Everything You Need to Know About FM26 Update 26.1.1

FM26 Update 26.1.1 — What You Need to Know

If you’ve been following the rollercoaster that is Football Manager 26, there’s a new update out now that many in the community have been waiting for, around a week since their previous Update 26.1.0. Update 26.1.1 was recently rolled out by Sports Interactive across Steam, Epic, and the Microsoft Store, bringing a fresh round of fixes and improvements after earlier patches and beta testing. This patch isn’t huge in terms of flashy new features, but it’s significant because it addresses many of the niggles and odd behaviours that people have spotted since launch. Sports Interactive’s announcement comes amid widespread criticism from the community, and seeks to address many of the issues which still plague the game.

Whether you’re deep in a long-term save or just playing casually, this latest update is worth installing as soon as you can — even if it doesn’t rewrite the game from the ground up.

---

What’s Included in Update 26.1.1

Unlike some patches that add major new modes or tools, FM26 26.1.1 focuses heavily on stability, UI fixes, and quality-of-life improvements. Across more than 300 changes, a lot of small but important issues have been fixed:

• Various crash and stability problems have been addressed, which should make longer games feel smoother.

• UI improvements include better halftime and post-match report screens, and fixes to unresponsive interface elements.

• Some rare issues — like crowd noise continuing after matches or problems with loading certain saved games after switching out of the Public Beta — have been resolved.

• Important gameplay and display fixes include making sure substitute lists, opposition instructions, and squad planners behave as they should.

• Contract and transfer views are more reliable, especially around loan recall logic and player status updates.

• A handful of features now behave more logically in various menus, helping reduce frustrating moments mid-game.

This isn’t a patch that fundamentally alters how you play, but it cleans up a lot of longstanding glitches and inconsistencies that people have been frustrated with.

Name of Fix	Genre / Area	Details of the Fix
— TECHNICAL & STABILITY FIXES —		General technical, performance and stability fixes
Crash & Stability Improvements	Technical	Various crash and stability issues fixed to improve overall reliability of the game.
Best of the Rest Softlock Fix	Technical	Fixed a softlock when selecting “Best of the Rest” club expectation and later removing it.
In-Game Item Timestamp Fix	Technical	Tactics, set pieces, shortlists and other saved items now display the correct save time.
Save Loading Issue Fix	Technical	Fixed a rare issue where certain save games could not be loaded after switching from the Public Beta Track.
Online Match Processing Timer	Technical / Online	Fixed an issue where the processing timer appeared incorrectly during online matches.
Crowd Noise Continuing After Match	Technical / Audio	Fixed rare cases where crowd noise continued after the match had ended.
Refined Match Shadows	Technical / Visuals	Improved shadow rendering during overcast matches for better visual clarity.
— USER INTERFACE (UI) FIXES —		Improvements and fixes across menus, screens and displays
Half-Time Report Screen	User Interface	Improved layout and behaviour of the half-time report screen.
Post-Match Report Screen	User Interface	Improved reliability and clarity of the post-match report screen.
Past Match Report Display	User Interface	Fixed issues with viewing past match reports.
Unresponsive Shout Button	User Interface	Fixed UI becoming unresponsive after selecting the same Team Talk shout twice.
Weather Text Duplication	User Interface	Fixed weather description appearing twice on Team News screens.
Live Table Expand Button	User Interface	Fixed expand button not functioning correctly on Live Table view.
+/- Button Visibility	User Interface	Fixed cases where plus/minus buttons would disappear unexpectedly.
Set Piece Taker List	User Interface	Players who have left the club no longer appear as set piece taker options.
Squad Planner Position Saving	User Interface	Selected position now saves correctly within the Squad Planner.
Player Search Columns	User Interface	Added additional columns to Player Search in Scout > Transfer view.
Choose Visuals Dropdown	User Interface	Added “Choose Visuals” option to Player Report performance data screen.
Staff Attributes Display	User Interface	Staff attributes now visible on Club Staff screens.
Deadline Day Offers	User Interface	Transfer offers received on Deadline Day must now be responded to.
Opposition Report Form Tooltip	User Interface	Added tooltip explaining “Form” within Opposition Reports.
Youth Candidates Sorting	User Interface	Youth Candidates portal message now sorts players by rating category.
B Team Average Age Display	User Interface	Fixed incorrect average age display in B Team portal messages.
League Player Stats Sorting	User Interface	Sorting by position now works correctly in League > Player Stats.
Coaching Conditions Filter	User Interface	Coaching Conditions filter now works in the Player Database.
Scout Filter Accuracy	User Interface	Scout filters no longer show players who do not meet criteria.
Suggested XI Confirmation	User Interface	Confirming Suggested XI from portal messages now works correctly.
Pre-Match Continue Button	User Interface	Fixed Continue button not appearing on the pre-match Team Talk screen.
Graphic Quality Dropdown	User Interface	Fixed Graphic Quality dropdown not opening in Preferences.
Shortlist Message Reports	User Interface	Fixed sending re-scouted player reports to Messages from Shortlist.
Delegation Tab Reset	User Interface	Fixed issue preventing delegation tabs from resetting correctly.
NXGN / Top Player News	User Interface	Fixed award candidate news not showing all shortlisted players.
Match Caption Own Goals	User Interface	Own goals now display correctly in match pop-up captions.
Subbed-Off Player Menu	User Interface	Removed substituted players from right-click Match Tactics menu.
Match Tactics Substitution	User Interface	Fixed inability to make substitutions via squad bar during matches.
Ticket Price Display	User Interface	Fixed new season ticket price display incorrectly showing 0%.
— GAMEPLAY & MATCH ENGINE FIXES —		Gameplay logic, match behaviour and rules
Opposition Instructions Line-Up	Gameplay	Correct opposition line-up now displays during matches.
Captain Indicator	Gameplay	Captain indicator now appears correctly in UEFA competition graphics.
TransferRoom Out Improvements	Gameplay	Improved behaviour when offering players out via TransferRoom Out.
Transfer Budget Update	Gameplay	Transfer budget now updates instantly after clause-related sales.
Player Transfer Status	Gameplay	Player transfer status updates immediately when removed from lists.
Loan Player Wage Display	Gameplay	Squad screen now shows correct wage for loan players at loan club.
Contract Demand Display	Gameplay	Fixed incorrect contract demands shown after agent market interest check.
Expiring Contract Icon	Gameplay	‘i’ icon now appears correctly in expiring contract portal messages.
Contract Negotiation Button	Gameplay	Contract negotiation button no longer active if a pre-contract is signed.
Future Fee Loan Details	Gameplay	Full details of loan deals with future fees now display correctly.
Individual Training Sorting	Gameplay	Sorting by position now works in Individual Training screen.
Recruitment Focus Coverage	Gameplay	Recruitment Focus can now be created for all active competitions.
Mentoring Group Creation	Gameplay	Assistant Manager can now correctly create mentoring groups.
Makeshift Position Badge	Gameplay	Added ‘Makeshift’ positional rating icon for players.
— AI & PLAYER LOGIC FIXES —		Improvements to AI behaviour and decision-making
Player Contract Logic	AI / Gameplay	Improved logic for players wanting new contracts, staff renewals, and older player contracts.
Backup Player National Team Logic	AI / Gameplay	Fixed backup players demanding excessive playing time for national team consideration.
Elite Club Promise Logic	AI / Gameplay	Reduced frequency of elite players demanding Domestic Trophy promises.
AI Loan Back Offers	AI / Gameplay	Fixed unrealistic playing time promises in AI loan-back offers.
Loan Recall Logic	AI / Gameplay	Players are no longer recalled if a loan club triggers a buy clause.
European Qualification Fee Trigger	AI / Rules	Fixed future fee triggers related to European qualification.
Captain / Vice-Captain Conflict	AI / Rules	Fixed issue where a player could demand to be both captain and vice-captain.
— IN-GAME EDITOR FIXES —		In-Game Editor usability and functionality
Editor Header Bar Update	In-Game Editor	Header bar now updates instantly after transfers made via editor.
Corporate Facilities Rating	In-Game Editor	Fixed issue editing Corporate Facilities rating.
Fee Adjustment Button	In-Game Editor	‘+’ button next to fee amounts now works correctly.
Editor Dropdown Tabs	In-Game Editor	Dropdowns converted into functional tab views.
Editor Icon Availability	In-Game Editor	Fixed issue where editor icon became disabled incorrectly.

