FM26 latest update includes loved feature fans have been shouting for
A new major update for Football Manager 26 includes the return of a much-requested controversial feature removed before the game’s disastrous launch.
The latest in a long line of patches by developers Sports Interactive includes a host of changes, including general crash and stability fixes. But there are some important gameplay changes too, such as one feature many players wish had never gone away.
The ability to sit in the virtual dugout and shout commands at your players during matchday was removed from FM26, despite the developers admitting that they didn’t “work as intended” in FM24, the series’ last instalment.
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Now that SI have noticed an increase in time spent during matchday, they have made the decision to backtrack on removing the Shouts feature. A post by a community team member on the official Sports Interactive forum reads: "All things considered, the extended match duration has likely heightened the sense of passivity for some of our longer-term players – but we now believe our decision to remove Shouts has compounded that feeling.
“Although our original reasoning for removing Shouts remains valid (them not working as ideally intended), after reviewing the data and considering your feedback, we recognise that we should have kept the feature in place until a more suitable alternative was ready. Our apologies, we got this one wrong – and so we’re bringing Shouts back, imminently.
“Having closely monitored the data since Beta, we are already well advanced in the development work necessary to reintroduce Shouts. We are therefore pleased to confirm they will return during the week commencing 8 December as part of Content Update 1 - our most significant update to date - which will also feature enhancements to loan screens, player searches, mouse wheel use in transfer offers, player training tooltips and the previously announced Match Engine upgrades, and a lot more besides.”
SI confirmed that shouts will work “just as they did for FM24” with a new replacement feature planned for the future. While the new update is currently only accessible via the Steam Public Beta Branch, it is just a matter of days before fans can once again ‘demand more’ from their players, reports All Out Gaming.
On Reddit, FM players have reacted mostly positively. A misconception of them having “no effect” - which stems from studio director Miles Jacobsen’s comments that he has “never been happy with them” - hasn’t affected most fans’ joy at the news.
One wrote: “I don’t care if they’re pointless, I need the placebo effect of calling my striker s****.” Another added: “When I found out they won't be in there I didn't care. After playing I miss it so, so much.”
A third wrote: “Nonsense to remove them, they worked fine. Yes it could be frustrating that on occasion you'd shout something and it wouldn't come into play until after the next action. But 9 times out of 10 it worked.”
Two more joked about the feature, as one said: “I do love that we all couldn't cope without being able to ineffectively yell at our players.” Another nodded to the long-running joke of players using one shout repeatedly: “It’s a nice addition, but I demand more.”
Football Manager 2026 update 4 patch notesTechnical
- Extensive crash and stability fixes
- Further improvements made to in-game translations.
- Added Customisation options for user to be able to choose Attribute and Position colouring. (shown below)
- Fixed an issue where custom files (set piece, tactics, etc.) could not be loaded if they were renamed in File Explorer.
- Various improvements to saving/selecting custom training schedules.
Match Engine, Match Experience, and Animation Changes
- Shouts reintroduced to matches
- Tweaks to the frequency of players shooting at the near post from tight angles.
- Improvements to defender reactions against opposition dribbling.
- Tweaks made to the line defenders hold when defending in their own box.
- Improved logic to defenders' decision-making with headers when not under pressure.
- Improved attacking movement of players during counter-attacking transitions.
- Various other Match AI tweaks.
- Fixed an issue where the disallowed goal caption appeared earlier than the VAR animation.
- Fixed an issue where substitution made at half-time were not immediately applied if the tactics screen was still open.
- Youth coaches will now rotate players more in youth matches.
- Fixed an issue where floating floodlights appeared in night-time matches when using Tactical or Dynamic sideline cameras.
- Fixed the captain indicator not appearing in the UEFA Conference League's Pre-match Lineup.
- Fixed an issue where a red card would incorrectly show for both teams in Men's Champions League matches.
- Winter balls will no longer be used if the weather is only raining.
User Interface
- Extensive polish and refinement done to the User Interface.
- Improvements made to Squad Comparison screen within Scout Report.
- Wage Budget/Payroll on Tiles and Widgets will now display in the correct weekly/monthly/yearly format in line with user preferences.
- The Transfer Activity tile now states the number of days until the window opens and closes. (shown below)
- Added a 'Recently viewed players' option on Player Comparison screen.
- The "i" tooltip will now appear next to the players on Goal50 and NXGN news items.
- Users can now add players from their Youth Squads to their Squad Planner.
- Fixed an issue where the Commercial Summary News did not display names/shirt numbers for most sold shirts.
- User can now open Past Match report when playing in low resolution on Calendar > Fixtures.
- The "Clear all" button now functions as intended when viewing a list of player recommendations.
- The correct fixture result now appears in Club Site -> About Club -> Latest results.
- Fixed an issue where IP/OOP role tiles would sometimes show the incorrect position for players.
- Own Goal scorers are no longer duplicated in the Calendar.
- Club hyperlinks on Club reports now function as intended.