Football Manager 26 launches on November 4, built on the Unity engine, featuring fully licensed Premier League presentation and the long-awaited debut of women’s football across an integrated, single-world career.
Let’s check out the details.
Release and Access Details
The new title from SEGA and Sports Interactive launches globally on November 4, featuring an Advanced Access Beta for eligible pre-purchases on both Steam and the Epic Games Store. As with previous installments, progress made in beta access Career Mode will seamlessly carry over to the full release.
When it comes to platforms, Football Manager 26 is available on PC and Mac via Steam and the Epic Games Store for Advanced Access, as mentioned earlier. On consoles, FM26 launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, with day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass. A dedicated edition, Football Manager 26 Touch, has been designed specifically for Nintendo Switch, offering an optimized handheld experience. Besides Nintendo Switch Touch, the game is also available on mobile through Netflix for both iOS and Android.
Football Manager 26 release time varies through regions and these are 8AM PT/ 11AM ET and 4PM GMT.
Enhanced Gameplay Experience
Football Manager 26 introduces new gameplay elements that make the experience even more immersive and realistic.
In addition to the new Unity engine, the game features a reimagined user interface designed to deliver a smoother and more engaging matchday experience. One of the major highlights is the fully licensed Premier League, complete with official club logos and player photos.
FM26 also marks the official debut of women’s football, a huge milestone for the series, featuring 14 playable leagues from around the world.
Transfers have also become more dynamic with the introduction of TransferRoom, a new in-game platform where clubs can announce and negotiate deals directly.
FM26 System Requirements
Let’s now take a look at FM26’s download size, storage requirements, and recommended specs. The PC version requires around 20 GB of storage for both minimum and recommended setups. The other specs require:
Minimal:
CPU: Desktop: Intel Core i3-530 or AMD FX-4100 Laptop: Intel Core i3-330M or AMD A6-5200 Requires SSE4.2 & SSSE3
GPU: Desktop: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 or AMD Radeon R9 380 or Intel HD 530; Laptop: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M or AMD Radeon R9 M375 or Intel HD 530 (512 MiB VRAM)
RAM: 4 GB
OS: Windows 10 (with updates 22H2), Windows 11 (with updates 23H2)
Recommended:
CPU: Desktop: Intel Core i5-9600 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600; Laptop: Intel Core i5-1035G7 or AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
GPU: Desktop: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT; Laptop: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile or AMD Radeon RX 6600M
RAM: 12 GB
OS: Windows 11 – with updates (23H2)
FM26 Impact
The release of Football Manager 26 marks a major comeback for the series following the cancellation of FM25. The extra development time was used to transition to the Unity engine and secure official Premier League license.
With day-one Xbox Game Pass access and the debut of integrated women’s football, FM26 uses its refreshed UI and upgraded engine to reach both new and returning players.