21 Nov, 2025
FM26 Update 3 – Patch 26.0.6 : Everything you Need to Know.
Don’t miss a thing! Get everything you need to know about the huge FM26 Update 3 (Patch 26.0.6). All fixes, changes and features right here!
1. About Update 26.0.6
Sports Interactive released Football Manager 2026 – Patch 26.0.6 on 20 November 2025, marking the eighth hotfix for FM26 and the third since the full retail launch. It arrived on the public beta branch on Steam, with a download size of around 297 MB. The update is save-game compatible, so there’s no need to start a new career. The patch echoes that of Sports Interactive’s FM26 Update 2, where despite the large amount of changes and fixes, the community still felt some of the larger issues were going unaddressed.
If you are still having running issues, we really suggest checking if your PC can run FM26, as there may be some tweaks to your settings which could help optimise your experience.
Now for players wanting to install it, the process is straightforward. On Steam, open your Library, right-click Football Manager 2026, and select Properties. Under the Betas tab, opt into the public beta branch if you aren’t already. Steam should then automatically download Patch 26.0.6. If it doesn’t appear, a quick restart of the Steam client usually forces the update through. Epic Games Store users simply need to ensure auto-updates are enabled, after which the patch should apply the next time they launch the game.
2. What The Update Addressed
Patch 26.0.6 is one of the most substantial hotfixes so far. It includes more than 200 bug fixes, touching gameplay logic, UI stability and online functionality. Standout improvements include fixes for human-vs-human match freezes, soft-locks when viewing past fixtures, and broken youth-team training access. The UI received more polish too, with a new FPS preference setting, a revamped button for in-match stats and xG story, and several visual clean-ups across tactics, kits and sponsorship screens.
More importantly, deeper gameplay logic has been tightened—such as wage-demand behaviour in lower leagues and squad-building logic at elite clubs. It’s clear the developers aimed not just to tidy the surface, but stabilise the systems underneath.
All Hotfixes in Update 26.0.6
| Type of Issue | Fix Deployed |
|---|---|
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | Extensive UI polish and refinement |
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | Tweaks to general screen flow |
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | Added button to view match stats, momentum, and xG story during highlights |
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | Added preference option for crowd-quality setting |
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | Home shirt icon fixed in the Tactics Planner |
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | Data Hub > Last Match > Summary now pulls correct match data |
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | Place of birth selector fixed in Manager Creation |
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | “Apply” in Player Search now returns to correct landing page |
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | All substitutes no longer show as “S1” |
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | Ligue 1 trophy no longer appears incorrectly |
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | Incorrect prize-money “drawn” message fixed |
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | Player comparison polygon graph now displays correct attributes |
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | Sub goalkeeper no longer shows in an outfield kit in Tactics Planner |
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | First-team players do not wear sub bibs during pre-match team talks |
| User Interface & Visual Presentation | Snow now appears outside stadiums, not only on the pitch |
| Performance, Stability & Crashes | Further crash and stability fixes |
| Performance, Stability & Crashes | Fixes for freezes at half-time in online human-vs-human matches |
| Performance, Stability & Crashes | Fixed freeze caused by large custom databases online |
| Performance, Stability & Crashes | Fixed soft-lock when viewing past matches |
| Performance, Stability & Crashes | Fixed crash with UAE clubs during advanced setup |
| Performance, Stability & Crashes | Online match highlights now stay in sync |
| Performance, Stability & Crashes | Fixed crash editing non-player contract expiry in IGE |
| Training, Tactics & Matchday Systems | Youth-team training calendar now accessible |
| Training, Tactics & Matchday Systems | Loading tactics mid-match now works |
| Training, Tactics & Matchday Systems | Passing Risk instruction correctly locked for Playmaker roles |
| Training, Tactics & Matchday Systems | Opposition instructions now refresh when substitutions occur |
| Training, Tactics & Matchday Systems | Substitution dropdown in Tactics Planner now works correctly |
