Football Manager 26: Release date confirmed, is it coming to old-gen consoles and is it on Xbox Game Pass?
Football Manager is making its triumphant return after a one-year hiatus.
Typically an anually-released franchise, Football Manager 25 was axed after development troubles, with Sports Interactive and Sega vowing to come back bigger and better for their next title.
Now, the release date for FM26 has been announced - and fans won’t have to wait too long to get their hands on it.
The new game promises drama and spectacle thanks to new volumetric animations from real-life matches and glorious, upgraded on-pitch visuals. With a newly-licensed Premier League, taking Eastleigh or Accrington Stanley to the top-flight has never looked better.
Sports Interactive studio director Miles Jacobson said: “Setting Sports Interactive up for the next 20 years and beyond was an enormous undertaking but I couldn’t be prouder of the efforts of the whole team over the past 2 years.
“FM26 represents a landmark release in our quest to produce football management perfection and the whole studio is really excited to share it with the world.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming launch of FM26.
When is FM26 released?
Studio Interactive has officially announced FM26’s release date as Tuesday, November 4.
Pre-orders are already available on most digital storefronts, with advanced access also available two weeks before launch on both Steam and Epic Games.
Which consoles is it on?
According to Studio Interactive, FM26 will be available on Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, PC/Mac and Nintendo Switch.
This seems to spell the end of the road for the old-generation of consoles - namely the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, for which games are being phased out as the hardware demands exceed their capacity.
Will FM26 be on Xbox Game Pass?
Following in the footsteps of other AAA launches, FM26 will be on Xbox Game Pass on release day.
It has been a new tactic to open up games to more players day one, with big titles like the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remaster and the critically-acclaimed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 also going down this route.