According to rumours and whispers online, the long-awaited Football Manager 2026 could be released this week as pre-access, with the official release date being 4th November.
About time! Will be the reaction of most fans of Football Manager, as it seems like Football Manager 2024 was released forever ago. The stats, leagues and players were very different nearly two years ago from those of the present day.
Some wonderkids of FM24 have gone on to shine, while others have flopped or have yet to make their mark on the game. Other players have arguably developed in unexpected ways, such as Cole Palmer becoming a star at Chelsea after being a bit-part player at Manchester City.
The latest edition of FM promises many exciting innovations, with the biggest one arguably being the graphical improvement. Some FM players are not too bothered about the improvement in graphics.
However, for me, this could be a big bonus. This improvement will also attract some console players, who may have been put off the game in the past because of clunky graphics.
For instance, my son is a typical FIFA/EA FC player. However, he started playing FM with FM23 and loved it, but he didn’t like the graphics. From the trailers he has seen of FM26, he is highly excited.
In fact, he is looking forward to the release of FM26 more than he was about EA FC 26, which says a lot, as EA FC is obviously the dominant force when it comes to football games.
Luckily, this week also coincides with his birthday, so it would be fantastic for him if FM26 is released, as it would be a great birthday present.
The price of the game
To pre-order FM26, the cost is £44.99 on Steam, which includes that all-important pre-release access to the game. However, it is available at other retailers. Be careful, though, as even if you pre-order the game elsewhere, you are not guaranteed early access.
Buying from Steam may be more expensive than from other retailers. However, with Steam, you get a guarantee of the genuine product and early access, which isn’t always guaranteed with other sites that aren’t always genuine.
When FM26 is released, we will be producing articles on everything from wonderkids, tactics and bargain players. Keep reading for lots of FM26 content, as we at the Higher Tempo are just as excited about the latest edition of FM as everybody else!
