paved the way for it. For the first time in its long-running history, Sports Interactive (SI) made the difficult call to cancel FM 25.

It was a rare and sobering moment for the FM community. A project that had been teased with great ambition and promised a plethora of exciting new features had to be shelved.

In an unusually vulnerable statement, SI admitted that they couldn’t live up to their promise of bringing a higher gaming standard with FM 25 after postponing the release of the game several times.

SI announced that they’d be moving the game to a new Unity game engine and promised several ambitious design overhauls that left fans of the simulation game on the edge of their seats.

However, they were undone by their own lofty ambitions and found it challenging to get it together within the set timeframe.

SI’s decision came out of a desire to protect the legacy of the franchise. Rather than put out an unfinished product or an underwhelming edition, they decided to regroup and go again.

FM 26 release date

FM 25 was touted as a stepping stone into the future, but from what we hear, FM 26 is set to take things up a notch. The game is scheduled to be released in the Fall of 2025.

Early access is expected to be made available a couple of weeks before the official launch.

SEGA and SI are adamant that FM 26 would be a ‘generational overhaul’, and based on the whispers that are circulating, it might be more than just marketing fluff.

Developers seem to have finally figured out how to move the game to the Unity Engine.

It would be a massive shift from the technical foundation of Football Manager, marking the most significant technological upgrade since the 3D match engine was introduced back in 2009.

The move to Unity Engine means games will get to enjoy smoother gameplay, better animation, more lifelike graphics and an overall increase in immersion.

FM 26 will be playable across PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox, mobile devices, and cloud platforms such as GeForce NOW or Amazon Luna.

Visual upgrades and matchday realism

With Unity powering the game, matchdays are set to become far more immersive. Players will move more realistically and react with fluidity and purpose.

Animations will be more detailed. Stadiums will look more detailed than ever.

There’s even speculation that FM 26 could come with dynamic stadium upgrades, where fans might get visual feedback on new builds and improvements as they happen.

The intricate details are still being kept under wraps, but it goes to show the ambition that has gone into creating the perfect game to appease the expectant FM community.

One of the most exciting upgrades expected has to do with new-gen faces. In previous versions, they usually have an uncanny awkwardness about their looks, but that will likely be fixed in FM 26.

Women’s football

Women’s football was supposed to make its Football Manager debut in FM 25. But the whole debacle means it’ll finally make its bow in FM 26.

After years of anticipation and extensive research, SI is finally ready to welcome the women’s game into the Football Manager franchise.

Fans will now be able to manage women’s teams, scout female talent and lead clubs across various leagues.

The database is expected to feature more than 25,000 female players and staff, built with the same analytical rigour and accuracy that the series has long been known for.

With women’s football now in the mix, there have also been a few progressive decisions taken in terms of design, including taking down player weight statistics from all profiles.

SI have yet to fully confirm licenses for the women’s leagues, but with UEFA competitions already secured on the men’s side, there are high hopes that major women’s tournaments will also be in the mix.

Interface changes

One of the several changes expected in FM 26 is the interface, particularly the inbox section. The inbox is the primary source of information, with in-game emails delivered as messages.

However, in FM 26, the inbox is being replaced by a portal, which is modelled after the way we interact with news and apps on our phones rather than laptops.

It’s built around a ’tiles and cards’ system that shows key information at a glance. The portal will also give players a better window into the footballing universe.

Players will have better tools to develop their story through the agenda and messages sections.

The portal will also provide deeper insights into what’s happening elsewhere through news and matches, making it the primary spot for all manager businesses.

It’s also a window for looking at your squad, new recruitments or getting information about what’s going on around you.

More tactical mastery

FM 26 is expected to come with a revamped tactical system that will give players an all-new method of creating tactics in Football Manager.

The game offers more tactical control and immersive enhancements that allow players to dictate every aspect of their team’s playing style.

In FM 26, the revamped tactical system is more in-depth than ever.

Players will be able to showcase their tactical brilliance on a different level than ever before, enjoying new player roles, deeper customisation for formations, and in-game decisions.

As a manager, you’ll have access to detailed controls that let you set up how you want your team to play both in and out of possession, along with a plethora of in-game instructions that can turn the tide of a match.

With an improved matchday experience, the success of your tactics will be reflected in how your players perform on the pitch.