Football Manager 26 now has "Mostly Negative" reviews on Steam

After two years of anticipation, Football Manager 26 is finally out, but it seems to be struggling to please fans, with Steam reviews currently sitting at Mostly Negative. On the contrary Football Manager 26predecessor, FM24has a very positive average user review on Valve's storefront, which suggests that developer Sports Interactive may be in a tough spot this time around.

Football Manager 26 Manchester United vs Chelsea Free Kick Palmer

Many fans were disappointed when Football Manager 25 was canceled due to development complications and the fact that management was not satisfied with the quality of the game. The silver lining was that the developer would have time to polish the next big entry, aiming to create a better title with the new game engine and updated graphics. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case with the latest release, as its reviews reflect a lackluster launch rather than the glorious revival many had hoped for.

At the time of writing, out of over 4,000 reviews on Football Manager 26s Steam page is only 22% positive, which means 78% of players are dissatisfied. While fans have many complaints, the most common issues are the game's new user interface, which is often described as clunky, along with performance issues and disappointing gameplay changes. Many argue that Sports Interactive has simplified the core mechanics to make the game more accessible to newcomers, but in doing so has made the simulation less immersive for veteran players seeking the most realistic and detailed management experience.

Underlines the drastic game changes in Football Manager 26wrote one player, “Feels like [Sports Interactive] wanted to do something so new and different that it left out the things that were most loved by players.” Another added, “After playing [Football Manager] in two decades, I can say this is the worst iteration ever.” Social media is also full of gamers sharing screenshots and videos of the game's performance issues. Slow frame rates, visual issues and reportedly laggy menus have kept many returning to Football Manager 24 instead of investing time in the latest part.

Football Manager 26 doesn't do well with critics either. According to review aggregator OpenCritic, the game has an average score of 72 out of 100, with only 44% of critics recommending it. In comparison, Football Manager 24 has a score of 83 out of 100, which puts it on par with many of the best sports management games of the decade.

That doesn't help either Football Manager 26 launched without a day-1 patch, meaning that at least some issues discovered during the beta may have remained in the final release. Gamers are now hoping that Sports Interactive will start rolling out hotfixes and patches to restore the franchise's reputation, which Football manager has long been one of the most popular sports series across gaming platforms. Many also see this as a make-or-break moment for the series, with its future hanging on how the developer handles the current situation. On the bright side, the first patch is imminent, giving Sports Interactive a good opportunity to fix the game's most pressing issues.