Football Manager 27 Is Free to Play Until 3 November

Sports Interactive and SEGA have made the Football Manager 27 Launch Preview free to play on PC and Mac until 18:00 UTC on Tuesday 3 November 2026 (1:00 pm ET). The free period opened at 18:00 UTC on 29 October, and any career you start in it carries over to the paid preview and the full game, which launches on 10 November.

According to the studio's announcement, the preview is available on Steam, the Epic Games Store and the Microsoft Store, and through PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. There's no extra sign-up: you download it from your platform and start playing. Sports Interactive notes that different platforms may go live at slightly different times.

What you get in the free preview

This isn't a cut-down demo. Sports Interactive says you get the complete FM27 experience across all game modes, including Shuffle Draft, the new fast-paced multiplayer mode. The Launch Preview replaces the Beta and Advanced Access builds of earlier years and is meant to be closer in quality to the final release.

There are caveats. The studio warns that you may hit bugs, and that the preview contains data still awaiting approval from rights holders, so some club and player assets may be missing or not match the real world yet. Bugs can be reported on the official SI Forums.

What happens after 3 November

When free play ends, you need to buy the game to keep going. Pre-purchasing through a SEGA-approved retailer gives 10% off and keeps your Launch Preview access from 18:00 UTC on 3 November until launch on 10 November. On Game Pass, you move from the free preview to the paid one through your subscription.

Prices from the Steam store on 30 Oct 2026; other stores may differ.

Confirmed and unconfirmed

• Confirmed: the free window and end time, the platforms, all modes including Shuffle Draft, career carry-over, the 10% pre-purchase offer and the 10 November launch (Sports Interactive, Steam).

• Not confirmed: exact go-live times on each store, and which licensed clubs or players are still missing from the preview.

In India, the free period ends at 11:30 pm IST on 3 November, and the Steam price is ₹4,499.

Why it matters

A free week is the cheapest way to find out whether FM27 runs well on your PC or Mac and whether its changes suit you before you pay, and because saves carry over, an early start isn't wasted. For platforms, editions and the full release picture, see our Football Manager 27 game page and our Football Manager 27 guide. Our FM27 install guide covers downloading on each store, and if space is tight, our guide to moving Steam games to another drive can help.