The State of Football Manager

Summary

The video dives deep into the problematic launch of Football Manager 26, discussing the game’s significant issues despite a large update. The narrator expresses frustration with unfinished features, bugs, and the delayed release, revealing a lack of communication and preparedness from the developers. He compares the launch to previous versions, emphasizing how FM26 feels like a beta year. While the potential is there, trust has been damaged with the community. The video concludes by questioning whether Sports Interactive can fix the game and restore player confidence moving forward.

Takeaways

• 😀 The official release of Football Manager 26 was a disaster, with numerous unfinished features and unresolved bugs.
• 😀 The game’s launch date was missed, and the promised updates didn’t come on time, leaving the game feeling incomplete.
• 😀 The UI, particularly the training screen, was criticized for being unintuitive and lacking essential features.
• 😀 Despite a significant update after launch, many core issues, like disappearing crowd sounds and missing screens, were not fixed.
• 😀 The beta build of FM26 is essentially the same as the final release version, with only minor tweaks (removal of the watermark and bug report link).
• 😀 A lack of small, quality-of-life features, like the ability to search the player database when unemployed, left players frustrated.
• 😀 Sports Interactive’s decision to cancel FM25 and pivot to FM26 led to a rushed development, which contributed to the launch failures.
• 😀 The community has lost trust in the studio, and while the game has potential, it will take time to rebuild that trust.
• 😀 The absence of a significant update on launch day, despite a large fanbase, reflects poor planning and mismanagement by Sports Interactive.
• 😀 The game’s release felt like a beta year, with many fans seeing it as unfinished, but there’s still hope for future updates and fixes.
• 😀 Drawing parallels to No Man's Sky, the reviewer suggests FM26 could still turn around over time if Sports Interactive commits to improving the game.

Q & A

What is the overall sentiment of the script regarding Football Manager 26's release?

The script expresses frustration and disappointment with the state of Football Manager 26's release, citing bugs, missing features, and unmet expectations despite the game's significant update. The narrator feels that the game was released prematurely and is still unfinished, with a major issue being the lack of a proper update on launch day.

How does the narrator describe the game after the update?

The narrator mentions that the update fixed some bugs and issues but didn't address all the problems, such as missing crowd sounds during matches and incomplete screens. The game still feels unfinished despite the update.

What is the significance of the Steam reviews mentioned in the script?

The narrator points out the dramatic drop in positive reviews for Football Manager 26, from 94% for FM24 to only 22% for FM26, highlighting the significant backlash from players and the widespread dissatisfaction with the game's release.

Why does the narrator believe the release date was problematic?

The narrator argues that the decision to release Football Manager 26 on November 4th was made by Sports Interactive, and the studio failed to deliver a fully functional game on that date. This failure, combined with missing updates and the lack of a special release day, suggests poor preparation and execution.

What issue does the narrator highlight with the user interface (UI) and gameplay mechanics?

The narrator mentions that the game's UI feels clunky and some screens, like the training screen, are worse than before. The lack of clear instructions and navigational issues make the game difficult to use, even for core gameplay features like training, which the narrator ended up automating out of frustration.

What is the significance of the in-game editor issue mentioned in the script?

The in-game editor, a tool used for modding and customizing the game, is highlighted as dysfunctional, with the narrator experiencing a soft lock while trying to use it. This reflects the broader issues with the game's stability and functionality post-release.

How does the narrator view the role of Sega and Sports Interactive in the game's release?

The narrator speculates that Sports Interactive may have been under pressure from Sega to meet a specific release date, but they believe that Sports Interactive's internal failures, including poor planning and execution, were the primary reasons for the game's incomplete state at launch.

What does the narrator mean by the game feeling like a 'beta year'?

The narrator suggests that Football Manager 26 feels like a beta version due to the lack of major updates on release day and the fact that the game version on launch is essentially the same as the beta. This lack of progress after the beta period led the narrator to conclude that the game is still in a testing phase rather than a finished product.

What is the comparison between Football Manager 26's launch and the issues faced by No Man's Sky?

The narrator draws a comparison between Football Manager 26 and No Man's Sky, noting that while FM26's launch was disappointing, there is potential for future improvements. No Man's Sky initially faced backlash but later became one of the best games through continuous updates, which offers hope for FM26's future if Sports Interactive commits to improving it.

How does the narrator feel about the potential for future updates to Football Manager 26?

The narrator is cautiously hopeful, suggesting that while the launch was a failure, there is still a chance for the game to improve with future updates. However, the trust between the fanbase and Sports Interactive has been significantly damaged, and how the studio handles future updates will be crucial for the game's success.