Football Manager 26 shares first look at new gameplay, and it was worth the wait

I'm not sure that any game needs annual instalments. From EA Sports FC to Call of Duty, the slight iterations each year struggle to justify their costs. Football Manager 26 proves my theory right, as we've waited two long years for the game, and it looks better than ever. The leap in graphical fidelity has coincided with an engine swap to Unity, and the stark difference shown in its new trailer feels like upgrading Darwin Nunez to Alexander Isak.

We've all been stuck playing Football Manager 24 for twice as long as normal, and it's starting to wear a little thin. Despite my reservations about series with annual titles, I'm tired of winning the lot with Klopp's Liverpool and want updated squads to match the reds' impressive summer window.

Football Manager 26 certainly looks impressive, but it will need a lot more than EA FC-esque graphics to make its mark as one of the best simulation games around. That said, it's a good start. The transition to Unity seems to have been smooth, thanks to the doubled development time, and the result is a game that looks slick.

If the promise of accurate team sheets isn't alluring enough, take a look at that gameplay. The trailer shows numerous stadia, each more distinct than before. On the pitch, animations look much more lifelike, shots look more varied, and the whole experience generally feels more immersive.

While the real test will be in how the team at Sports Interactive has tweaked the tactics and simulation, it's great to see the game looking so good. After Football Manager 25 had such a troubled development to the point where it was canceled, the series looks to be back on track.

If you can't wait for Football Manager 26 either, try one of the best sports games in the meantime. With its big graphics upgrade, you should also check the FM 26 system requirements, as this new entry isn't quite as friendly to older PCs as its predecessors.

That not enough for you? Head on over to our community Discord server to try to persuade me (and other staff and readers) that Liverpool won't win the quadruple this season.