On October 31, 2026, I attended the Shanghai player meetup for "Football Manager 2027." From Sports Interactive studio,Associate Design DirectorRemyWith Senior PR &Product LeadAndrew,also came to the site to interact with players. They answered the questions everyone cared about most, then used "Football Manager2027"'s latest "Shuffle Draft Mode" and played a tournament together.
Veteran players might wonder,The "Football Manager" series is all about the team-building process, often involving hundreds of hours. There are even records recognized by Guinness, such as 535 game seasons and a single session lasting 3,504 hours. So how can this simulation management gameplay be adapted for offline competition? This relates to the new "Shuffle Draft" mode added in "Football Manager 2027."
Before the match, there was an interactive Q&A session. The top three scoring groups each sent a representative to the stage,Andrew sat down at the computer desk, ready to compete against these three representatives. The so-called "Shuffle Draft" involves "Shuffle," where the system randomly generates a player pool according to rules, and "Draft," where players pick players from the pool in turns to build their teams, followed by head-to-head battles.
Andrew picked Haaland first, Team A secured Donnarumma, teammates off the pitch reminded Team B's captain to prioritize building the SPINE - This is Gun Fu, and Team C had a clear strategy, directly selecting half a Liverpool lineup. The match pace was far more intense than expected, with both sides trading blows. The captains on stage were tense, constantly adjusting tactics and issuing commands via game functions. The host downstairs acted as a football commentator, delivering passionate commentary that pushed the atmosphere to a climax. Applause and boos rose and fell in the spectator seats, with audiences even calling out to criticize certain players and demanding the on-field coach substitute them.
For a moment, it felt like a real football match, except the spotlight was on the managers on both sides. AsAndrew, Senior PR & Product Lead at Sports Interactive studio, didn't go easy at all. After scoring, he raised his hands and cheered loudly, winning the first match 3-0 and giving his opponents a harsh wake-up call. However, the players who reached the finals were also masters of strategy. Despite being behind in score and gameplay several times, they relied on tactical adjustments to turn the tide, ultimately defeating Andrew to claim the championship.
It can be said that this four-person duel refreshed myperception of the "Football Manager" series. Watching the developers and players on stage thinking intently, making anxious judgments, celebrating goals with joy, or lamenting conceded goals, their expressions and demeanor were indistinguishable from real-life head coaches. With this fresh sense of anticipation, I spoke with Remy and Andrew during the subsequent interview session. We discussed the overall evolution of this installment, the new in-match tactical adjustment features, and the development team's many considerations for Chinese players.
Below is the complete transcript of this interview.
Q:"Football Manager2027"Focuses on"Foundational Evolution," giving players more control from the tactical board to the touchline—If you had to summarize in one sentence, what do you hope veteran players and new players will feel respectively in this installment?
Remy:Tactics are the most important aspect we focused on for this generation. We want players to truly feel like they are the head coach standing on the sidelines, able to quickly issue instructions to their team, disrupt the opponent's rhythm, and make rapid adjustments based on the flow of the game. This is exactly what "Football Manager2027" hopes both veteran and new players will experience this core feeling.
Q:The brand-new"Tactical Tweaks" feature allows you to respond to the opposing coach's changes at any time during the match. How did this system come about?
Remy:We received feedback from many players hoping to respond quickly during matches. This system was designed based on that, allowing players to quickly switch wingers and issue various instructions. Based on the player feedback collected so far, everyone likes this"one-click" quick adjustments, just like commanding the captain from the sidelines. In the future, we will continue to evaluate how to evolve this system based on community feedback.
Q:"Football Manager2027"The core system is"Tactical Effectiveness," composed of tactical understanding, player ability, player buy-in, and match information (includesincluding scout reports) consists of four parts. The accompanying tactical complexity means simple tactics yield quick results but have a low ceiling, while complex tactics require磨合 (adaptation) but have a higher ceiling—Can you talk about how this system works?
