{"id":1778,"date":"2026-05-16T14:29:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T14:29:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?p=1778"},"modified":"2026-05-16T14:29:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T14:29:17","slug":"fm26-boss-issues-apology-and-admits-we-failed-after-fan-backlash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?p=1778","title":{"rendered":"FM26 boss issues apology and admits &#8216;we failed&#8217; after fan backlash"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_e189fa\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Addressing the community directly in a studio blog post \u2013 for the first time in several months \u2013 the Sports Interactive Studio Director took the blame for the title&#8217;s disastrous rollout<\/h2>\n<div class=\"Byline_byline-container__K_Owl\" data-testid=\"byline\"><span class=\"Byline_byline-content-wrapper__Imque\" data-testid=\"byline-content\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"Byline_author-badge-date-wrapper__Q7jj1\">\n<p><span class=\"\" data-testid=\"byline-publishedDate\">12:31, 12 May 2026<\/span><span class=\"ArticleTimestamp_updated-date__7qD4Q ArticleTimestamp_updated-date-with-published__iFKpF\" data-testid=\"byline-updatedDate\">Updated 12:31, 12 May 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37144744\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Football Manager 26 bosses have admitted mistakes\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37144744.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/1_JS405836030.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37144744.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/1_JS405836030.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37144744.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/1_JS405836030.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37144744.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/1_JS405836030.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Football Manager 26 bosses have admitted mistakes\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Football Manager 26 bosses have admitted mistakes<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Football Manager boss Miles Jacobson has issued a heartfelt apology to players following the rocky launch of Football Manager 26, admitting that the highly anticipated title fell woefully short of community expectations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The game, which marked the first new instalment in the beloved management simulation series in two years, released to widespread fan anger in early November. Players immediately complained of persistent crashes, game-breaking bugs, and a frustrating new user interface, leading to an avalanche of &#8220;Mostly Negative&#8221; reviews on Steam and a massive surge in refund requests across all major consoles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Addressing the community directly in a studio blog post \u2013 for the first time in several months \u2013 the Sports Interactive Studio Director took the blame for the title&#8217;s disastrous rollout.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37144750\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37144750\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.36\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"the Sports Interactive Studio Director took the blame for the title's disastrous rollout\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37144750.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_JS405836028.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37144750.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_JS405836028.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37144750.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_JS405836028.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37144750.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_JS405836028.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"the Sports Interactive Studio Director took the blame for the title's disastrous rollout\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">the Sports Interactive Studio Director took the blame for the title&#8217;s disastrous rollout<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Acknowledging the fierce criticism, Jacobson stated: \u201cWe know that what we released has failed to meet the expectations of many. This was the first instalment of a new era and our first release in two years. We know how excited and enthusiastic you were, and so to have come below expectations for some is extremely disappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He confessed that an overambitious attempt to create a unified, \u201cplatform-agnostic menu system\u201d ultimately backfired on the developers, admitting that \u201cthis shift was ultimately detrimental to some of your experiences\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Jacobson made no excuses for the current state of the management simulator, adding: \u201cYou expect nothing less than excellence from Football Manager, and that&#8217;s what the brand stands for. But, despite all the updates thus far, we haven&#8217;t got to that level. This is something I take full responsibility for.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37144749\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37144749\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.75\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"'This shift was ultimately detrimental to some of your experiences'\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37144749.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_JS405836027.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37144749.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_JS405836027.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37144749.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_JS405836027.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37144749.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_JS405836027.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"'This shift was ultimately detrimental to some of your experiences'\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">&#8216;This shift was ultimately detrimental to some of your experiences&#8217;<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The studio&#8217;s candid admission of failure comes as thousands of disgruntled fans desperately seek to reclaim their cash. PC players who purchased the game via Steam are able to secure a full refund, provided they submit their request within 14 days of purchase and have logged less than two hours of total playtime.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Xbox owners benefitted from a similarly flexible 14-day refund window. However, fans who bought the game digitally on the PlayStation 5 found themselves largely out of luck. Sony operates under a notoriously strict digital refund policy, meaning that once a game has been downloaded and launched, securing a refund is practically impossible unless the software is officially categorised by the platform as completely faulty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Despite the overwhelming backlash, Sports Interactive appears committed to righting the ship through a series of sweeping updates, including the impending return of the International Management mode which brings fully licensed FIFA <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailystar.co.uk\/latest\/world-cup\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">World Cup<\/a> 2026 branding.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Promising actionable changes and internal restructuring at the London-based studio, Jacobson reassured fans that fixing the game&#8217;s core immersion and navigation issues remains their absolute priority. Recognising the damage done to the long-running franchise&#8217;s reputation, he concluded: \u201cEveryone at the Studio is committed to rebuilding your full confidence in us, but we know that trust is earned not given.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><em><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our <a aria-label=\"newslettersLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailystar.co.uk\/newsletter-preference-centre\/\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">newsletters<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Addressing the community directly in a studio blog post \u2013 for the first time in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1779,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_JS405836030.jpg",1200,674,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_JS405836030-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_JS405836030-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_JS405836030-768x431.jpg",640,359,true],"large":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_JS405836030-1024x575.jpg",640,359,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_JS405836030.jpg",1200,674,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_JS405836030.jpg",1200,674,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_JS405836030-1115x674.jpg",1115,674,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_JS405836030-800x500.jpg",800,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_JS405836030-1024x575.jpg",1024,575,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_JS405836030-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_JS405836030-400x250.jpg",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?cat=8\" rel=\"category\">Tech<\/a>","tag_info":"Tech","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1778\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}