Is Football Manager 26 Coming to Xbox Game Pass?
Yes — Football Manager 26 will be available Day One on Xbox Game Pass for console, PC, and even via cloud streaming. No sneaky DLC gating, no awkward “maybe we’ll get it next month” — it lands on November 4th, and subscribers get full access to the Xbox version the same day as everyone else.
For FM veterans, that means the annual dilemma: do you pre-order with a 10% discount or chill knowing Game Pass has your back? Me, I’ll be clinging to my controller and Game Pass subscription like a budget club clings to its youth academy.
What’s New With FM26 on Xbox Game Pass?
In short: a big upgrade. Football Manager 26 is running on the Unity engine for the first time, which means smoother UI, beefier visuals, and some nifty new match animations. Better late runs into the box. More personal drama when your star striker spits the dummy after being subbed. The Premier League finally swings in fully licensed, too — badges, kits, official player photos, and all the trimmings. You can practically hear the Sky Sports music in your head.
Not to geek out, but women’s football is also debuting in FM26 and it’s integrated into the full FM world. Makes me wish they did this years ago; watching the careers of women’s teams unfold beside the men’s game adds a new layer. For those who’ve obsessed over every gritty transfer window detail, now you’ve double the spreadsheets.
Why Game Pass is Ideal for Football Manager
First sentence? It makes jumping into FM26 positively painless. There’s a real magic to discovering a football sim drop at zero extra cost, especially if you’re the sort who’s ever tried justifying a new game buy to your loving but skeptical household.
Game Pass also means no one gets left behind — no begging for a Steam sale, no dodgy torrents. Just football, everywhere. If you’re the kind who rotates between console and PC, FM’s cross-saving lets you hop between both like Pep Guardiola swapping tactical formations mid-match. It’s almost too convenient.
And honestly, there’s a certain camaraderie among FM fans on Game Pass. A few years ago, my mate Sameer and I ran dueling saves — one on Xbox, one on PC. We’d swap notes on wonderkid bargains and grumble about board interference. Having FM on Game Pass made it a weekly tradition, like catching Match of the Day but with more ego and less Alan Shearer.
Previous Football Manager Game Pass History
Here’s the scoop: Football Manager has found a cozy home on Game Pass for a few years now. FM2024 had its extended run, boosted further when FM2025 got canned, meaning Xbox fans got extra bang for their buck. Before that, FM regularly landed day one on Microsoft’s subscription, and the developers seem as fond of Game Pass as a lower league side is of a lucky FA Cup draw.
- Football Manager 2024: Day One on Game Pass. Stayed longer than expected.
- FM2025: Got canceled — but FM fans were given extended access to FM2024.
- FM26: Returns to the day-one formula, loud and proud.
This track record makes FM26’s inclusion feel like tradition, almost as guaranteed as that one mate who always picks Leeds and then spends a season moaning about injuries.