Remy:The official name for this system is"Tactical Effectiveness." We aim to capture the inherent complexity of football itself, as well as your ability as a head coach to communicate plans and vision to your team. This effectiveness grows gradually with continuous training and investment, deeply engaging with the underlying logic of the match. We believe it is"Football Manager2027"areas that can add more depth to the gaming experience: Simple tactics are executed quickly and show results fast, but have a lower ceiling; complex tactics require time for the team to learn and adapt, but offer higher rewards in the long run.
At the event venue, fine-tuning tactics"Head Coaches"
Q:"Football Manager2027"Many accessibility features and representations have been added, such as allowing players to create managers who use wheelchairs and increasing font sizes—theseWhat was the thinking behind the design? Why is it"Football Manager"seriesso important?
Remy:We want as many interested people as possible to play "Football Manager2027". Whether it's "representative" features like wheelchair managers or usability improvements like larger interface fonts, they are all important to us. The ultimate goal is to allow more people to get started with and share this game.
Q:The "Football Manager" serieshas always pursued simulating a realistic football world."Football Manager2027"What adjustments have been made to the match engine and AI decision-making logic to simulate more realistic football?
Remy:This year, the match engine has two key focuses. First, player running speed and on-pitch movement behavior, especially how defenders deal with fast-paced players. Second,is something we spent considerable effort polishing"Box Attacking," which refers to how attacking players receive the ball inside the penalty area. Regarding these twobasis, other detailed improvements have been added.
Q:"Football Manager2027"Keeping up with real-world football, we addedFIFA's new regulations for women's football coaching staff, including the requirement for neurological clearance before returning from concussion, and the new offside rule currently being trialed. How do you incorporate these real-world rule changes every year?,tointegrated into the game?
Remy:Our principle is simple—We don't decide. We follow football. We strive to replicate real-world football as accurately as possible—Whenever new changes occur in the football industry, we follow up as quickly as possible and implement them in the game.
Authenticity and accuracy are goals we have always adhered to.
Q:Modern football tactics and trends change rapidly—When designing new tactical systems and player logic, how do you balance replicating reality with ensuring playability, without making the barrier to entry too high?
Remy:Our team watches a vast number of football matches, always ensuring that what real-life head coaches can do is also possible in "Football Manager"you can also do this. For example, last year we introducedThe dual-phase tactics of "In Possession/Out of Possession" were introduced because we observed significant changes in real-world football that needed to be reflected in the game. At the same time, the tactical panel maintains good readability—you can adjust many details or leave almost Everythinggj unchanged; it's entirely up to you. We believe this is exactly what the current gaming experience should offer.
From left to right in the interview seats:Sports Interactive studioSenior PR &Product LeadAndrew,Associate Design DirectorRemy
Q:The training module has been moved to the main navigation bar, and the core goal has shifted from stacking player attributes to preparing for the next match. WhyIn "Football Manager2027"make such adjustments? What new fun does the new system bring to players who prefer developing youth prospects?
Remy:We interviewed many real professional coaches and found that their first-team training focuses mostly on preparing for the next match—so we replicated this logic in the game. Meanwhile, development features affecting player growth, such as Individual Focus and Position Focus, remain. First-team training and youth development have been split into two independent modules. For players who prefer nurturing young talents, you can still shape the growth trajectory of young players according to your wishes, but these two lines are now more clearly separated, offering distinct experiences.
Q:"Football Manager"The series has always been known for its high learning curveknown for, significantly improved navigation and interface this yearUI. How do you balance what veteran players wantgameplaydepth and the learning curve needed by new players? After release,what updates or long-term plans are there?
Remy:This is a delicate balance.Football Manager2027》The approach is to make navigation simpler, information easier to access, and reduce the number of clicks. This optimization benefits all players—whether new players, returning players, those curious about the game, or those already familiar with it. This has always been the studio's goal: to provide the best possible experience.After the game's release, we will continue to optimize in this direction, making information faster and easier to find.
