The new edition of the legendary Football Manager game franchise will be unleashed on the world this week and FourFourTwo has been kept informed about what to expect.
FM27 will launch as a free preview at 6:00pm on Thursday, October 29, enabling prospective players to try before they buy on PC or Mac with no proof of purchase required.
Prior to the release of the new game and its free preview, Sports Interactive developer Antony Farley has revealed his best piece of advice for rookie Football Manager players looking to dip a toe into the vast waters of management simulation.
'Patience is a big part of it' for new FM27 players
"When it comes to new players, players who may be curious about FM but haven't given it a go before… advice I always give to new players is patience is a big part of it!" Farley tells FourFourTwo.
"FM is a game where the appeal reveals itself the more you spend time with it. You’re creating your own world, you're living out your own alternative reality, and very often the kind of hook be a moment that comes you eight, nine or 10 matches into a season – maybe that second transfer window.
"So spend time with it, be patient with it, and particularly for new players, I always recommend they make use of our delegation features. We’ve got a little bit more front and centre this year in the new user experience. It's the ability to kind of directly delegate to your staff members some of the key areas of responsibility.
"If you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, then you've got a backroom team that can help you out and take care of contract negotiations, training or what-have-you. You can have experience that you want to have!"
FM27 has a little something for everyone, from newcomers to obsessive Football Manager veterans who want total control over every aspect of their play.
Sports Interactive took the unusual decision to offer it all in a free-to-play preview, which will also be available via Steam and Xbox Game Pass. The trial will make every game mode playable, meaning players can take the whole thing for a spin.
Farley says that the trial is designed to give players a true and candid experience of the new game, and a chance to make an informed choice.
"Ultimately, we've done this free period so people can kind of try before they buy and make their own judgment call, on whether or not they want to commit to a purchase of FM27," he explains to FourFourTwo.
"That goes for new players to the game, people that maybe are still playing FM26, people that might still be playing FM24, our previous title, and we want to give people the opportunity to really get their hands on for quite a significant period, to make the decision as to whether or not it's resonating with them and whether they want to continue with it."
The FM27 trial period will end on Tuesday, November 3.
