FM26, The Value of Two Years to be Determined by the Patch

For fans of the FM series, the past two years have been an unfamiliar wait. The Football Manager series, which had been releasing new titles every year since 2005, will not have a new release in 2025.FM players had to rely on community roster patches and endure a full extra year with outdated in-game dates. FM playersusers had to rely on community Patch updates to keep their rosters current and endure the the awkward mismatch between in-game dates and real-world seasons whileawkward feeling of mismatched dates while waiting another year.

The reason why there was no new release in 2025 is understandable. There was a significant change in the game engine, which is the most crucial part of the game. The developer, Sports Interactive, decided to introduce a new engine, Unity, starting with FM25. However, while changing the engine, they couldn't immediately achieve the same level of perfection as the existing series. Ultimately, the developer decided to take an additional year to maximize quality. Thus, after a two-year gap, FM26 was officially released on November 5th, Korean time.

The biggest changes in FM26 come from the new Unity engine, with upgraded graphics and more realistic player animations. The key changes in this series are the graphics and player movements that have been changed to the Unity engine. In addition, there are various changes such as tactical updates allowing for separate formation setups for offense and defense, a newly updated UI, and a revamped role system. Did Sports Interactive deliver a game worthy of a two-year wait?Did the developer, Sports Interactive, properly reward the fans who waited for two years through FM26?

Game Title: FM26
Genre: Sports Simulation
Release date: November 5, 2025.
Review Copy: Early Access
Developer: Sports Interactive
Service: SEGA Publishing Korea
Platform: PC
Play: PC

Uncomfortable and Unfamiliar UI... Improvements 'Promised' through Updates
The first thing that is not confusing is 'assignment'

I can't help but talk about the UI. The gameplay of the Football Manager series is largely divided into two aspects: taking on the role of a manager while watching an actual football match, and preparing for the match in order to win. In fact, there isn't much for the manager to do while 'watching' the game. The real work begins before the match. That's why most FM users invest a tremendous amount of time and effort before the match.

Checking player status, conducting interviews, establishing tactics, planning training, envisioning the next season, managing facilities, handling finances, managing staff... There's a tremendous amount of information to constantly monitor. That's why the UI in FM is like the lifeline of the game.

However, in this version, the UI has been completely revamped. Instead of the familiar left and right menus, there is now a horizontally aligned menu at the top of the screen, a bookmark feature has been added, and all the shortcuts have changed. This layout feels unfamiliar and unintuitive for long-time players.The problem is that this arrangement is too unfamiliar for existing fans. With so much information pouring onto one screen, it's easy to get lost in where to look for what. It's also not intuitive. Many times, I would think, 'If I press this, it should do this,' but it often didn't work. The UI feels like it was designed without considering how FM players actually use the menus. It feels like a designer who has never experienced FM created the UI. Naturally, in the early days of early access, there were many complaints about this. the UI.

▲ The UI that appears when you first connect is unfamiliar as it does not adhere to the existing template.

▲ Team Page, I feel that there is too much information on one screen, which can be overwhelming.

▲ The fortunate thing is that the hotfixes are still ongoing

I don't know if you are a new user, but from the perspective of FM fans, the evaluation of the new UI is indeed poor. Many features that were well-utilized in the previous version are either misplaced or completely removed. I felt a sense of regret, thinking, 'It would have been better if they had considered the heatmap thoroughly before development.'

Fortunately, there are positive aspects. The developer is putting tremendous effort into improving the UI. In the first week of beta alone, there were five hotfixes, and the updates were packed with content. The UI still needs major improvement, but early updates suggest it will continue to improve after launch.The UI clearly has much room for improvement, and it is expected to continue getting better even after the official release.

Player Motion and Details Closer to 'Realistic'
The Unity Engine, Offering the Gift of 'Visual Pleasure'

The graphics have definitely improved. Even when I'm feeling stressed by the UI, looking at the in-game screen manages to relieve my frustration. The players' movements and actions have become much more varied and smoother. Watching a player sprint from the sideline to block a cross, hiding their hands behind their back to avoid a handling foul, or seeing a fantastic trap followed by a shot curling into the far goalpost corner really makes you want to continue playing FM.

Of course, compared to the latest AAA games, you might think, "Is this all there is?" However, original FM users are those who found it "fun" even when the players resembled "peas" or "Go stones." For long-time fans, the more realistic graphics feel like a welcome enhancement to a formula they already loved.For them, the graphics that are now much closer to realism feel like adding natural MSG 'Yondu' to a dish they already enjoyed.

▲ I was surprised to see FM 26's first goal, a fantastic curling shot.

