Free Trial and Launch Preview

0:49 Yes, FM27 is free for now: the Football Manager 27 Launch Preview is free on PC and Mac from 6pm GMT on Oct 29 to 6pm GMT on Nov 3, 2026, on Steam, the Epic Games Store and the Microsoft Store or through Game Pass, with no sign-up. Sports Interactive (SI) says "All modes, features and areas of FM27 are available", with no limit on time or progress, on a near-final build, and that includes the new Shuffle Draft. At 6pm GMT on Nov 3 the free period ends and the paid Launch Preview begins, open until launch on Nov 10 to people who pre-purchase on PC or Mac and to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. Any save you start carries into the full game. There is no console version of the Launch Preview.

Quick facts

Sources: SI's FM27 FAQ, read Nov 1, 2026; SI, Oct 21, 2026; SI, Oct 29, 2026.

Is FM27 free?

Only until 6pm GMT on Nov 3, 2026, and only on PC and Mac. That is 10am Pacific, 1pm Eastern and 7pm in Central Europe; Steam shows it as "Play for free until Nov 3 @ 10:00am" in Pacific time. After that FM27 is a paid game at $59.99 / £49.99 / €59.99, or 10% less if you buy before Nov 10, unless you have Game Pass, which includes it. See Price and Editions and Game Pass.

What is in the free trial?

1:59 Everything. SI's FAQ says the free period has every mode, feature and area, with "no limit to the time or progress you can log". That covers a full career, women's and men's football, and the new multiplayer mode: SI's Oct 29 post confirms Shuffle Draft is included. The build is the one SI calls the Launch Preview, which "replaces what has previously been titled Beta / Advanced Access" and is meant to be closer to the finished game than earlier early-play builds.

How do I get the FM27 free trial?

You download it from the usual FM27 page on your store; SI lists Steam, Epic, the Microsoft Store and Game Pass.

• Steam: open the FM27 store page and use the free-play button in the "Play for free" box, then install.
• Epic Games Store: Epic has a separate free Launch Preview product on its FM27 page, open from Oct 29 at 18:00 UTC.
• Microsoft Store and Game Pass: the free version is an add-on, not the main product. SI's Xbox install guide says to search "Football Manager 27" on xbox.com or in the Xbox PC app, open Add-ons, and get "Football Manager 27 Launch Preview", listed at $0.00 / £0.00 / €0.00.

If the download does not start, SEGA support covers access, and says updates during the Launch Preview install automatically. Check the System Requirements first: Steam asks for 20 GB of storage and at least a GTX 960-class card.

What happens at 6pm GMT on Nov 3?

2:24 The free period ends and the paid Launch Preview begins. It runs from 6pm GMT on Nov 3 to launch on Nov 10, and who can keep playing depends on where you are:

Sources: SI, Oct 21, 2026; SI's Xbox install guide, read Nov 1, 2026; SI, Oct 29, 2026.

If you do neither, the game stops at 6pm GMT on Nov 3 until you buy it or subscribe, and your save waits for you.

Do free trial saves carry over?

8:19 Yes. SI says saves made in the free period continue into the paid Launch Preview and the full game "without the need to start again", and Game Pass players continue theirs through the subscription. Older saves are a separate question: the FM27 start screen also offers to bring progress over from Football Manager 2024 and Football Manager 26. See Save Carry Over.

Is there an FM27 beta or early access?

0:48 The Launch Preview is both. SI retired the Beta and Advanced Access names for FM27, and the paid Launch Preview from Nov 3 is the early access that pre-purchasers get, a week before launch. In Football Manager 26, the Advanced Access Beta was for pre-purchasers only on Steam and Epic, with no free period.

Can I play the free trial on PS5 or Xbox?

1:15 No. The Launch Preview is PC and Mac only: there is no console Launch Preview and FM27 Console cannot be pre-purchased, though console players could wishlist it from Oct 29. FM27 Console arrives on Nov 10; see FM27 Console.

