Football Manager 26 is no longer just a fever dream now that Sports Interactive has made the first major announcement after more than a year since the last official news.
Hearts were broken back in the spring of 2024 when news came out about Football Manager 25's delay. Eventually, the game was canceled permanently, as Sports Interactive stated that it didn't want to disappoint fans with an inferior product. Since then, it was complete radio silence until Aug. 13, when we got the first glimpses of what actual in-game footage currently looks like, and it appears that the wait has been worth our time.
Football Manager 26's first reveal looks quite promising
Those of us who've played the Football Manager games over the years will attest to the fact that the games have never been about looks. While the gameplay excels in terms of enacting the difficulties of being a football club manager, the graphics are aged at best in modern times.
This was expected to change last year, but alas, Football Manager 25 was canceled possibly for the same reason. Based on what Sports Interactive announced in 2024, it appeared the switch to a new game engine became too big a gap to bridge. Hence, Football Manager 25 was initially delayed and then canceled completely.
Earlier on Aug. 13, Sports Interactive showed the first look at what match day will look like in the game. Of course, Sports Interactive made sure to display their new league license for the Premier League to make matters more interesting. The clip has a mix of gameplay and real-life footage. Based on the claims, this is what match day experience is going to look like.
Yes, it's important to remember we shouldn't draw all conclusions from a video that's just 30 seconds long. Yet, I am excited, and you should be too. The matchday experience of Football Manager 24 looks completely different from what we have witnessed in the clip in the tweet above. It also showcases the potential of the new game engine on which Football Manager 26 is based.
While I am not expecting FC 26-like graphics, Sports Interactive has definitely been working hard, and we can now consider the tweet as a confirmation of Football Manager 26. A date is yet to be announced, but I will put my bets on the early November window (which has been a staple of the series).
The post Football Manager 26 awakens from hibernation with gameplay footage, and it’s time to board the hype train appeared first on Destructoid.
