Elevating game flow and navigation has been at the heart of the work on Football Manager 27’s User Interface and Experience.
Driven by internal reviews and your feedback, FM27 evolves our existing design language while reintroducing familiar behaviours, creating a cleaner, more intuitive experience from the start of every career.
By reducing the number of clicks, reshaping menus to elevate the full-screen experience and introducing more adaptivity and customisation, you can get to the information and areas you need more efficiently; giving you more time to explore the wider game world.
Learn more about the changes you'll soon see in FM27 in the Deep Dive blog and check out a list of FAQs related to this update for more details.
FAQ
Q: In this FM27 deep dive, what were the main goals, changes and additions that the Sports Interactive team look to address?
A: Combining community feedback and internal reviews, the key goals we are aiming to achieve for this area of FM27 are:
A more intuitive navigation system, making it easier and faster for you to find the information you need and are interested in
Reduce the clicks and unnecessary navigation by improving how information is shown on a single screen
Give you the ability to better tailor some of the information you can access via customisation options with some tiles and navigation preferences
Provide the ability to tailor the game and its layout to the way you play, maximising the space on screen
Introduce flows and options that make the experience more familiar to long-time FM players
Q: How have the navigation bars been addressed to help with navigation and discovery?
A: Both the primary and secondary navigation bars at the very top of the screen have been revamped to be clearer and more helpful in finding what you need, faster. The majority of the options in the navigation bars include drop-downs so you can quickly find the area you need. For example, the Squad option drop-down includes the overview page, first team, youth team, dynamics and loans, some of which with their own drop-down menus with more specific pages.
Additionally, in Preferences you’ll find a setting that allows you to change which screen is first the one you see when you click any option in the Primary navigation bar. For example, when selecting Squad, you can choose to be taken to a specific area, like the first team, rather than the overview.
Q: How customisable is the layout and information shown on screens?
A: You'll be able to change what you immediately see and access across multiple areas of FM27. Selected tiles that summarise key information can be swapped out for different tiles and topics. For example, on the Recruitment page a ‘Transfer Window’ tile appears by default, but this can be changed to show a wide variety of other options, including affiliate clubs or your transfer history. Customisation options for the layout of Bookmarks, Shortcuts and the landing screen for each key menu are also available, either via prompts on the screen or within the Preferences menu.
Q: Will FM27 support ultrawide monitors and different information layouts to suit the type of screen being used?
A: Yes. FM27 includes ultrawide monitor support, which appears immediately once you load into the game when using a relevant monitor. Additionally, tables with large amounts of columns and information will rescale to show as much information as possible on ultrawide screens. Including the default option, there are three different scaling modes, available from Preferences, that allow you to load different amounts of information onto the screen, so you can maximise the space available to you. While fully optimised layouts for every possible screen and setup is not possible, a considerable amount of work has gone into minimising dead space for as many setups as possible.
Q: Will there be fewer cards compared to FM26?
A: Yes. A priority in the FM27 design work has been to turn many of these information points into a full-screen experience, making it easier to find the details you need and including clear guidance on where next to navigate to.
Q: How does FM27 make it easier to find key actions to take in each main section of the game?
A: Whenever you access the main screens in the game, such as Squad or Recruitment, you’ll find a control panel towards the top of the page, underneath the primary and secondary navigation options. This panel clearly displays important actions you can take in this area of the game, without navigating away from the main screen. For example, on the Recruitment screen, the control panel allows you to easily access recruitment advice from your staff; adjust your budgets; create a recruitment focus; change your scouting range and budget; and delegate staff responsibilities.
Q: How have news and messages been improved for FM27?
A: News items will now be directly shown to you in the message you receive, rather than requiring you to click through or away. Plus, the use of colour-coding makes it easier to recognise the type of message you've received. Messages that require an action, such as receiving a transfer offer or scout report, can be actioned immediately within the item instead of clicking away.
Q: How do these interface changes support different screen and resolution settings?
A: FM27’s design recognises and adapts to your chosen setup. Screens and areas will adjust and appear differently to remain optimised and minimise instances of dead space or difficulty in navigation. In the Preferences menu, multiple presets are available to help scale the information on your screen, which you can combine with customisable elements to design a setup that works best for you.
Q: How can Bookmarks and Shortcuts be customised in FM27?
A: Bookmarks will now show text descriptors and you can drag and drop to rearrange their order. While in the Preferences menu, you now have the option to edit your Shortcuts, so you can select a set of options that are relevant and helpful to you.
Q: What does the Tactical Effectiveness element of the Training and Tactics screens refer to?
A: Tactical Effectiveness is a new system that's been introduced for FM27 that you'll learn more about in an upcoming deep dive into both that and overhauls to Training.
Q: Is the gameplay footage shown in this deep dive representative of what will be in FM27 on launch?
A: The footage shown is from a development build of the game, meaning polish and optimisation will continue to take place before launch. While the layout and direction of the interface will be largely unchanged in the launch version of FM27, final work is ongoing to ensure this is optimised in both its look and feel. This build contains information that is still under approval process by right holders and may contain data that does not, at this time, accurately reflect real world data.
Q: Is the skin shown in the gameplay final?
A: The background skin and colour scheme for the FM27 user interface is an area that our team are still finalising on the way to launch, including factoring in feedback from recent user testing.
Q: Which platforms will FM27 be available on?
A: FM27 (PC/Mac) will launch on Steam, Epic Games Store and the Xbox PC app, including being available on Xbox handheld devices. FM27 Console will be available on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox handheld devices and PlayStation 5. FM27 Mobile will be available on iOS and Android exclusively via Netflix. Details on further platforms will be confirmed at a later date. We can also confirm that versions of FM27 will not release on Nintendo Switch or Xbox One, Xbox One X, or Xbox One S. This decision has been taken to focus on maximising the game’s quality across all available platforms.
Q: Will FM27 be on Xbox Game Pass?
A: For Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscribers, FM27 (PC/Mac) is available from the Microsoft Store and Xbox PC app. PC Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can also play FM27 Console via the Microsoft Store or Xbox PC app.
Q: Is there more to come for pre-launch looks at FM27 gameplay and changes?
A: Yes. We’re preparing more deep dives, information and gameplay to share with you. Our next focus will be on the changes and additions that make FM27 a deeper and more immersive experience.