Football Manager 26‘s rocky release may end up being one of the most expensive in the series’ history. According to video game finance expert Professor Rob Wilson, Sega and developer Sports Interactive could lose between $30 million and $40 million following the game’s backlash, poor Steam reception, and the prior cancellation of Football Manager 25.
Speaking with The Action Network, Wilson explained that the studio’s “lost year” and heavy investment in new licenses have created a serious financial risk. “Being the seventh worst reviewed game on Steam isn’t just bad PR,” he said. It’s a real commercial problem.” Wilson noted that early discounting, refunds, and reduced DLC revenue (via the In-Game Editor) will likely drag down Sega’s fiscal performance.
Wilson doesn’t expect the publisher to abandon the franchise, but he believes this setback could trigger major internal changes at Sports Interactive. “It will likely prompt senior-level intervention and push Sports Interactive into a serious internal reset and reform phase,” he said.
Despite the current turmoil, Wilson emphasized that Football Manager remains one of Sega’s most valuable properties. “The audience is incredibly loyal, the niche is very stable, and the value of the licensing and data they’ve built up is hard for anyone else to replicate,” he added. “If they get it right again, the franchise will continue generating long-term value.”
However, he also warned fans to keep an eye on future monetization strategies. Should Sega impose new leadership by removing the current SI lead, Miles Jacobson, Football Manager could see optional microtransactions tied to cosmetic or data-based features. At the moment, only the console versions of FM games have microtransactions (such as the ability to instantly heal a player following an injury), whilst the main PC version only has the aforementioned In-Game Editor, which is sold separately and for about $9.
Wilson does, however, say that implementing certain kinds of microtransactions could damage the series irreparably. “Pay-to-win would destroy the long-term financial value of the series,” he warned.
The analyst’s comments underscore the gravity of FM26’s troubled release, which has faced heavy criticism for performance issues, UI complaints, and missing features. Sports Interactive recently acknowledged the community’s frustration and promised more updates to improve stability and polish in the weeks ahead.
