<!-- Source: https://docs.fmrte.com/getting-started/load-game/mac | FMRTE official documentation -->

# Load your game on a Mac

> Documentation release: **FMRTE 27** (published release).

> **YOU NO LONGER NEED TO TURN OFF SIP**
FMRTE now reads Football Manager through a small plugin that the game loads when it starts, so System Integrity Protection (SIP) can stay on.

The **Set up the FMRTE plugin** wizard prepares your copy of the game to load the plugin. You only need to do this once for each copy of the game.

## Open the wizard

Start Football Manager, then select **Load Game** in FMRTE. If FMRTE can't connect, the wizard opens by itself. Select **Next >**.

![Set up the FMRTE plugin wizard on its first page, listing the next steps](https://docs.fmrte.com/img/fmrte27/getting-started/macos-plugin-intro.png)

If the wizard doesn't open, set **Settings → Support → Diagnostics → Game data source** to **Auto detect** (the default). With **Game process**, FMRTE never uses the plugin.

## Step 1: Find game

1. Under **Games found**, choose your copy of the game. FMRTE selects the running copy for you.
2. If you play on Steam, choose your **Steam account**.
3. Select **Next >**.

![Choose your game page with a Steam copy and a Steam account selected](https://docs.fmrte.com/img/fmrte27/getting-started/macos-plugin-choose-game.png)

If your copy isn't listed, select **Browse…** and choose the game's folder.

<details>
<summary>Steam on an Apple silicon Mac: Install Rosetta</summary>

Steam needs Apple's Rosetta to start the game with the plugin. If it's missing, the wizard shows **Install Rosetta** before the review. Select **Install Rosetta** (internet needed, about a minute). Or run the command shown in Terminal, then select **Check again**.

![Install Rosetta page with the Terminal command](https://docs.fmrte.com/img/fmrte27/getting-started/macos-plugin-rosetta.png)

> **NOTE**
Rosetta is only for Steam: Steam uses it to run FMRTE's small launcher. The game itself still runs natively on Apple silicon, not through Rosetta. The Epic Games Launcher, Heroic and the Desktop shortcut don't need Rosetta.

</details>

## Step 2: Review setup

Check **What FMRTE will change**, then select **Apply setup**. What you see depends on where your copy came from:

**Steam**

**Quit Football Manager and Steam** first, then select **Apply setup**.

![Review setup page for a Steam copy, with the three changes FMRTE will make](https://docs.fmrte.com/img/fmrte27/getting-started/macos-plugin-review.png)

- If the game already has Steam launch options, tick **Replace the current Steam launch options** to continue.
- If FMRTE can't change Steam's settings itself, it shows a **Launch options** line. Paste it into the game's **Properties › General › Launch Options** in Steam, then select **I've set it in Steam**.

**If you use BepInEx mods:** FMRTE adds its plugin to BepInEx's start script instead, and keeps your mods and Steam settings. You don't need to quit Steam.

**Epic Games Store**

**Quit the game** first, then select **Apply setup**. The wizard refuses while the game is running. You keep starting the game from the Epic Games Launcher and don't need another launcher.

![Review setup page for an Epic copy, with the three changes FMRTE will make](https://docs.fmrte.com/img/fmrte27/getting-started/macos-plugin-review-epic.png)

FMRTE then does the following:

- It adds a small start script, `fmrte-launch.sh`, to the game's folder, next to `fm.app`.
- It backs up Epic's record of the game and points it at that script. The record is `~/Library/Application Support/Epic/EpicGamesLauncher/Data/Manifests/<id>.item`, and the backup is `<id>.item.fmrte-backup` next to it.
- If the launcher is open, it closes the launcher and opens it again so it reads the change. A launcher that was closed stays closed.

The game's own files don't change.

If you move or remove FMRTE, the game still starts from Epic, without the plugin. Run the wizard again to get the plugin back.

An Epic update may undo the setup. Run the wizard again if the plugin stops loading, or if the game stops starting from Epic.

**Heroic (Epic)**

**Quit the game and Heroic** first, then select **Apply setup**.

Heroic starts Epic games through Legendary, so FMRTE adds its plugin to Legendary's settings file, not to the game's settings in Heroic. With SIP on, a variable in Heroic's own game settings doesn't reach the game. The file is `~/Library/Application Support/heroic/legendaryConfig/legendary/config.ini`. FMRTE keeps the rest of the file unchanged.

![Review setup page for a Heroic copy, with the manual Heroic settings](https://docs.fmrte.com/img/fmrte27/getting-started/macos-plugin-review-heroic.png)

If FMRTE can't change the file, the page shows the **File** and the **Line** or **Lines** to add. Quit the game and Heroic, open the file in TextEdit, make the change the page describes and save it. Then select **I've edited the file**.

Keep FMRTE in Applications on your Mac's own disk: Heroic can't load the plugin from a disk image or another drive.

**App Store or other**

Select **Apply setup**. FMRTE creates a shortcut app on your Desktop, named after the game with "with FMRTE" added, and leaves the game unchanged.

