FM26 drops first look after months of silence

Football Manager 25 was delayed and later cancelled as it was "too far away from the standards" players deserved, according to its developer

Football Manager fans have had a fresh look at the latest instalment in the ever-popular series, following the cancellation of last year's version.

FM25 was shelved after developer Sports Interactive told players it had made the "difficult decision" to cancel as it was "too far away from the standards you deserve".

In their statement, the makers added that they were putting "every effort" into the next game.

They've now dropped a first look on their socials, much to the excitement of players.

The clip very prominently advertises that "not all footage appears in-game", with commentator Peter Drury's voice heard saying: "The wait has been long. The build-up impossible to ignore. So much has changed, but that feeling? It never left."

It ends with the words "Guess who's back?" and promises a "match day first look" will be "coming soon".

Fans are, unsurprisingly, ecstatic, with many taking to the comments to share their hype.

The game first launched in 2004 and usually has a new edition annually.

FM25 was due for release in November 2024 before being delayed and later cancelled.

In a blog post in February, developer Sports Interactive announced the cancellation, and confirmed it would now shift focus to the 2026 version of the game, with fans who had pre-ordered the cancelled release being offered a refund.

The object of the game is to step into the shoes of a manager, pick a team, and - hopefully - lead them to victory.

Sports Interactive had promised a range of upgrades to the game's visuals and interface in FM26, while also introducing women's teams for the first time.

Speaking to Newsbeat previously, the developer said it had to build a new stats database and record new motion-capture sequences for female players.

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