Football Manager 27 Is Free to Play for Five Days Before Launch: Dates, Times and How Your Save Carries Over

Football Manager 27 free play is real, and it starts next week. Sports Interactive has confirmed that the full FM27 Launch Preview will be free to play on PC and Mac from 6pm GMT on Thursday, October 29 until 6pm GMT on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, one week before the game launches on November 10.

There's no sign-up and no time limit within those five days. You download FM27 from Steam, the Epic Games Store, the Microsoft Store or Game Pass and play every mode, and any save you start can carry on into the paid Launch Preview and the full game.

Football Manager 27 free play at a glance

When can you play Football Manager 27 for free?

The free play period runs for five days, from 6pm GMT on October 29 to 6pm GMT on November 3, 2026. If you've seen October 27 mentioned elsewhere, that's wrong: Sports Interactive's own announcement, posted on Steam on October 21, gives October 29 as the start date.

Because the clocks change in late October, the local times shift slightly between the start and the end:

• UK: starts 6pm GMT on Thursday, October 29 and ends 6pm GMT on Tuesday, November 3.
• Central Europe: 7pm CET at both ends.
• US East Coast: starts 2pm EDT on October 29 and ends 1pm EST on November 3 (US clocks go back on November 1).
• US West Coast: starts 11am PDT and ends 10am PST.

Which platforms can play FM27 for free?

The free Launch Preview is for PC and Mac only. You can download it from the usual FM27 store pages on:

• Steam
• Epic Games Store
• Microsoft Store
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass (Launch Preview access is only for these two subscriptions)

Console players miss out on this one. FM27 Console (for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S) isn't part of the free play period, and it can't be pre-purchased either, although you can add it to your wishlist from October 29.

Is the free version of Football Manager 27 the full game?

Yes. Sports Interactive says all modes, features and areas of FM27 are available during free play, with no limit on time played or progress. It's the Launch Preview build, which the studio describes as near-final and "closer in quality and finality to launch" than its early-access builds used to be.

One thing to know: some licensing is still being approved, so a few clubs and player assets may be missing or not yet match real-world data in this version. Any updates before November 10 will be announced on Football Manager's official channels.

Will my Football Manager 27 save carry over?

Yes. Any career you start during the free week can be continued in the paid Launch Preview and then in the full game, without starting again. FM27 can also carry over save progress from FM24 and FM26: an option on the start screen picks it up, as long as the save data is on your PC or in your platform's cloud storage.

What happens when the free week ends?

At 6pm GMT on November 3 the free period closes and the paid Launch Preview begins. It replaces what Football Manager used to call the Beta or Advanced Access. Players who pre-purchase FM27 on PC from a SEGA-approved digital retailer can keep playing straight through to launch on November 10. Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can also continue their save through their subscription.

How much is Football Manager 27, and is there a pre-order discount?

Football Manager 27 costs $59.99 / £49.99 / €59.99. Pre-purchasing opens alongside the free play period at 6pm GMT on October 29, on Steam, Epic and the Microsoft Store, with 10% off for anyone who pre-purchases from a SEGA-approved digital retailer. That works out at $53.99 / £44.99 / €53.99 before any local taxes or store rounding. It's also on Game Pass for subscribers.

Why is Football Manager 27 free to play before launch?

Sports Interactive is open about the reason. Earlier this year the studio said it wanted to show more of FM27 before asking players to commit to pre-orders. Free play goes a step further, letting people try the game for themselves before they buy. The studio also says it's committed to "rebuilding player trust and confidence", and calls the free week "a tangible example of that commitment".

That's a big change in tone after a rocky couple of years. Football Manager 25 was cancelled before release, and Football Manager 26 divided players when it moved to the Unity engine: it still sits at Mostly Negative on Steam. Letting everyone try FM27 for free is a confident move, and a smart one if the improvements land.

What's new in Football Manager 27?

Sports Interactive has spent the past month showing off FM27's main changes in a series of deep dives. The headline features are:

• A clearer interface with smoother navigation.
• Tactical Tweaks for in-match changes on the touchline, and Tactical Effectiveness on the training ground.
• An upgraded match engine and a more atmospheric match day.
• A deeper football world, with cup draws and transfer deadline day brought to life.
• A more personal, accessible manager creator.
• The return of the 2D match engine and the In-Game Editor.

We cover all of this in our full Football Manager 27 release date guide.

Watch the Football Manager 27 gameplay preview

The official gameplay preview from Football Manager's YouTube channel shows the new features and upgrades in action.

Should you try Football Manager 27 for free?

If you've been put off by FM26, or you're unsure whether FM27 runs well on your PC, the free week is the easiest way to find out. You lose nothing by trying it, and if you like it, your save carries on. Just remember that the free period ends at 6pm GMT on November 3, so pre-purchase before then if you want to keep playing straight through to launch.

More Football Manager on iGame Magazine

• Football Manager 27 release date: everything Sports Interactive has confirmed
• Football Manager 26: release, price and why players are divided
• Xbox Game Pass prices: what each tier costs, including the ones that get FM27

Football Manager 27 free play FAQ