![Review setup page for an App Store copy, with the Desktop shortcut changes](https://docs.fmrte.com/img/fmrte27/getting-started/macos-plugin-review-shortcut.png)

If macOS asks, let FMRTE use your Desktop.

Before FMRTE changes a file, it saves a copy of the original next to it, ending in `.fmrte-backup`.

## Step 3: Restart

1. Quit the game and start it again the new way:
   
   
**Steam**
From your Steam Library.
   
**Epic Games Store**

   With **Launch** on the game in the Epic Games Launcher.

   ![Restart the game page with the next steps for the Epic Games Launcher](https://docs.fmrte.com/img/fmrte27/getting-started/macos-plugin-restart-epic.png)

   
   
**Heroic (Epic)**
With **Play** in Heroic.
   
**App Store or other**
From the FMRTE shortcut on your Desktop.
   
2. Wait until the game reaches the main menu.
3. Select **Check connection**.

![Restart the game page with the next steps for Steam](https://docs.fmrte.com/img/fmrte27/getting-started/macos-plugin-restart.png)

When the wizard shows **The plugin is connected**, select **Finish**, then **Load Game**. The status bar shows **(Plugin)** after the game version.

![The plugin is connected page with Connected status](https://docs.fmrte.com/img/fmrte27/getting-started/macos-plugin-connected.png)

If it says **Not connected yet**, make sure you started the game the new way, then select **Check connection** again. If Epic just updated the game, run the wizard again.

<details>
<summary>If setup stops</summary>

The message at the bottom of the wizard says what to do. The most common ones:

| Message | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| macOS won't let FMRTE connect to this copy | Choose another copy, such as the Steam version, or select **Use FMRTE without the plugin**. That guide changes SIP: read [“Unable to open process” on macOS](https://docs.fmrte.com/help/troubleshooting.md#unable-to-open-process-on-macos) first. |
| Quit the game before applying | Quit the game and try again. |
| The Epic Games Launcher is still closing | Wait a moment and try again. |
| FMRTE couldn't find Epic's record of this copy | Make sure the Epic Games Launcher lists the game as installed, then try again. |
| Epic starts this copy with a program FMRTE doesn't recognise | If another tool changed it, undo that change, then try again. |
| No Steam account with the game found | Start the game from Steam once, then try again. |
| FMRTE can't be set up from its current folder | Move FMRTE to Applications and try again. |
| Setup didn't finish | Try again. If it keeps failing, [submit a bug report](https://docs.fmrte.com/help/troubleshooting.md#prepare-a-useful-support-report). |

When you report a connection problem, attach `plugin.log` from FMRTE's log folder (**Settings → Support → Diagnostics → Log folder → Open folder**).

</details>

## Update the plugin

After you update FMRTE, the game may still run the old plugin. The wizard then opens as **Update the FMRTE plugin**. Select **Next >**. If the **Update the plugin** page appears, select **Update plugin**. Then restart the game and select **Check connection**.

![Update the plugin page showing the plugin loaded by the game and the new plugin file](https://docs.fmrte.com/img/fmrte27/getting-started/macos-plugin-update.png)

## Undo the setup

The wizard has no undo button. To stop the game loading the plugin:

**Steam**

In Steam, open the game's **Properties › General › Launch Options** and remove FMRTE's launcher line. With BepInEx, replace `run_bepinex_arm64.sh` in the game's folder with its `.fmrte-backup` copy.

**Epic Games Store**

The launcher only reads its records when it starts, and it can keep running after you ask it to quit, so make sure it has fully closed first.

1. Press **Command-Q** in the Epic Games Launcher.
2. Open Activity Monitor and search for `Epic`. If the launcher is still listed, select it, select the **Stop** button and choose **Force Quit**.
3. In Finder, go to `~/Library/Application Support/Epic/EpicGamesLauncher/Data/Manifests/` and open the `.item` file that has a `.fmrte-backup` copy next to it in TextEdit.
4. Set `LaunchExecutable` back to `fm.app/Contents/MacOS/Football Manager 27`, changing only the text between the quotes, then save the file. If the game hasn't updated since setup, you can replace the record with its `.fmrte-backup` copy instead.
5. Delete `fmrte-launch.sh` from the game's folder.
6. Open the Epic Games Launcher and select **Launch** on the game. It should start as usual.

> **WARNING**
Do these steps in this order. If the record still names a deleted script, Epic can't start the game.

**Heroic (Epic)**

Quit the game and Heroic, then open `~/Library/Application Support/heroic/legendaryConfig/legendary/config.ini` in TextEdit. In the game's section, find the `DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES` line. Remove FMRTE's path and the `:` next to it, or delete the line if FMRTE's path is the only one. Save the file.

> **WARNING**
If you move or remove FMRTE, make this change too, or the game won't start from Heroic.

**App Store or other**

Move the shortcut to the Bin, and start the game the usual way.
