Predictions

3:23 We think Football Manager 27 is the repair job FM26 needed: reviewers will score it clearly higher than FM26, and what it still leaves out, from set pieces to a ranked Shuffle Draft, sets up Football Manager 28. The clip is SI's Oct 19, 2026 gameplay preview, the match screen these predictions are about.

These are Vi.ki's own predictions and opinions, not reported facts. Each one says what we base it on and when it can be checked. We will mark each one right or wrong when it resolves.

Will FM27 review better than FM26?

We think FM27's PC Metascore lands between 76 and 80, at least eight points above Football Manager 26's 68.

Confidence: Likely. Check by: Dec 2026.

Why we think so: FM26's Metascore of 68 was the lowest of any PC Football Manager on Metacritic, and its main complaints were the interface and missing features. FM27's eight deep dives answer most of them, from a rebuilt navigation bar to the return of Cup Draws and Transfer Deadline Day (What's New in FM27), and FM Scout already rated three of FM26's six main complaints fixed and three partly fixed. Critics also played the near-final build in a free week, so we expect few surprises at launch.

What would prove us wrong: a Metascore of 72 or lower, or launch bugs that critics single out as FM26's were.

Will FM27's Steam reviews be positive?

We think FM27's English Steam reviews read "Mostly Positive" (70% or more positive) one month after launch, the opposite of FM26.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Dec 10, 2026.

Why we think so: Football Manager 26 was still "Mostly Negative", 38% of 9,456 positive, on Nov 1, 2026, a year after release. The players most likely to review FM27 harshly had a free week to try it first, so those who buy it have already chosen it, and we think that filters out much of the anger. The risk, in our view, is players reviewing FM27 for FM26's sins.

What would prove us wrong: a "Mixed" or worse rating on Dec 10, 2026.

Will FM27 be 50% off before next season?

We think FM27 is on sale for at least 50% off on Steam by the end of Jun 2027.

Confidence: Likely. Check by: Jul 2027.

Why we think so: Football Manager 26 was up to 50% off across platforms from Jun 11, 2026, seven months after its launch, and FM27 has the same $59.99 list price and one edition (Price and Editions). A summer sale ahead of FM28's reveal is the natural moment to sell the last copies.

What would prove us wrong: no Steam discount of 50% or more on FM27 before Jul 1, 2027.

Will FM27 come to Nintendo Switch 2?

We think no version of FM27 ever comes to Nintendo Switch 2, and the first Switch 2 Football Manager, if any, is FM28 or later.

Confidence: Likely. Check by: Nov 2027.

Why we think so: SI dropped Nintendo Switch and Xbox One for FM27 "to focus on maximising the game's quality", and no Switch 2 version was announced with the other four products (Platforms). A studio still rebuilding trust after FM26 has every reason not to add a port mid-season.

What would prove us wrong: a Switch 2 release of any FM27 product before Nov 2027.

Will Football Manager 28 get a free trial too?

We think SI repeats the free Launch Preview for Football Manager 28 in the fall of 2027, again on PC and Mac before launch.

Confidence: Likely. Check by: Nov 2027.

Why we think so: SEGA called the free week "believed to be an industry first", and SI called it a "tangible example" of rebuilding player trust. The pre-purchase opened only with it, which tells us SI saw the trial as its sales pitch (Free Trial and Launch Preview). We think a pitch that works becomes a habit.

What would prove us wrong: FM28 launching with only a paid early access, as the old Beta was.

Will the end-of-season review come back in an FM27 update?

We think the end-of-season review does not return in any FM27 update; if it comes back at all, it is a headline feature of FM28.

Confidence: Likely. Check by: Nov 2027.

Why we think so: FM Scout reports SI said in a Sep 23 Q&A that it is "not currently set to be a returning feature for FM27", and SI's returning features so far arrive as named additions of a new game, not patches (What's New in FM27). Holding a missed feature back for the next year's list is how the series sells itself.

What would prove us wrong: an FM27 patch that adds an end-of-season review screen.

What will Football Manager 28's headline feature be?

