As many of you will know, earlier this month, SI released Update 26.2, which changed and hopefully fixed some of the issues in FM26. It has also updated some players’ attributes to reflect their current abilities more realistically and added January transfer moves. Here are some of the notable changes:
Database changes
According to SI, there have been 5 million-plus database changes, including player upgrades, January transfers, and other tweaks.
This is a big one for most FM players. An updated database just adds realism to the game. Football is a game that moves fast, so within six months, a player may have gone from a virtual unknown to a bright star. A player could have started to fulfil his potential, so the two-star CA is no longer applicable.
Some of the headshots for the Premier League players who have moved clubs have also been updated, now featuring players in the colours of their new clubs. Once again, this is just a little tweak that will make the game more aesthetically pleasing.
Tweaked the User Interface
The UI of FM26 has been a big talking point in the game’s community. In fact, it has been one of the most divisive issues when talking about FM26. The game splits opinion even amongst the Higher Tempo staff.
However, love it or hate it, the UI has been tweaked in the update. One of those tweaks lets you view the fixtures and results page in full screen.
One complaint about the new UI was that we didn’t get the fixture screen before matches and the results screen afterwards. There is now also the ability to do just that in the options menu.
Another tweak to the UI lets you now adjust player roles and instructions from the tactic’s visualiser. This is a handy change, as for some, there are already too many screens to click through before finding the option you are looking for.
Players can also now access the Tactics Visualiser from the Team Shape tab within the In and Out of Possession tabs.
Changes to gameplay
There have also been some subtle and not-so-subtle changes to FM26’s gameplay. One issue with us playing the game has been fixed: players no longer get angry at managers when a move falls through due to work permit issues.
Also, directors of football can now sign players who have recently been on trial with the club, which was only a slight issue, but I would imagine it would be a frustrating one in that situation.
AI managers’ sacking will now be more visible on the news screen. I have to be honest, I hardly ever saw news of AI managers getting sacked before the update.
Graphical improvements
With new games, developers are always working to improve the visual appearance. Football Manager has always been a game known for its lack of graphics. The new Unity engine has improved the game’s graphics.
The new update has brought further improvements. One improvement that’s not been seen on FM before, and that the update addresses, is that Newgen players actually change as the player ages.
This may seem like a small detail, but it really adds to the game, especially when all the original real players have retired, and your game is filled with Newgen players.
There have also been slight graphical changes to players’ and managers’ hairstyles. Meanwhile, it no longer snows in Saudi Arabia, which was an apparent issue before the update. The brightness of the pitch for night matches has also been lowered, so it causes less eye ache!
Competition updates
There has also been a glut of issues fixed in different competitions from around the world. This includes updates to the top flights in Italy, Canada, Colombia, China, Brazil and Austria.
Elsewhere, the host nations for Euro 2032 have been updated, as have the club and national coefficients, among other international tournament dates.
Technical issues fixed
There are frequent technical issues with new games, especially when they use a new game engine like FM26. The latest update has fixed several technical issues. It has fixed various issues causing random in-game crashes.
The game’s user interface responsiveness while in the online lobby prior to the start of network games has improved.
What are the best issues fixed on the latest FM26 update?
