When Are Football Manager Games Announced? [FM26 Panic Explained]

FM26 news delay? Here's when FM games were announced and released, from FM19 to FM24.

Wondering why FM26 news is late? Let’s dive into the history of FM announcements, early access and release dates from FM19 to FM24.

"Why Haven't We Heard Anything About FM26?!" – A Deep Breath and Some Context

Let me guess. You woke up, opened X (Twitter), Reddit or your favourite FM Discord server and saw the same message again: "Where's FM26?! What's going on?!" Maybe you even posted one yourself. I get it. The silence has been loud.

But let me tell you something I’ve learned over the years of following this game religiously: the panic is always the same. And just like in Football Manager, context is everything.

So, let’s rewind the tape and look at when previous versions of Football Manager were announced, when we got trailers, early access and full releases. Spoiler alert: we’re not late yet.

 

1. FM19: The Return of the Job Interview

Back in 2018, FM19 was officially revealed with the "Welcome to the Job" trailer on 6th August. Early access? 21st October. Full release? 2nd November. And people still panicked then.

 

2. FM20: The Modern Era Begins

FM20 launched in November 2019, with the first trailer released on 27th August. Early access was roughly two weeks before the full release on 18th November 2019. It was the first version with a real push toward modern graphics and more accessible tutorials.

 

3. FM21: The Pandemic Edition

COVID changed everything in 2020, including FM. FM21 was announced a bit later than usual, on 24th September, with full release on 24th November. Early access hit two weeks earlier, like clockwork.

 

4. FM22: Back on Schedule

With the world slowly stabilising, FM22 stuck to a tighter schedule. Announcement and trailer dropped on 9th September 2021, early access landed on 22nd October, and full release came on 9th November.

 

5. FM23: Business as Usual

FM23 followed a now-familiar rhythm. Trailer? 13th September 2022. Early access? Around 20th October. Release? 8th November 2022. Nothing out of the ordinary, and plenty of hype.

 

6. FM24: The Farewell Chapter

FM24 came with the tagline "A love letter to Football Manager". The trailer dropped in September 2023, early access launched on 19th October, and the game went live on 6th November. It felt like the end of an era—and it was. FM25 would mark the biggest change in the series.

 

So, Where Does FM26 Fit Into All This?

Here’s the key thing: FM25 was delayed to March 2025. That throws off the usual November cycle for at least one year. Which means FM26 is also shifting.

The only real news we have so far is this blog post about hiring and development, which is focused on the future of the series, but not a marketing campaign for FM26 yet.

So if you haven’t seen an announcement in June 2025… that’s because you weren’t supposed to. The marketing cycle hasn't started yet.

 

When Can You Expect FM26 News Then?

If we assume FM26 returns to the usual November release window—a pattern we’ve seen time and again from FM19 to FM24—then we can make a reasonably educated guess as to what the release timeline might look like this year. These dates aren’t confirmed yet, of course, but based on historic precedent, they’re what we’d call a safe prediction. Here’s how the expected rollout could unfold:

 

• FM26 Trailer: likely around early to mid-September 2025
  
• Early Access: somewhere between 20th and 25th October 2025
  
• Full Release: first week of November 2025
  

Unless FM26 also shifts to a different release window like FM25 did—which, to be fair, was a massive anomaly in the series' long-standing release cadence—it’s highly probable that Sports Interactive will want to get back on track with their familiar autumn cycle. It aligns better with the football calendar, the holiday season, and of course, the expectations of their fanbase. So, if tradition holds and FM26 is meant to reset the rhythm, then this November window makes the most sense and remains the most logical timeline to expect.

Final Thoughts – Chill, Gaffer

We all love this game. We all want news. But the truth is: Sports Interactive has always followed a pretty consistent pattern, and they’ve earned a bit of patience.

So unless you're already lining up pre-orders in your dreams or panicking like your assistant manager just took over training... take a deep breath.

The news will come. The game will launch. And until then, you've still got FM24 to conquer.

Got a theory on FM26's launch? Drop it in the comments or tag us on social. Let’s see who gets closest to the real date.

Written by someone who refreshes the FM subreddit more than is healthy.