The first look at Football Manager 2026’s matchplay has fans buzzing, and for good reason. For a series that has often been accused of evolving at a snail’s pace, this year’s reveal feels like a genuine leap forward. The video has sparked plenty of conversation, with the consensus being that FM26 could be the most exciting update in years.
A Visual Revolution
The core reason for the ultimate cancellation of Football Manager 2025 and long wait for Football Manager 2026 was the game’s shift to the Unity Engine. This opens a world of graphical overhaul for the developers, which is why I’ve been eagerly awaiting this gameplay video.
Alongside the official Premier League partnership, match day immersion has been improved from what I’ve seen so far. Animations are another area where FM26 seems to have levelled up. The days of stiff, robotic running or ping-pong passing appear to be fading. First touches, goalkeeper dives, and passing sequences look much closer to real football. Even the ball itself behaves more like it should, with movement and spin that finally feel believable.
The pace of the game does seem a little unnatural, but that’s always been a trait of the FM series animation. The player faces also look pretty awful and are a whiplash inducing snap back to reality.
But from what I’ve seen, that’s the last of the negatives. The immersion will be improved overall and I feel like I’ll be better able to understand tactical evolutions in matches because the watching experience is more enjoyable.
I get why there’s no management dashboard video in an FM gameplay teaser, but given that’s where most of the game is played – I’d like to see how this evolves too.
It remains a mystery whether or not Peter Drury will appear as commentator, or whether the game has commentary at all. I will say that when the whistle blows on the opening game in the teaser video, no written commentary appears on screen. So I am leaning towards some sort of voice’d matchday commentary, and I would be surprised if it’s not Drury if there is a commentator.
Matchday Atmosphere
It’s not just the football itself that looks improved. The matchday experience has been given new life with animated fans, banners, and better bench behaviour. Pre-match cutscenes, like trophy reveals, add a stronger sense of occasion. There is some caution about whether these moments might wear thin after a full season, but at first glance, they do a lot to make matches feel special.
Cleaner Match Interface
Another detail that emerged from the gameplay teaser is refreshed in-game interface. Tactics and instructions are now tucked neatly in the top left, while substitutions and player ratings sit along the bottom. It’s a cleaner, more modern look that should make it easier to make quick decisions without breaking immersion.
Early Praise with a Dash of Caution
I’m going to say the developers obviously made immersion a priority with this move to Unity. I’m quietly confident that this is going to be a great edition of Football Manager. However, I’m cautious in getting overly excited that it will be a generational leap forward while remaining hopeful that it will be.
I’m also extremely hopeful that Football Manager 2026 will have some new features in the management side of things and that all dev time hasn’t been totally locked up in matchday gameplay.
The really good news is that I’m more confident than ever that we are now on track for a playable demo next month ahead of a November launch date for Football Manager 2026. I’d also continue to be wary of hardware requirements if you are gaming on an older machine, because FM 2026 is going to be more graphically and processor heavy than previous games.
