FM27 Launch Preview: How to Play Free and Find Your First Regens
Last updated: 26 October 2026
Football Manager 27 is free to play for five days before it launches. Other sites will give you the dates. We'll give you the dates too, plus a plan for using those five days to get to your first FM27 youth intake and see what the new regens look like.
Quick answers
When is the FM27 Launch Preview? It runs from 6pm GMT on Thursday 29 October to 6pm GMT on Tuesday 3 November 2026. That's five days of free play. (Sports Interactive, 21 Oct)
Is FM27 free? The Launch Preview is free, and all game modes are available. You don't need to sign up for anything. Just download it from your platform. The full game isn't free. To keep playing after 3 November, you'll need to pre-purchase or play through Game Pass.
Where can I play it? On PC and Mac, through Steam, Epic, the Microsoft Store, Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. On Game Pass, the preview is only for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. Console and mobile aren't part of the free preview.
Does my progress carry over? Yes. SI says every save started during the free play period carries over into the paid Launch Preview (3 to 10 November) and the full game, so you won't need to start again. To keep playing between 3 and 10 November, you need to pre-purchase from a SEGA-approved digital retailer or play on Game Pass.
Is this the old FM beta or early access? Pretty much. SI says the Launch Preview replaces what used to be called Beta or Advanced Access, and that it's meant to be closer to launch quality than previous early builds. SI also warns that some club and player assets may be missing, and some data may not match the real world yet.
Launch Preview timeline
| When (UK time, GMT) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Thu 29 Oct, 6pm | Free Launch Preview opens. Pre-purchase opens with 10% off |
| Tue 3 Nov, 6pm | Free play ends. Pre-purchasers and Game Pass players carry on |
| Tue 10 Nov | FM27 full launch on PC, console and Netflix mobile |
How to download the FM27 Launch Preview
- Open Steam, Epic Games Store, the Microsoft Store or the Xbox app (Game Pass).
- Search for Football Manager 27. If you've already wishlisted it, it's in your wishlist.
- Once the preview goes live at 6pm GMT on 29 Oct, download it. On Steam, the system requirements list 20 GB of free storage.
How to use five free days to see your first FM27 regens
This is the bit nobody else covers. Regens (newgens) appear at youth intakes, and intakes happen on set dates in each country. A save that starts in summer won't see a youth intake for several in-game months. With five real days, you need to be a bit efficient.
- Pick a nation with an early intake. Check our FM27 youth intake dates and choose a club whose country has its intake earliest after the game's start date.
- Keep the database small. Load only the leagues you need so the game processes faster.
- Holiday or fast-forward through pre-season if you only care about seeing the intake. You'll still get the youth intake preview from your Head of Youth Development a few weeks before it arrives.
- Look out for the new-look regens. SI has confirmed visual changes for newgens in FM27, including skin, hair, expressions and body language (SI features). SI hasn't announced any changes to how intakes work.
- Screenshot your best one and send it to us (see below).
Because preview saves carry over, any regen you find this week stays in your save at launch, as long as you pre-purchase or have Game Pass.
Should I start my "real" save in the preview?
You can. SI says saves carry over into the paid preview and the full game. Bear in mind that SI warns the preview may have missing assets and data that's still awaiting approval. Day-one updates may also change the database. If you want the cleanest long-term save, start a test save now and a fresh one on 10 November. Our FM26 to FM27 carry-over guide explains how saves move between versions.
Found an FM27 regen in the preview? Show us
Post your first FM27 regen. Reply to or DM @RegenHunters with a screenshot, or submit it on Rate my Regen now to see how it rates. The best ones go into our FM27 wonderkids & first regens tracker.