Football Manager 27 will be free to play for five days before its full release, in “industry first” for a game of its kind

Sports Interactive will let PC and Mac players try Football Manager 27 for five days before its paid launch, in what it describes as an industry first for an annual game with all modes available. The offer gives players an early chance to judge the new edition after a difficult period for the series.

The free period runs from 29 October at 6pm GMT until 3 November, when the paid launch preview begins for people who pre-order. Pre-orders open with the free period and come with a 10 per cent discount; saves carry over into the full release on 10 November, including for Xbox Game Pass players. FM27 promises a more intuitive interface and new Tactical Tweaks, following criticism of FM26’s interface and missing features.