| Training, Tactics & Matchday Systems | Player condition no longer permanently displays as full |
| Gameplay Logic (AI, Contracts, Player Behaviour) | Improved youth wage-demand logic |
| Gameplay Logic (AI, Contracts, Player Behaviour) | Improved lower-league wage-demand logic |
| Gameplay Logic (AI, Contracts, Player Behaviour) | Improved top-club squad-building logic |
| Gameplay Logic (AI, Contracts, Player Behaviour) | Players reject negotiations if wage gap is unrealistic |
| Gameplay Logic (AI, Contracts, Player Behaviour) | Tweaks to post-match reputation processing |
| Gameplay Logic (AI, Contracts, Player Behaviour) | Refined Saudi-club transfer logic |
| Gameplay Logic (AI, Contracts, Player Behaviour) | Team-leaders meeting no longer includes the player concerned |
| Gameplay Logic (AI, Contracts, Player Behaviour) | Users can no longer renegotiate fee after terms agreed |
| Gameplay Logic (AI, Contracts, Player Behaviour) | Fixed ineligible players being registered |
| Weather, Match Engine & Presentation | Rain frequency adjusted |
| Weather, Match Engine & Presentation | Snow now visible outside stadiums |
| Competitions, Coefficients & Registration Rules | Fixed incorrect European coefficient points in KO rounds |
| Competitions, Coefficients & Registration Rules | Correct coefficient allocation in qualifiers/playoffs |
| Competitions, Coefficients & Registration Rules | Season coefficient no longer shows zero until season end |
| Competitions, Coefficients & Registration Rules | Sponsorship card now opens correctly |
| Competitions, Coefficients & Registration Rules | Sponsorship end dates no longer show as 1/1/1900 |
| Finance, Budgets & Club Data | Recruitment Budgets tile added to Finance Summary |
| Finance, Budgets & Club Data | Finance graph now displays correct currency |
| Finance, Budgets & Club Data | Income/Expenditure data corrected |
| Finance, Budgets & Club Data | USA salary-cap “Adjust Impact” bar now functional |
| Player Search, Scouting & Recruitment | Recruitment Focus gender-eligibility rule fixed |
| Player Search, Scouting & Recruitment | Shirt-number assignment for loaned players fixed |
| In-Game Editor (IGE) | Fixed editing of dual player/staff roles |
| In-Game Editor (IGE) | Stadium-condition field editing fixed |
| In-Game Editor (IGE) | Club colour edits now save correctly |
| In-Game Editor (IGE) | IGE menus no longer appear when disabled |
| In-Game Editor (IGE) | Familiarity updates instantly when maximised |
| In-Game Editor (IGE) | Crash fixed editing non-player contract expiry |
| Translations & Localisation | Improved in-game translations across multiple languages |
3. Community Reaction to Update 26.0.6
The response to patch 26.0.6 across Reddit was a blend of relief and lingering frustration. Many long-time players welcomed the update, saying it finally smoothed out several problems that had made FM26 feel rough since launch. A few even reversed negative reviews, noting that the UI felt quicker and key bugs—like the second-half freeze and individual training issues—appeared fixed.
“Just deleted my negative review. This new patch fixed most of the issues … The UI is snappy again … The second half not starting bug is apparently fixed … Individual training focus bug is fixed.”
But plenty of scepticism remains. One of the most common complaints was that some items in the patch notes didn’t seem to exist in the actual game. Several users said they still couldn’t find the new “match stats and xG” button mentioned by SI, leading to jokes that even the patch notes have bugs. Others argued the youth-team staffing system is still broken, with hired coaches agreeing to contracts but never appearing in the squad structure.
Beyond specific issues, a recurring theme was fatigue. Some veteran managers feel FM has fallen into a pattern of surface-level fixes while deeper problems—like staff logic, squad-building AI and long-term progression—remain unchanged. A few expressed disappointment that the series seems to be stagnating, with one user saying they increasingly feel like “testers rather than players.”
Overall, the community sees patch 26.0.6 as a welcome improvement, but not the turning point many hoped it would be. The goodwill is there, but it’s cautious—people want stability, clarity, and follow-through more than ever.
4. When the Next FM26 Update & What’s Been Promised
Sports Interactive hasn’t committed to a firm date for the next patch, but they’ve stated that further updates are coming and that turnaround times should improve. They’ve also encouraged players to use the “+1” system on the Bug Tracker instead of creating duplicates—something they say will help them prioritise fixes more efficiently.
They also mentioned they were ‘continuing work behind the scenes on the match engine’. So it is likely we see an update addressing that in the near future.
Make sure you check out our Feature Articles section to stay up to date with all the latest FM26 tactics, news and updates.
