When the free preview opens
Football Manager 27 will offer a five-day free Launch Preview on PC and Mac, Sports Interactive has announced. It starts at 18:00 GMT on 29 October 2026 and ends at 18:00 GMT on 3 November. Those are the UK local times.
The announcement lists Steam, Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store. All game modes are included during the free period. The preview is scheduled for next week; the announcement does not make the game playable today.
What happens on 3 November
When free access ends, players who pre-purchase through a SEGA-approved digital retailer can continue in the paid Launch Preview until the full release on 10 November. Pre-purchasing opens alongside the free period on 29 October.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members can access the preview through their subscriptions and continue their saves that way. Those subscriptions still require payment; the free-play announcement covers PC and Mac, with no equivalent offer confirmed for FM27 Console.
Saves and missing assets
A career started during free play can continue into the paid preview and the full game without a restart. That preserves your progress, but continued access still depends on buying the game or having the qualifying subscription.
Sports Interactive describes the preview as a near-final build. Some club or player assets may be missing while approval from rights holders is pending, so the preview should not be treated as the final licensed database.
