For fans of the Football Manager series and esports the dream of managing a professional esports team has finally become a reality with the release of Esports Manager 2026. Developed by Neurona Games this game brings the excitement and complexity of esports management to life, allowing players to scout top players, devise strategies, and lead their team to the finals.
The journey to this release was not a short one. Neurona Games began development back in 2019 under the title ‘Esports Manager: MOBA,’ but that project was eventually scrapped. However, the developers did not give up, and after a long journey of development, the game has finally been released.
Realistic Esports Management
The game features the popular title Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) with licenses secured for actual CS2 organizations and players. Real teams like FaZe ClanNAVIGamerLegionEternal Fire and Copenhagen Wolves are included, as are the names of real-life pro gamers like ZywOo (Mathieu Herbaut) and s1mple (Oleksandr Kostyliev) in the database.
Real figures from the CS scene, such as host James Banks commentator Ne0kai and coach BIT also appear in the game. The attention to detail is evident, making the experience feel authentic and engaging.
Familiar Interface with Unique Features
The Menus for SquadStaffTrainingTacticsScoutingTransfersTournaments and Finance are lined up vertically on the left, and following the tutorial makes it easy to grasp the flow.
One of the most striking features of this game is how you manage the team. As you play, staff members frequently reach out via messenger. Decisions the manager must make—such as where to book accommodation for a tournament or how to allocate the budget—arrive as messages, and you manage the team by selecting replies. This is the ‘Talk’ module the developer has highlighted, which reportedly contains hundreds of interactions and 50 unique chat scenarios in the final version.
The Messenger Interface: A Unique Approach
Interestingly, the Football Manager series once envisioned the exact same thing. At the ‘FM26 Manager Roundtable’ held at Gen.G GGX in Jung-gu, Seoul on July 11Ant Farley Senior Feature Designer at Sports Interactive noted that one of the most debated aspects during FM26 development was the attempt to model the communication interface after WhatsApp the popular Western messaging app.
However, the conclusion was to ‘scrap it.’ Farley explained that once implemented, they realized FM was not a game suited for mobile-style communication. They realized this late and reverted to the current UI, where news is received via email on a laptop. While it was difficult to abandon after significant design, development, and QA time had been invested, there was an internal consensus that it was fortunate they did not move toward a mobile-centric direction.
Tactical Depth and Realistic Faces
The most impressive part of this game was the tactics. In the pre-match detailed tactics screen, you can create named strategies for each map and side (Attack/Defense), and specify buy strategies, individual player starting positions, and timing rules for the early, mid, and late rounds in 30- or 60-second increments. The maps include the seven active-duty rotation maps used in actual competitive play, such as Dust 2MirageInfernoNukeOverpassAncient and Anubis.
Once in a match, you can choose to rush A-site, focus on B-side defense, contest mid-map, or opt for an eco-round to save money. There is a certain satisfaction in seeing players execute your commands exactly as ordered. It is a clear strength that such a simulator offers such depth and realism.
