Kick-off on August 14, 2026
It is set: HALFTIME Manager enters Early Access on August 14, 2026. For the first seven days there is 15% off.
Why I built this
A lot of the manager gems of the 90s were fun because they got the complexity exactly right: enough depth to make real decisions, but never so much that you spend the evening wrestling with sliders instead of playing. A large part of today's football managers are the opposite, huge tables where everything can be micromanaged down to the last detail. HALFTIME Manager goes the fun way: depth, yes, but without being complicated. You make decisions that visibly change things, and you do not spend your evening in submenus.
In the game from day one
Six nations, each with a three-tier league pyramid, plus a shared cross-border cup
Live matches in retro 2D with tactics, substitutions, weather, goal-line technology and VAR. Or quick simulation when you are in a hurry.
A deep transfer market: negotiations, rival bidders, free agents with signing fees, loans and Bosman pre-contracts.
Finances that bite: sponsors, tiered ticket prices, infrastructure upgrades, forecasting.
Training, player traits, team talks, coaching staff and board objectives.
12 seasons of pre-generated history with a roll of honour and record champions, plus an end-of-season ceremony.
Local multiplayer (hotseat) for up to four managers.
Steam Workshop, achievements and cloud saves.
Six languages: German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese.
The Workshop matters to me personally
I have spent a lot of my own time publishing small Workshop items for other games. So it was clear to me from the start that HALFTIME Manager had to support the Workshop: your own leagues and game worlds, your own sponsors, your own translations.
What is in there now is the beginning. I am happy to extend it and to smooth out the interfaces wherever you hit a wall while modding. If you want to build content yourself, get in touch. I am looking forward to that conversation.
Why Early Access, honestly
The game is fully playable and complete in itself. What it lacks is time: a manager is decided by its balance across many seasons, and I cannot play through that volume on my own. The match simulation, the transfer market and the economy are where I am most likely to keep adjusting, and for that I need your saves and your criticism.
I expect around 12 months of Early Access. Towards the full version I want to go deeper above all: more tactical options and player attributes, additional nations and leagues, an even livelier presentation and AI. That is the direction I am aiming for, not a fixed promise. The exact scope depends on your feedback.
The price should rise moderately towards the end of Early Access, once there is noticeably more in it. Whoever comes in early pays the least.
Put the game on your wishlist so you do not miss the whistle. See you on August 14.