The improved stadium presentation is also noticeable. The player entrance scene before the game, the stadium captured by drone cameras, and the BGM played during important matches definitely enhance the sense of immersion. Of course, you might skip them once you get used to them, but you can feel the traces of the developer's efforts over the past year.

 ▲ Drone Cinematics Added

There are also some drawbacks. One drawback is the lack of detail in the crowd.One is the details about the audience. While focusing on the players' movements and the staging of the stadium, the portrayal of the audience feels relatively lacking in sincerity. In previous titles, there was a distinction between the number of home and away fans or uniform colors, but in this title, such details have been omitted. You might ask, "So what?" but the audience serves as a device that shows "how important this game is." It's disappointing that this time it’s difficult to feel the dopamine rush from a player running towards the away section after scoring a dramatic goal in a tough match.

Separate Offensive and Defensive Fronts, Enhance Tactical Details
It's disappointing to see a reduction in the specific positions.

The biggest joy of the FM series is witnessing the tactics I've created come to life. As the match engine evolves with each series, users pay close attention to how the new tactics function.

This is a feature fans have been requesting for years. In this update, users have been waiting for a long time. They can now set different formations for offense and defense. It's a common practice in real football, but for some reason, this long-standing issue had not been implemented until now. With the change in the engine, it seems to have finally been realized. Thanks to this, you can finally try out tactical formations like Zinedine Zidane's '4-4-2 in defense, 4-3-1-2 in attack'.

▲ You can separate tactics for when you have the ball and when you don't.

It's also nice that you can preview the actual in-game from the team instructions. You can now see the players' positions in advance, unlike before, when you could only check in-game, allowing you to take care of tactical details beforehand. As a result, the buildup and half-space utilization feel much cleaner.

However, it is not only about innovation. TThe major reduction in player role options is disappointing.he drastic reduction of position roles is disappointing. Roles that were previously segmented into 'defense', 'support', and 'attack' have now been consolidated into one. While developers may have deemed this 'unnecessary segmentation', from the user's perspective, who had thoroughly explored those details, it feels as if a beloved toy has been taken away, instilling a deep sense of loss.

▲ I liked that I could see my players' in-game positions in advance from the team guidelines.

Loading Has Become More Pleasant with the Changed Engine.
A Mountain of Bugs is a Problem to Solve.

On the system side, the loading speed has noticeably improved. Thanks to optimization of the Unity engine, the game simulation has become smoother, and the progression speed in various aspects, such as saving, loading, and gameplay, is faster compared to before. The bookmark and player status system have also contributed to enhancing convenience.

The downside is the number of severe bugs On the other hand, the bugs are severe. Every week of gameplay, 'forced saves' become an essential habit for survival. The game may suddenly crash, the home and away teams may wear the same uniforms, and even players may completely disappear from the tactical screen.

▲ If there are 22 players on the same team, where do you score the goal?

Although errors may occur when changing engines, any bug that disrupts gameplay is impossible to overlook, especially after a two-year development cycle.any error that ruins the user's experience cannot be acceptable for any reason. However, given that Sports Interactive releases hotfixes daily, I expect it to stabilize steadily after the official release.

I hope that the 'deleted features' will be restored quickly. Convenience features such as saving the selection list, real-time analysis window, pass map, hyperlink, and batch settings for the second team are functionalities that many users utilized well in the previous version. Since these features were originally available, I expect that restoring them shouldn't pose significant difficulties.

Two-Year Wait: Half Success, Half Still to Fix

My evaluation of FM26 is as follows. Firstly, the improved graphics and smooth motion of the players with the Unity engine have enhanced the visual appeal. Additionally, the tactical depth and freedom brought by the separation of offense and defense effectively convey the inherent 'devilish fun' of FM. The fundamental charm of FM, which involves devising tactics, watching matches, and completing seasons, remains unchanged. It's a moment when I feel the two-year wait was worthwhile.

However, it is difficult to shake off the label of 'incomplete' from the early access version. The redesigned UI will require time and patience for players to adjust to. The criticized UI requires patience for adaptation. Bugs that disrupt the game's immersion leave a lingering question mark after a two-year gap. The reduced role system and missing quality-of-life features remain major concerns for fans.The reduction of the role system and the removal of convenience features remain bitter tasks that users must contend with.

The good news is that the developer is taking these issues very seriously. The hotfixes that have been pouring in almost daily throughout the beta period demonstrate their commitment to not giving up on FM. Two years of waiting have clearly proven their worth, but whether FM26 reaches its full potential now depends on post-launch patches.completing the remaining half of the game's polish will depend on the developer's 'Patch' after the official release.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.