Your save carries over
Football Manager 27 is free to play on PC and Mac until 6pm GMT on 3 November 2026, which is 8pm in South Africa (SAST). There is no extra sign-up, every game mode is open, and anything you start now can carry on into the paid Launch Preview and the full release on 10 November.
Where to download the free Launch Preview
Sports Interactive says the free Launch Preview is playable on Steam, Epic, the Microsoft Store, Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. Its community FAQ adds that you download it from the usual FM27 store page on each platform. The official pages don’t describe any special launcher or menu, so the process is the one you already use for any game on that store.
- Open the Football Manager 27 page on Steam, Epic or the Microsoft Store. Game Pass subscribers use the Game Pass route instead.
- Download it. Sports Interactive says no additional sign-up is required.
- Start a career in any mode. All modes, features and areas are available, and the FAQ says there is no limit on time or progress.
- Keep playing. Saves started in the free period can be continued in the paid Launch Preview and at full launch without starting again.
Two catches on access. Game Pass access is only for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. SI also notes that different platforms may go live at different times, so if your store page doesn’t show the preview yet, check back before assuming it is missing. The free trial is for PC and Mac only, and the Steam listing shows Windows and macOS builds with no Linux build.
Before you commit the download, check the Steam page’s requirements. The Windows minimum is 6 GB of RAM and 20 GB of free storage. If your main drive is tight, how to move Steam games to another drive without redownloading them covers the Steam side of that.
How your save survives the deadline
This is the part that matters most. SI says all careers started during the free period carry over into the paid Launch Preview and the full release. The FAQ adds that FM27 will show an option on its start screen to carry over progress from your previous two Football Manager titles. For that to work, the save data must be on the PC or in your platform account’s cloud save storage. The Steam page lists Steam Cloud support, but SI doesn’t say how it applies to the preview, so we wouldn’t count on it alone for a career you care about.
What happens after 6pm GMT on 3 November
The free window closes at 6pm GMT. From that moment the paid Launch Preview begins, taking the place of the old Advanced Access. If you pre-purchase FM27 from a SEGA-approved digital retailer, you keep Launch Preview access from 6pm GMT on 3 November until full launch on 10 November. SEGA says pre-purchasing is 10% off. That access only applies to purchases through SEGA-approved digital retailers, so check the retailer before you buy.
Game Pass players are covered differently. SI says you can move from the free to the paid Launch Preview through your subscription. The official pages don’t promise anything beyond this for people who neither pre-purchase nor subscribe, so assume the free access ends when the clock does.
What the preview is, and what it might lack
SI describes the Launch Preview as closer in quality and finality to launch than the old Beta or Advanced Access builds. It still isn’t the finished game. SI warns you may hit bugs and glitches, and it points to a dedicated bug-reporting area on the SI Forums. The more important caveat for a long save is licensing: the build contains information still going through approval by rights holders, so some data may not reflect the real world and some club and player assets may be absent.
If install or launch trouble stops you playing, how to verify game files on Steam and the Epic Games Launcher is the first thing to try. We think SI is right to let people try the whole game, Shuffle Draft multiplayer included, before asking for money. Our advice: use the free days to find out whether the new Tactical Effectiveness and Tactical Tweaks suit you, but treat a missing badge or name as a licensing gap, not a bug in your install.
Quick answers
Do I need an account or sign-up? No additional sign-up is required, according to SI.
Is anything locked? No. All modes, features and areas are available during the free period.
Will my older saves work? Per the FAQ, FM27 offers to carry over progress from the previous two titles, provided the data is on your PC or in your platform cloud storage.
Can I play on console? The free Launch Preview is for PC and Mac.
When is full release? 10 November 2026, with Sports Interactive as developer and SEGA as publisher.
