Nobody saw this coming. Sports Interactive announced on 21 October that FM27 will be free for five days before launch. In other words, between 29 October and 3 November anyone can play the full game on PC or Mac without paying a penny. No pre-purchase or sign-up needed.
After an FM26 that left a lot of people wary, SI has decided to put the game in your hands first and only then ask for your money. We read the official announcement and the Q&A SI posted on Reddit. Here is everything you need to know.
(Image: Sports Interactive)
When and where you can play FM27 for free
The free period starts on 29 October at 6pm GMT and ends on 3 November, also at 6pm GMT. During those five days, FM27 can be downloaded from the usual stores:
- Steam;
- Epic Games Store;
- Microsoft Store;
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
There are no sign-ups or codes. Just go to the FM27 page on your store and hit download. Bear in mind, though, that this is PC and Mac only. There is no free period on consoles, and on Game Pass the Launch Preview is only available with Ultimate or PC Game Pass.
What is included
The short answer: everything. SI says every mode, feature and area of the game is available, multiplayer included. There is also no limit on hours or seasons. If you want to play three seasons in a weekend, you can.
That is why SI avoids the word “demo”. On Reddit, Chris Groves explained that most demos cut content or limit playing time, and this one does neither. It is the Launch Preview, the new name for the old beta, just open to everyone for five days.
There is one important caveat. The build is near-final, but it still contains data awaiting approval from rights holders. In other words, some club and player badges, kits or photos may be missing. If anything changes before 10 November, SI promises to say so on its official channels.
Your saves are not lost
This may be the best news of all. Any career you start during the free period carries on into the paid Launch Preview and the full game, with no need to start over. So if you like what you see, you buy the game and carry on exactly where you were.
Game Pass players also continue their career through their subscription. And, as we already told you, you can bring over saves from FM24 and FM26. SI has now added one detail: the option appears on the start screen, but the old saves must be on your PC or in your store’s cloud storage.
Pre-purchase, price and the paid Launch Preview
Pre-purchase opens at the same time as the free period, on 29 October at 6pm GMT, on Steam, Epic and the Microsoft Store. FM27 costs £49.99 / €59.99 / $59.99, and pre-purchasing from a SEGA-approved retailer gets you 10% off.
Then, on 3 November at 6pm GMT, free access ends and the paid Launch Preview begins. From then on, only those who pre-purchased keep playing until launch on 10 November. On consoles there is no pre-purchase: from 29 October you can only wishlist the game. If you want to know where to buy it, we have a page just for that: Buy FM 2027.
The road to launch
- 29 October, 6pm GMT: FM27 goes free and pre-purchase opens on PC and Mac.
- 3 November, 6pm GMT: the free period ends and the paid Launch Preview begins.
- 10 November: launch on every platform, including FM27 Touch on Apple Arcade.
- 20 November: the physical PlayStation 5 version reaches the shops.
Why SI is giving FM27 away for free
SI explains it itself. Early in the cycle, it promised to show more of the game before opening pre-orders and asking players to commit. Now it has gone one step further and lets you try before you buy. SI also says it wants to rebuild players’ trust in the studio, and calls this a tangible proof of that commitment.
Reading between the lines, it is also an answer to FM26. Plenty of people stayed on FM24 and had no intention of buying FM27 blind. So instead of asking for faith, SI is asking for five days.
Can your PC handle it?
Before the 29th, it is worth checking whether your computer is up to the job. Try our FM27 PC Rater: enter your processor, graphics card, RAM and disk type and find out how many leagues you can load.
What the community is saying
You rarely see r/footballmanagergames this united. When we read it, SI’s announcement had almost 2,000 upvotes, 96% approval and around 370 comments. The top comment calls it “a great way to allow us to look at it for ourselves”. Others talk about a bold move they did not expect, and some conclude that SI must really trust this year’s product.
Some admit they stayed on FM24 because of the criticism of FM26 and will now give it a go. Still, not everyone is applauding. Some see desperation rather than confidence, with pre-orders supposedly going badly. Others point out that what the deep dives have shown so far was hardly exciting. And one user summed up the practical side: if you can play for free without pre-purchasing, buying before trying makes little sense.
Our take
It is the best decision SI has made this cycle. After what happened with FM26, it makes no sense to ask for €60 from people who do not trust the game yet. With five days, the full game and saves that carry over to the final version, nobody needs to buy blind.
On the other hand, it also leaves SI with no excuses. If FM27 has problems, everyone will spot them before paying. For us, that is a good thing. So put it in your diary: 29 October, 6pm GMT. Then tell us what you made of FM27.
