Football Manager 26 Release Times Revealed Ahead Of Xbox Game Pass Launch
This Tuesday marks one of the most important days in the history of the Football Manager series, as Sports Interactive and SEGA will be embarking on a new era with Football Manager 26 – a new game built with a new engine.
FM26 is meant to kickstart the next phase of Football Manager, featuring a radically overhauled match engine, fresh user interface and lots of new features. The game has been in beta for early adopters on PC for a few days now, but this Tuesday marks its official arrival across various platforms including Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, and PC.
The FM26 release times have also now been revealed! Football Manager 26 will release on November 4th, 2025 at 8am PST / 11am EST / 4pm GMT / 5pm CET. Here’s a full overview of those times:
With Football Manager 26 being such a different game compared to previous entries in the series, it’s perhaps no surprise that the early reviews have been quite mixed – some love the changes, and some feel it’s a step backwards.
The game has a 72 average rating on Metacritic right now, for example, with individual scores ranging from 85/100 to 50/100. That’s quite a bit lower than the 84 average rating that was given to Football Manager 2024.
FM26 is meant to be the first step in an evolution of this beloved series though, and the vast number of changes in this year’s edition make it one of the most intriguing releases to date. You’ll be able to play it at no extra charge if you’re an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass member, and keep in mind that there are two editions of this game – the standard version for PC players and a slightly stripped-back version called “Console”.
We’ll leave you with more details about Football Manager 26 down below.
New foundations set the stage for you to define your football destiny. Made with the Unity engine, FM26 is the legacy, redefined and where storytelling evolves. A reimagined interface and more immersive match day experience brings you closer to the action and combine to elevate every match-defining moment. Transform your squad with advanced transfer tools and craft your footballing philosophy like never before with new innovations that deliver unrivalled game-changing tactical realism.
