Football Manager 26 Beta: First Impressions After Two-Year Wait
On October 23rd, Sports Interactive finally released the highly anticipated Football Manager 26 beta, giving fans their first look at the game after two years of development. Our early hands-on experience reveals a title with impressive highs and frustrating lows.
Match Engine and Tactical Overhaul: A Genuine Leap Forward
The developers have delivered on their promises where it matters most. The completely revamped match engine represents a significant improvement in match simulation quality. The graphics evoke memories of early 2010s football simulations, with dynamic camera angles during goal replays creating a visually spectacular experience compared to previous FM titles.
Player movements retain some familiarity from FM24 but are enhanced with numerous new animations and realistic skill moves. Matches are genuinely entertaining to watch now, marking a substantial improvement in the core gameplay experience.
Tactical Complexity Reaches New Heights
The tactical system has undergone a fundamental restructuring. The traditional formation system has been split into two distinct schemes: with possession and without possession. Sports Interactive provides four different display options, with the alternating combined lineup and parallel formation display proving most practical.
While familiar attacking roles remain intact, defensive positions now feature alternative duties and responsibilities. An elegant tactical menu highlights key player attributes and illustrates movement patterns, while the visualization tool helps assess team reactions to the ball across all areas of the pitch.
Interface Overhaul: Modern Design, Questionable Functionality
The new interface generates the most controversy in this early build. While sporting a stylish design with rounded windows and relocated sidebar menus to the top navigation, the overall user experience feels less intuitive than previous versions.
This isn’t merely about adjusting to changes. The interface suffers from visual clutter with excessive elements that aren’t always necessary. Text rendering issues cause overlapping and jumping text, particularly noticeable in localization.
While the Football Manager series never prioritized minimalist design, FM26’s interface feels particularly messy. After 15-20 hours of gameplay, navigation becomes more familiar, but fundamental issues persist with poor space allocation for crucial information and excessive focus on minor details.
For example, the main portal page triplicates information about upcoming opponents while adding a cramped match window that barely accommodates two or three fixtures. This pattern repeats across most menus, suggesting interface refinement will be crucial before final release.
Women’s Football Implementation Exceeds Expectations
The introduction of women’s football represents a major FM26 innovation, and initial concerns about token implementation have been thoroughly dispelled. Sports Interactive has delivered a surprisingly robust women’s football experience that stands as a genuine feature rather than an afterthought.
Two aspects particularly stand out:
League Depth: While real-world women’s football features fewer elite leagues than the men’s game, FM26 provides comprehensive coverage that feels authentic and engaging.
Technical Issues and Community Response
The beta build suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues expected in early development builds. Match pauses have become noticeably longer, with significant time dedicated to tactical adjustments. Within this context, the removal of touchline shouts goes relatively unnoticed.
The new interface has generated substantial negative feedback within the community, suggesting developers will likely implement refinements before the final release. Despite these issues, the core gameplay improvements demonstrate genuine progress for the franchise.
Early Verdict: Promising Foundation Needs Polish
Football Manager 26 shows tremendous potential with its revolutionary match engine and tactical depth, but the current interface implementation and technical issues require significant attention. The women’s football addition stands as a particularly successful innovation that enhances the overall package.
With continued refinement and community feedback integration, FM26 could become one of the series’ strongest entries, building on the solid foundation established in this early beta release.