We think FM28's first feature deep dive is a rebuilt set-piece system, with a new set-piece creator and set-piece coaches who matter more.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Oct 2027.

Why we think so: none of FM27's eight deep dives touched set pieces, the role list or press conferences (What's New in FM27), and SI's pattern this year was to fix one big area per deep dive. Creators already found set-piece problems in the Launch Preview: Zealand listed 10:39 a wide free kick bug among ten that need fixing. We think the area SI left alone this year is the one it saves for next year's headline.

What would prove us wrong: an FM28 reveal whose deep dives do not include a set-piece rebuild.

Will Shuffle Draft get ranked play or FIFAe tournaments?

We think Shuffle Draft gets an official online competition run with FIFAe, a ranked ladder or a FIFAe tournament with prizes, during 2027.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Dec 2027.

Why we think so: SI says Shuffle Draft was developed in collaboration with FIFAe, FIFA's esports arm, but had announced no tournaments, rankings or rewards as of Nov 1, 2026 (Shuffle Draft). We think an esports partner did not sign up for a private-lobby party mode, and that the competitive layer is the part still to come.

What would prove us wrong: no FIFAe-run Shuffle Draft competition or ranked mode by the end of 2027.

Will LaLiga be licensed in Football Manager 28?

We think FM28 adds LaLiga as a fully licensed league, the biggest gap left in the game's licenses.

Confidence: Long shot. Check by: Nov 2027.

Why we think so: SI's Oct 28, 2026 license list has no Spanish league or club, and Serie A is licensed only club by club (Leagues and Licenses). SI added big licenses in each of the last two games, the Premier League in FM26 and the women's Arkema Première Ligue and the ROSHN Saudi League in FM27, and we think Spain is the obvious next target. We rate it a long shot because a license this size, in our view, takes more than a year to negotiate.

What would prove us wrong: an FM28 license list without LaLiga.

Will you be able to make your own Tactical Tweaks?

We think FM28 lets you build and save your own Tactical Tweaks from team instructions, instead of choosing only SI's presets.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Nov 2027.

Why we think so: FM27's tweaks are fixed combinations of two or three instructions, such as "Reduce the press" or sending the goalkeeper forward (Tactical Tweaks and Shouts). DoctorBenjy FM, after playing them, said 7:07 "I just wish I could make my own custom ones". We think a feature built on combining instructions is one menu away from letting players do the combining, and that it is the most natural FM28 follow-up.

What would prove us wrong: FM28 still offering only preset Tactical Tweaks.

What creators predict

A day-one patch

In his Oct 21, 2026 video, WorkTheSpace predicts 9:33 "there will be some kind of day one patch" to fix issues that show up with so many people playing the free Launch Preview. We think he is right, because a near-final build played by everyone for a week is exactly the test that finds the last launch bugs.

Check by: Nov 2026.

Result (Nov 10, 2026): Right. SI said on Nov 9 that "for tomorrow's launch, an update will be applied with various fixes and improvements", and the game launched with it on Nov 10: crash fixes, the Japanese men's national team made playable, fewer fouls for pushes and more (Patch Notes). His reason matched SI's, which thanked Launch Preview players for their feedback in the same post, and so did ours.

The transfer reoffer bug may stay

In his Oct 28, 2026 video of ten bugs FM27 needs to fix, Zealand says 10:45 he is "not sure" the transfer reoffer bug, where a club keeps raising its bid each time you offer a player out, gets fixed in FM27. We think he is too gloomy: a bug that hands players free money is the kind SI patches within the season.

Check by: Jun 2027.

Stadium images come back through mods

In his Oct 28, 2026 video after 24 hours with FM27, Clayts wishes for the stadium images to return and predicts 5:47 "somebody clever will bring that back at some point". We think he is right, because FM Scout notes fans already use unofficial add-ons to fill what the game lacks (Editors and Mods).

Check by: Mar 2027.

