Hi all,

I've been working on a mod for the PC DOS version of Sensible World of Soccer 96/97 (CD and GOG; it also works with the English SWOS++). It patches the original executables and data. No remake, no new engine: it's still the 1996 game running in DOSBox, DOSBox-X, or on a MiSTer ao486 / z486.

4.0 - World 2026-27
A new career world with today's football as it really is:

• 91 countries, 2,385 clubs with their real squads at the end of the summer 2026 transfer window, 264 competitions
• Every league in its real 2026-27 format: groups, splits, Apertura / Clausura, conferences, promotion / title / play-out play-offs, real relegations; Italy down to Serie D (9 groups) with its own cup
• Every national and league cup from its real round, plus the 13 Brazilian state championships
• The UEFA cups with the new league phase, and 12 new continental competitions: Libertadores, Sudamericana, Recopa, CONCACAF Champions Cup, AFC Champions League Elite / Two / Challenge League, CAF Champions League / Confederation Cup / Super Cup, OFC Champions League and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup
• Every table with zone colours and a legend; every competition has a FORMAT page explaining its rules, in 4 languages (IT / EN / FR / DE)
• A WINNERS page per competition, a quick season end (other countries simulated with a progress line), and a new CAREER 2026-27 button on the main menu
• The earlier worlds are still there: the original 1996-97 career, Europe 1984-85, historic seasons and tournaments

4.0.1 - out now

• Joypad ready: on GOG the installer sets up a calibrated joypad (player 1) and the keyboard (player 2), and both the analog stick and the d-pad work. The game now checks the game port at start and falls back to the keyboard when no stick is found; the original had this check in its code but never called it. For your own DOSBox: a tick in the installer and three config lines (joysticktype=2axis, timed=false).
• Mexico (Liga MX and Liga de Expansion with Apertura / Clausura, liguillas and Campeon de Campeones), and Peru, Colombia and Uruguay with their real tournaments of the year
• 58 more nationalities (Montenegro, Kosovo, Andorra, Cape Verde...)
• Cups now follow promotions and relegations, line-ups follow the players' roles (3,529 teams), and a long list of fixes, including garbled European final titles when loading older saves

Install
The patcher is a single HTML page that runs in Chrome or Edge, and nothing gets uploaded anywhere. Choose the game folder and it patches in place, keeping backups of the files it changes. It can also build the game from the CD. Saves from the original game and from every earlier version of the mod keep working.

• Download (patcher + full notes): https://github.com/aminta/swos-9697-mod/releases/tag/v4.0.1
• Site and step-by-step install guide: https://worldofswos.com/en/

You need your own copy of the original game. National teams for the 2026-27 world are planned for a later version (5.0).

Feedback and bug reports are very welcome: there's a report form on the site, or just reply here. Thanks to everyone who has tested and reported so far!