Matthew Le God

How much do the researchers know about the dev process? Not much. Apart from getting an idea of new features when they add new data fields into the database. Plus we get to test the game before the public see it. Were you aware before others of the shambles that was supposed to be FM25? Did they give you the silent treatment as well as the rest of the fanbase? (Particularly annoyingly after having promised to be more transparent etc.) We found out it was delayed and cancelled at the same time the public did. Were you at all concerned about the franchise dying with the FM25 failures and Unity and all that? No, the game was never going to end because of a year's delay. It makes too much money for SEGA for that to happen. Over 17 million copies of FM24 were sold. I am slightly concerned about the stuff they showed us in the last development update (iirc, spring/early summer last year?) which felt like a huge shift from the spreadsheet heavy game we have come to know and love in recent years. Can't say I've seen that. What do you think it has shifted towards? Changing from the in house game engine which restricts them, to Unity will make a huge difference. Not only in the graphics, but the user interface and pretty much every other aspect of the game. It'll still be a very stat-heavy game.

I had a Wycombe Wanderers save on the first Premier Manager game. I called myself Ian Branfoot, still regret that decsion now! It had a great theme song... But nothing beats this...

Who is going to give managing the women's team a go?

We don't need a 1960s or 1970s style striker. We have multiple strikers with good goalscoring records in the English and German 2nd tiers in the 2020s.

Why have you dismissed Damion Downs being a decent striker at this level after a brief cameo vs Wrexham? Plus Archer and Stewart are good strikers for this level, as is Armstrong.

Joins their reserve team with an option to buy https://www.realbetisbalompie.es/noticias/cantera/daouda-traore-nueva-incorporacion-para-el-betis-deportivo-31638

No release date announced yet In the past, FMs have been released in late October/early November. Those who pre-ordered had early access a few weeks beforehand. For example FM24 released on 6th November and early access was from 19th October.

FM26 will be significantly different to previous versions. Built using a different game engine and has had a major graphics overhaul.

A very spectacular OG from a long way out!

That would be a legal nightmare for a game to include

Ultimate Soccer Manager in the mid 90s allowed you to take bungs, rig matches and set the price of pies! Plus it had inflation for everything, transfers, shop products, food, tickets etc so prices rose massively!😁

At a SEN school

Try the free demo and find out.

@coalman I said "apart from the database". To say we are rated worse than Leicester and Ipswich, but better than the rest is hardly groundbreaking news.

Not yet, apart from using the database for it, but when I do, I'll be under an NDA, so I can't reveal anything.

My pedantry comes in useful for a database role! 😉😇

It is a volunteer role. I get a free copy of the game, get to play it months before it comes out, free Premier League tickets due to the new license deal and my name is in the credits. I enjoy doing it as a hobby. I have a full-time job as a teacher.

FM26 is the 20th version of the game I've worked on as the game's Southampton researcher. It is going to be a very special one!

Which ones do you think were too good? Saints currently are the 3rd-best Championship team in the FM26 database. That isn't unreasonable.

There has been a two-year gap, with the last version, FM24, selling over 17 million copies. Some huge improvements are on their way for FM26! You can’t complain that this year is simply a ‘data update’! The biggest one that will make the most difference is that Football Manager will no longer be made using an in house engine. Instead it will use all the benefits of the Unity game engine, which will see huge advances in the user interface and the match graphics. Womens football is also making its debut, so you can manage Southampton’s men's and women's teams. Plus, the game now has the Premier League licence for when you get Southampton promoted!

Yes, I've linked to it above this post. Enjoy! 😇