What to expect in the Launch Preview

5:05 SI is plain that the preview is not quite the finished game. It says the build "contains information that is still under approval process by right holders" and that some club and player assets may be absent, so a badge, kit or photo can be missing until launch; licensed content is on Leagues and Licenses. SI also expects bugs and points players to the bug-reporting area of its forums. Any updates before Nov 10 will be announced on SI's official channels.

For the same reason, the player lists FM Scout and FMInside have built from the preview database are provisional until Nov 10. See Wonderkids and Free Agents.

Why is FM27 free to try?

6:43 SI ties it to Football Manager 26's launch. It said earlier in the cycle that it wanted "to show more of the game before opening pre-orders", and that the free play period is "a tangible example" of its commitment to rebuilding player trust. Studio Director Miles Jacobson called it "the ultimate try-before-you-buy". SI developer Antony Farley told FourFourTwo it is aimed at newcomers and at people still on FM26 or FM24.

SEGA calls a free play period of an annual title with all modes "believed to be an industry first", and TheSixthAxis agreed it is "almost certainly" one. In Football Manager 26, the game ran its own free period on Steam much later, until Apr 20, 2026, months after launch. The background is on FM27 vs FM26.

Frequently asked questions

Is FM27 free to play? FM27 is free on PC and Mac until 6pm GMT on Nov 3, 2026, with every mode and no time limit. After that it costs $59.99 / £49.99 / €59.99, or comes with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

When does the FM27 free trial end? The FM27 free trial ends at 6pm GMT on Nov 3, 2026, which is 10am Pacific and 1pm Eastern. The paid Launch Preview continues from then until the Nov 10 launch.

Does my FM27 free trial save carry over? Yes. Saves started in the free FM27 Launch Preview continue into the paid Launch Preview and the full game, without starting again.

Is Shuffle Draft in the FM27 free trial? Yes. Sports Interactive confirms Shuffle Draft is part of the free FM27 Launch Preview, along with every other mode.

Is there an FM27 beta? No separate beta exists. FM27's Launch Preview replaces what Sports Interactive used to call the Beta or Advanced Access, free until Nov 3 and paid from Nov 3 to Nov 10, 2026.

Can I play the FM27 Launch Preview on Game Pass? Yes. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play the FM27 Launch Preview on PC and keep playing after Nov 3 through their subscription.

Is the FM27 free trial on PS5 or Xbox Series X? No. The FM27 Launch Preview is only on PC and Mac, and FM27 Console cannot be pre-purchased.

Sources

• Football Manager 27 (FAQ), Sports Interactive, as of Nov 1, 2026
• Football Manager 27, Steam, as of Nov 1, 2026
• Football Manager 27 Launch Preview, Xbox, as of Nov 1, 2026
• FM27 Free Play: How to install via Xbox Game Pass, Sports Interactive, as of Nov 1, 2026
• How to access Football Manager 27 Launch Preview, SEGA Support, Oct 30, 2026
• Football Manager 27 is free to play until 3 November, Sports Interactive, Oct 29, 2026
• Football Manager 27 Now Free to Play, SEGA Europe, Oct 29, 2026
• FM27 developer shares his best advice with FourFourTwo ahead of free release, FourFourTwo, Oct 28, 2026
• Play Free: Football Manager 27 Launch Preview, Sports Interactive, Oct 21, 2026
• Play Football Manager 27 Launch Preview for Free, Sports Interactive, Oct 21, 2026
• Play Football Manager 27 for free, SEGA Europe, Oct 21, 2026
• Football Manager 27: free launch preview & pre-purchase details announced, Epic Games Store, Oct 21, 2026
• Sega makes Football Manager 27 free to play for a Launch Preview long weekend, TheSixthAxis, Oct 21, 2026
• FM27: An Elevated Match Day Atmosphere, Sports Interactive, Sep 30, 2026
• Play FM26 and FM26 Console for free, Sports Interactive, Apr 16, 2026
• Football Manager 26 Out Now Across Platforms, Sports Interactive, Nov 4, 2025
• FM27 Is FREE To Play… Here’s The Catch, WorkTheSpace, Oct 21, 2026 (video)
• FM27 | First Look Livestream, Football Manager, Oct 22, 2026 (video)
• Everything You NEED To Know About FM27, FM Scout, Oct 27, 2026 (video)