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Football Manager 2026 Patch 26.1.2 - Hotfix Update for FM26

This update delivers improvements to navigation, functionality and stability for Football Manager 2026 retail version. This is the 11th hotfix update so far.

By on Jan 19, 2026   3121 views   2 comments
News - Football Manager 2026 Patch 26.1.2 - Hotfix Update for FM26
Sports Interactive have released the eleventh hotfix patch for Football Manager 2026, which is the sixth one for the retail version of the game.

This update includes a wide range of improvements, with key changes including global navigational enhancements, a new-look Stages screen, functionality fixes to column sorting and a host of stability fixes.

Date Released: January 19th, 2026
File size: 452 MB

As usual the update is save game compatible, so you don't have to start a new save game.
To update you will need to close down Football Manager 2026 and then re-open the game for it to update. If this does not work for you or you feel it has not updated you will need to restart Steam/Epic.

26.1.2 List of Changes

Amongst the changes in today’s hotfix you can find:

Technical Issues

  • Various Crash and Stability fixes
  • Fixed game freezing when using Instant Result during hotseat mode
  • Stadium size now displays correctly regardless of the graphics quality set
  • Transition speed preference no longer resets upon game restart
  • Continue Game Timeout preference option now functions as intended

User Interface (UI)

  • Redesigned ‘Stages’ tile to be full screen
  • Redesigned ‘Season Preview’ tile to be full screen
  • Further navigation enhancements, including additional drop-down options in the main and secondary nav bars
  • Improved functionality of customising/rearranging column placement on the first team squad view
  • Fixed an issue where the Squad Registration for continental competitions would appear as closed despite the deadline yet to pass
  • The squad list now updates in real-time if making changes while the ‘Pkd’ column is selected
  • Fixed ‘At Club Since’ column showing random numbers instead of years
  • ‘Knowledge’ column can now be added on the Shortlist screen
  • Fixed issue where the 'Set Pieces' and 'Opposition Instructions' buttons were greyed out in the Pre-Match Team Selection screen
  • Fixed functionality for comparison between Coaching, Recruitment, and Medical staff when on the Club Site screen
  • Staff attribute colouring remains constant when scrolling
  • Filtering players by dates (such as contract expiry) now functions as intended within the Player Search
  • Latest season is now selected to display by default within the player Career Stats
  • Fixed issue causing the Play/Pause button to stop working as intended if skipping a replay
  • Added a scroll bar to Team/Player Analytics within the Data Hub
  • Viewing Past Seasons within the Stages card now functions correctly
  • When signing multiple players who are eligible to be sent on an intensive language course, the player names are now better displayed to highlight who is being sent
  • “Set for Next Match” button now highlights when selected within the Tactics screen
  • Fixed an issue that was causing a cut off on the inbox items when continuing with the New tab selected
  • Reasons given for certain achievements not yet unlocking has been reworded to prevent any ambiguity
  • Squad depth will now display when requesting a team report from an AI club
  • XG in the player form tile now reflects the true figure
  • Removed duplicated responses within conversation with Agent if asking about player availability
  • League history graph no longer defaults to any specific team initially

Gameplay

  • Tweaks to the amount of money spent on ageing players by Premier League/High Profile clubs
  • Tweaks to player reputation boosts following matches
  • When offering a player out via an Intermediary, users should receive more appropriate offers from AI Clubs
  • Tweaks to AI player asking prices
  • Outgoing transfers now total correctly within Potential Transfer/Wage Budget Impact
  • Fixed an issue preventing user from offering wage that was previously agreed to by the player agent
  • Fixed an issue causing a players displayed value to drop drastically with no logical cause
  • Transfer fees are now correctly allocated in the NWSL when conducting a player for cash trade
  • Wages will now correctly display in accordance with the preference set (weekly, monthly, annually)
  • WSL Awards no longer get given to players not deemed to be eligible in the first instance
  • Number of transfers in/out now correctly displays on saves ported from previous editions of FM
  • Fixed an issue where the Loan Offer message would say there has been an optional fee of £0 agreed, if no loan fee was set
  • Staff will now better action Opposition Instructions if set to do so via Staff Responsibilities
  • Player Milestones now better reflect their actual achievements
  • Tactics Induction now correctly gets prompted if user joins a new club via Apply for Job
  • Fixed an issue where news item would discuss the teams last game at their current stadium, despite the match taking player at a neutral venue
  • South America - Copa Libertadores – Resolved winner from incorrect year qualifying for Intercontinental Cup

In-Game Editor (IGE) / Pre-Game Editor (PGE)

  • Various Crash Fixes.
  • Tweaks made to improve functionality of the Scroll Bar.
  • Making changes to stadium details now updates in real-time within the IGE.
  • Fixed an issue preventing Continental/International rules from verifying despite being set up correctly within the PGE.
  • Stopped the game progressing to a Player report card when clicking attributes on the Player Edit tile.
  • Added new editable fields to show OOP tactics data for AI managers.
  • Improvements to colour select field.
  • Improvements to when the IGE button is disabled and enabled.
There's been a large volume of issues posted on the official FM26 Bug Tracker, with many of them being duplicates. Before you post, please use the search function to check if someone has already raised something similar. If they have, you can give the post a "+1" by clicking the relevant button to say you've experienced the same. This will allow the developers to see clearly which issues are affecting the largest numbers of users.
If you encounter any issues post update, please use the official FM26 Bugs Tracker. You can also contact [email protected] for further support.

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Discussion: Football Manager 2026 Patch 26.1.2 - Hotfix Update for FM26

2 comments have been posted so far.

  • bigyin58's avatar
    @bezman...the header reads - "This update delivers improvements to navigation, functionality and stability for Football Manager 2026 retail version. This is the 11th hotfix update so far" - I switched from beta to none and, hey presto, instant update :)
  • bezman's avatar
    No luck updating even though I've done all the normal fixes like restarting Steam and and actually being part of the public beta testing. So it looks like it hasn't been released yet if only for me in the UK.
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