Football Manager 26 faces PC backlash over interface and bugs

Sports Interactive released Football Manager 26 on November 4, 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and mobile devices, but early reactions from long-term players have been sharply negative, particularly on PC. Within a day of launch the game drew thousands of user reviews on digital storefronts, with players citing a new user interface, missing features, instability and a perceived console-first design as primary complaints.

The developer had cancelled Football Manager 25 last year while moving the franchise to a new game engine. Sports Interactive said at the time that "the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be," and shifted resources to deliver FM26. The new release introduces a rebuilt interface, a revised matchday presentation, expanded databases that include women's leagues and new nations, a new tactical visualizer and full Premier League licensing. Reviewers and players have acknowledged some of those additions and modest graphical improvements, but many say the overall experience feels less polished than the previous iteration.

On Steam the reaction has been particularly negative. Out of more than 4,000 user reviews, only a...