Football Manager fans will not have to pay to try the new season. Sports Interactive announced on Wednesday, October 21, that the Football Manager 27 Launch Preview will be free to play on PC and Mac for five days, from October 29 to November 3.
The free period starts at 6 p.m. GMT on October 29, which is 1 p.m. CT, and it covers all game modes. There is no extra sign-up. Players can download it on Steam, the Epic Games Store, the Microsoft Store, Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. Sports Interactive notes that on Game Pass, the Launch Preview is only available to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers.
Your saves carry over
The best part of the offer is that progress is not thrown away. Any career started during the free window can continue into the paid Launch Preview and the full game, so a five-day trial can become the start of your real save.
Pre-purchases open at the same time as the free period, with a 10 percent discount. Buying through SEGA-approved digital retailers keeps your Launch Preview access running from 6 p.m. GMT on November 3, noon CT, until the full release on November 10. Game Pass players can keep going through their subscription.
Sports Interactive says the Launch Preview replaces what used to be called the Beta or Advanced Access, and is meant to be closer to the finished game than previous early builds. The studio warns that some club and player assets may still be missing while licensing approvals are completed.
A big year for the series
In its press release, the studio said making an annual title free to play with every mode available “is believed to be an industry first.” It comes after a rough stretch for the series. Football Manager 25 was canceled while the game moved to the Unity engine, and Football Manager 26 still sits at a Mostly Negative user rating on Steam.
FM27 promises a clearer interface, an improved match engine and new touchline and training ground controls called Tactical Tweaks and Tactical Effectiveness. Mobile players have their own date to mark, too: FM27 Touch arrives on Apple Arcade on November 10.
Game Pass keeps becoming a bigger part of how PC players try new releases, from sports sims to indies like Dumpster Gang, which hits Game Pass on day one. A free week is the studio’s clearest bet yet that FM27 can win back players who bounced off last year’s game.