Q:《Football Manager2027》It is said that there are over18 million times'sdata changes,1500 items'scompetition updates, and added licensed leagues and brand backgrounds. How will this generation perform regarding leagues, players, and competitions that Chinese players care about? Is it possible to reveal any new licenses?
Andrew:We treat all leagues equally, with a dedicated research team continuously following up. Just likeAs Remy just mentioned, we follow the changes in football and update rules and competitions accordingly. This year's new licenses include the French women's league (Arkema Première Ligue) and the Saudi Pro League (Roshn Saudi League). Additionally, according to our existing agreement with FIFA, the license for the Women's World Cup will be available in a future update.
For the Chinese Super League, as with other leagues, we will follow and update its rules. Currently,We do not yet have the license for the Chinese Super League, but this is something we hope to secure in the future.—We are aware that the Chinese Super League is very popular in China and globally, and we hope to secure as many licenses as possible. This year, the attributes of relevant players and league data have been updated by the research team based on real-world situations.
Q:domestic"Football Manager"series'The player base is huge, and everyone pays close attention to Chinese localization, including optimizations for player names and league details—Football Manager 2027What specific investments have been made in localized content for Chinese players?
Andrew:Football Manager2027》For Chinese localization, the main focus is on translating player names, including Chinese names for both domestic and foreign players. The team put a lot of effort into this this year, and we hope the community will notice. However, the localization of in-game text, names, and match rules is an ongoing process. If anyone finds anything incorrect, please contact us through the official forums.
By the way,We have a colleague on our team responsible for the Chinese communityJimmy, who is the representative for the Chinese community, please provide specific examples to him, and the team will handle and fix them.
Q:Many veteran players have been using features like custom leagues and database editing.Football Manager2027》What are the new plans for the editor and custom content? Will players be given more room for expansion?
Remy:Football Manager2027》Prioritized the efficiency of the in-game editor, optimizing it along with the overall interface. Now, when you customize any content, you can see larger and more accurate information.
Andrew:As for skins andMODs, due to licensing reasons, it is difficult for the studio to officially support them—whether it's partners we have or those we don't, we don't want to infringe on their rights. But our stance is: we won't hinder those who want to create skins orMOD players. So, Football Manager2027》re-added in preferences"Reload Skins" button. Besides that,We cannot proactively provide more support, but the core message is—we won't stand in the way of players who enjoy experimenting and creating.
Q:After each new version is released, how do you collect and filter player feedback to decide what content goes into version updates?
Andrew:With every "Football Manager" release, we receive a lot of feedback from around the world, and the studio has a dedicated team responsible for monitoring, summarizing, and analyzingFor this feedback, many suggestions are naturally prioritized. All ideas for new features are recorded in a large database, and we try to check off as many items as possible each year. Moreover, since most developers are hardcore fans of the game themselves, your feelings about the game—where it can be better, what should be introduced—often aligns with what we think. So we try to track all suggestions and implement them in subsequent versions as much as possible.
regretting missed goalsAndrew
Q:There is a free trial period before the game's release. Can saves created during the trial be carried over to the full version?
Remy:Yes, they can be fully carried over.
Q:This time in Shanghai isFootball Manager2027》an earlier offline fan event. The team came to China to communicate directly with players. What kind of feedback do you hope to receive from Chinese players? Will you consider more offline events in China in the future?
Andrew:Of course, we hope the feedback we receive is positive. "Football Manager"It is now a very global game——Football Manager2024》has approximately20 million players,Football Manager2026》is also close to10 million. So, we want to connect with fans from different countries and cities as much as possible, to understand how everyone plays the game, what they like, and what they don't, as these factors will influence the design direction of future versions.
We hope you enjoyed the content shared tonight, and we hope that all your feedback will influence our future offline events, and even the future direction of the game—because, without your support, this game would not exist.