Stop us if you’ve heard this before: a football management simulation game has hit developmental snags and now needs to delay its release schedule so much that a new name with an incremented year is required. No, this isn’t more news about Football Manager 25 and how it ultimately became Football Manager 26, though it’s not as far from that as it could be either.
This time we are talking about SEGA’s simulation game, previously known as SEGA Football Club Champions 2025 which had been set for release later this year. Now, the game will instead release in early 2026, with the game receiving an updated title of SEGA Football Club Champions 2026 to match the updated launch date according to official announcements on the game’s X account.
The delayed launch isn’t entirely unrelated to Football Manager and its own delays, however, as SEGA Football Club Champions 2026 is run using the Football Manager engine, meaning there may have been contributing factors from the latter’s delay in the resulting need to postpone the launch for Football Club Champions.
What Is SEGA Football Club Champions 2026?
SEGA Football Club Champions 2026 is a free-to-play football management simulation. It aims to allow players to take over the role of football management with a less-exhaustive approach than Football Manager while still providing players with plenty of crunchy decision making and team management calls to make.
Like other free-to-play games, there is no cost required; however, the game’s developers have discussed the inclusion of micro-transactions, which may allow you to progress more quickly or gain additional in-game resources. The game is available for both mobile gaming, with both Android and iOS versions, as well as traditional gaming platforms on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PCs via Steam.
Why Was SEGA Football Club Champions 2026 Delayed?
The announced delays comes after the game recently completed an open Beta period in late summer. Response to the game showed several areas for improvements. Feedback included criticism of both overall depth and in-game competitive balance, two areas critical for a successful simulation game. Fans also noted the game would benefit from a general going over to clean-up the presentation and make it appear more like a finished product according to additional reporting from Gamer Braves.
Fans interested in more information on the game can look forward to the next episode of SEGA FCC TV, the first of which aired earlier this month. The game’s X-account announced the next episode will air on the game’s YouTube channel in November and will contain updated information on the game’s impending rollout.
Does SEGA have you excited for its free-to-play management sim or does news of delays due to quality just make the game a less-appealing option to gamers who likely already preferred the more in-depth appeal of Football Manager?
