Football Manager 26 launched on 2025-11-04, marking a fresh start for Sega and Sports Interactive, was met with significant criticism on Steam. Hopes were high for FM26 after last year's entry was canceled, but the game has attracted negative feedback after an expected surge of interest.
Initial Reception
Upon release, Football Manager 26 recorded a promising peak with 85,000 concurrent players. However, it has accumulated over 2,000 English-language reviews, resulting in a Steam user score of 22%, categorizing it as "mostly negative."
Key issues cited by players include an unfinished game state, bugs, crashes, performance flaws, and missing features like heat maps and international management options.
Engine Shift and User Interface
The switch to the Unity engine prompted a complete overhaul of the user interface (UI), which has not been well-received due to its perceived complexity in a predominantly menu-driven game.
Some players have mentioned that the game feels like "a beta for FM27," highlighting dissatisfaction with the current release.
Market Signals
Third-party Steam data aggregators signal that FM26 ranks poorly among new 2025 releases with significant user reviews, presenting a setback for Sega and Sports Interactive.
Efforts to resolve these issues through patches and updates are anticipated, but the initial player response underscores significant challenges ahead for the developers.
