Football Manager is the biggest football management simulation game for PC and consoles. It is a game series that dates back to the early 1990s with the Championship Manager franchise. Football Manager 2026 is the latest instalment of the FM game franchise that is almost upon us. Sports Interactive has now released the Advanced Access Beta version of FM26 for players to play in October.
What Happened to Football Manager 2025?
Some players might wonder what happened to Football Manager 2025. First, Sports Interactive announced delays for the game in 2024. Then, SI decided to scrap the FM25 edition entirely.
The Studio Director of Football Manager, Miles Jacobson, later explained the decision to cancel Football Manager 2025 on BBC Newsbeat. Then, Mr. Jacobson said, “I wasn’t happy with the quality of the game, and I wasn’t prepared for people to be going out and spending their hard-earned money on something that wasn’t good enough.” Thus, after play-testing the game himself, Mr. Jacobson was convinced FM 2025 was not satisfactory for launch.
Consequently, FM25 was the first cancelled game in the Football Manager series, which broke the regular annual release cycle for the franchise. Sports Interactive cancelled that game to focus on developing Football Manager 2026, revealed in August 2025 with a release trailer. FM26 includes some of the new features planned for FM25.
The Football Manager 2026 Beta Release
A page on the Football Manager website confirmed the FM26 Advanced Access Beta is now available from October 22. The beta version of Football Manager 2026 is available to all players who pre-order the full game via Steam or Epic Games Store. That beta is effectively a full FM26 version, albeit with some features, tools, and content data missing.
Now players can discover some of the most notable new game features in Football Manager 2026. For starters, FM26 is the first Football Manager game to include a female database for women’s football. Sports Interactive had previously doubted the commercial viability of including women’s football in FM games, but has since changed its mind.
Football Manager 2026 has a new Unity match engine. That engine delivers enhanced graphics with smoother animations. The match day footage showcases the richer on-pitch visuals in FM26.
FM26 features a redesigned user interface, which gives the game a new visual identity. That revamped UI incorporates tiles that open up into cards. FM26 includes a new portal that combines the home screen with the inbox. Sports Interactive has also added a new recruitment home screen to the game.
The Football Manager 2026 Beta Reception
The response to the Football Manager 2026 beta release this October has been somewhat mixed, with a lot of negative feedback from players. Some of the negative feedback across social media has been worringly intense. Many of the complaints seem to be about the game’s revamped interface, with one player saying: “The UI is rough, I’m not gonna lie. Essential screens are sometimes hard to find and require way too many clicks to get to them.” Players are also reporting numerous bugs and glitches in the beta version.
However, some of the FM26 beta reception has been better. The significant graphical enhancements in Football Manager 2026 have been well received. Players have also welcomed the new in and out of possession tactic system that adds more tactical depth to the game.
The beta feedback has given Sports Interactive something to contemplate, with SI rolling out beta updates to address FM26 bugs. Sports Interactive has confirmed a November 4, 2025, release date for Football Manager 2026, which gives the developer little time to make significant game changes. So, it will be interesting to read how the gaming media and players rate the final FM26 version.
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