---

How to Install It — Step by Step

Installing the update is straightforward, but the exact steps depend on where you own FM26:

1. On PC (Steam):

   • Close Football Manager 26 completely if it’s running.

   • Restart Steam and let it check for updates — the patch should download automatically.

   • If you were on the Public Beta Track previously, you can revert to the retail version if you want the stable release instead.

2. On Epic / Microsoft Store:

   • Open the launcher and go to your library.

   • Look for the FM26 update prompt and let it download and install.

   • Restart the game once the update finishes.

3. On Console:

   • Updates should trigger automatically when you start the game — if not, check the game in your library and hit “Update.”

4. On Touch / Mobile:

   • The update is expected to come later in the new year across those platforms due to critical issues found in earlier builds.

Because FM26 patches are save game compatible, you don’t need to start a new career after installing.

---

Community Reaction

Fans of FM26 have had, let’s say, a mixed relationship with the game so far. Many players were frustrated at launch due to bugs, missing features, and a redesigned UI that took some getting used to. Some long-time managers felt it wasn’t up to the usual standards.

That said, this update has been greeted with a bit more positivity. A lot of players have commented that just having clear fixes for stability and UI issues shows Sports Interactive is listening, especially after a series of beta tests and patch cycles. There’s also appreciation that the team is communicating more about what’s being fixed and what remains on the roadmap.

“Like many, I was initially not a huge fan of the revamped UI. But once I got used to it and knew how to navigate it, I believe the UI is better than before, much more modern and with the potential to be even better with improves use of space.”

Said one user on the SI forum.

Of course, not everyone is celebrating — some feel the game still needs more structural improvements before it feels truly polished — but overall the reaction is a step in the right direction.

---

What’s Next? Future Plans and Expectations

According to the official notes, updates for FM26 Console and FM26 Touch are planned for the new year. These platforms were held back this side of Christmas due to compatibility issues spotted in earlier testing.

Beyond that, the community is watching for:

• Continued bug fixes and gameplay tweaks

• UI refinements for clarity and usability

• Further match engine polish and tactical depth enhancements

• Potential feature returns that were missing at launch

Sports Interactive has made it clear that they intend to keep the game supported long-term, and while 26.1.1 doesn’t rewrite the game, it lays groundwork for smoother patches ahead.

Make sure you stay up to date with all FM26 updates and news on our Feature Articles section.