FM26 was a beta for FM27, and it came true

In his Oct 21, 2026 video, Zealand says FM27 is turning out 9:45 "kind of the way I predicted it": that "FM26 was basically a really long beta test for Football Manager in Unity", with FM27 the more complete game. We think the reveals bear him out, since so much of FM27's list is FM26's missing features restored (FM27 vs FM26), and the reviews will show whether players agree.

Check by: Dec 2026.

Our take

We think FM27 is the Football Manager to buy if you skipped FM26, and the one to try on Game Pass first if you are still on Football Manager 2024. Its carry-over of FM24 and FM26 saves (Save Carry Over) means the switch costs you nothing but the price.

We think Tactical Effectiveness is the most important new idea, more than the new interface: it finally tells you why a tactic is failing, from four named inputs, instead of leaving you to guess (Tactical Effectiveness). In our view Shuffle Draft is overrated as a reason to buy for now; it is a fun evening with friends, not what keeps a save going for three seasons, until FIFAe gives it something to compete for (Shuffle Draft).

We think the free week was the smartest decision SI has made in years, and the hardest to undo: any future game without one will look like it has something to hide.

Frequently asked questions

Is FM27 worth buying at launch?

We think yes if you skipped FM26, since the free Launch Preview let players test the near-final build and SI fixed most of FM26's named complaints. If you are happy on FM24, we think waiting for a summer discount is the better value.

Will FM27 be better than FM26?

We think so: our prediction is a Metascore of 76 to 80 against FM26's 68, because FM27 restores the features FM26 lost and rebuilds the interface players disliked. The first seven reviews, from Nov 4, 2026, average 82 on Metacritic as of Nov 8, 2026, above that range so far (Previews and Reception).

Should I wait for an FM27 sale?

We think FM27 will be at least 50% off on Steam by the end of Jun 2027, as FM26 was by Jun 11, 2026. If you play only a few seasons a year, we think the wait is worth it.

What will Football Manager 28 add?

We think FM28's headline is a rebuilt set-piece system, with custom Tactical Tweaks close behind, because set pieces are the big area FM27 left alone. That is our prediction, not SI's plan.

Will FM27 be on Switch 2?

We think not: SI dropped Nintendo platforms for FM27 to focus on quality, and we expect no Switch 2 Football Manager before FM28 at the earliest.

Sources

• Gameplay Preview: New Features & Upgrades in Action | FM27, Football Manager, Oct 19, 2026 (video)
• Football Manager 26, Metacritic, as of Nov 1, 2026
• Football Manager 26, Steam, as of Nov 1, 2026
• Football Manager 27, Steam, as of Nov 1, 2026
• Football Manager 26 In-Game Editor, Steam
• FM27 vs FM26: Is SI Fixing What Went Wrong?, FM Scout, Oct 23, 2026
• 10 Bugs FM27 Needs To Fix, Zealand, Oct 28, 2026 (video)
• Everything You Need To Know About FM27, Zealand, Oct 21, 2026 (video)
• FM27 Is FREE To Play, Here's The Catch, WorkTheSpace, Oct 21, 2026 (video)
• I Played FM27 for 24 Hours, Clayts, Oct 28, 2026 (video)
• Is FM27 Actually Good? BRUTAL REVIEW, DoctorBenjy FM, Oct 28, 2026 (video)
• FM27 Shuffle Draft, Sports Interactive, Steam
• Football Manager 27 Licences, Sports Interactive, Oct 28, 2026
• FM27 Leagues and Licences, FM Scout
• What we know about Football Manager 2027, FM Scout
• FY2026/3 Q2 Results Presentation with Scripts, SEGA SAMMY, Nov 7, 2025
• Football Manager 27 launches from 10 November, Sports Interactive, Sep 29, 2026
• Get 50% off FM26 across platforms, Sports Interactive, Jun 11, 2026
• FM27: Clearer Interface & Smoother Navigation, Sports Interactive, Sep 25, 2026
• Play Football Manager 27 for free, SEGA Europe, Oct 21, 2026
• Play Free: Football Manager 27 Launch Preview, Sports Interactive, Oct 21, 2026