What time does Football Manager 26 fully release and is there a day one update? | indy100

A composite image of screenshots from Football Manager 26

Sports Interactive

It's finally here - the day has come when Football Manager 26 fully releases, the latest entry into the iconic Football Manager series.

Football Manager 26 is the first game in the series since Football Manager 2024 and a lot of eyes are on the latest football management simulation entry following the cancellation of Football Manager 25 earlier this year.

The Advanced Access Beta on PC through Steam and Epic Games went live on 23 October and soon afterwards, fans quickly shared a number of gripes about the game on social media with the main issues players have being with the UI (user interface) and experiencing bugs.

indy100 has been hands-on with the Beta and we don't think it's as bad as some have made it out to be online. Since the launch of the Beta, developer Sports Interactive has already rolled out a number of updates with more on the way.

But when is Football Manager 26 releasing in your time zone and what's going to be new at launch? Here's everything you need to know.

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When can I play the full release of Football Manager 26 and what platforms can I play Football Manager 26 on?

Football Manager 26 on PC and Mac, Football Manager 26 Console on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Game Pass and Football Manager 26 Touch through Apple Arcade all go live at 4pm GMT (11am ET / 8am PT) on Thursday (4 November).

Football Manager 26 Mobile through Netflix releases an hour later the same day at 5pm GMT (12noon ET / 9am PT).

Football Manager 26 Touch releases on Nintendo Switch on 4 December.

Will there be a day one update for Football Manager 26?

An update on the Football Manager community forum said: "Due to the multi-platform submission process, last Friday's (31 October) Football Manager 26 update will serve as the initial day one release build.

"There will still be an update on the full release; however this will simply remove the Beta watermark and the 'report bug' forum link as well as activate both the pre-game and in-game editors.

"Due to the production process, players who have purchased a physical copy of Football manager 26 Console on PS5 will have a day one update bringing them onto the latest build.

"From Wednesday (5 November), our next update will be available on Steam via public beta track and, subject to the submissions process, we'll be aiming to roll that out to everyone quickly thereafter."

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Will my Football Manager 2024 saves carry over to Football Manager 26?

Yes, saves from some older Football Manager titles can be carried forward to Football Manager 26.

To break it down, saves from Football Manager 2023 and Football Manager 2024 can be carried over to Football Manager 26.

Saves from Football Manager 2023 Console and Football Manager 2024 Console can be carried over to Football Manager 26 Console but you will need to recreate your manager.

Saves from Football Manager 2023 Touch and Football Manager 2024 Touch can be carried over to Football Manager 26 Touch.

Saves from Football Manager 2024 Mobile can be carried over to Football Manager 26 Mobile.

Can I still play Football Manager 2024?

Yes, you can still play Football Manager 2024 but it will soon be removed from purchase on digital stores and play on select subscription platforms.

Previous digital or physical purchases of any Football Manager 2024 title via Steam, Epic Games, Windows, Xbox, PS5 or Nintendo Switch will remain in your library and you can continue playing indefinitely.

If you're currently playing Football Manager 2024 Touch on Apple Arcade, you can manually update your game to Football Manager 26 Touch from 4 November and continue your journey.

The same applies to Football Manager 2024 Mobile players via Netflix where the store listing will automatically change to Football Manager 26 Mobile from 4 November.

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