Sega and Sports Interactive have canceled Football Manager 25 across all platforms after what has been a difficult development. It’s the first time the long-running sports sim series has skipped a year entirely since it began in 2004.
UK-based developer Sports Interactive had called FM25 "the biggest technical and visual advancement for the series in a generation." But it has struggled moving to the Unity game engine, with the player experience and interface in particular causing problems.
The announcement came as part of Sega Sammy Holdings’ latest financial results, which include a writedown of costs associated with the game. The decision was made after “extensive internal discussion and careful consideration” with parent company Sega, Sports Interactive said in a blog post to fans. Sega has confirmed to IGN that no roles are impacted by the news.
Sports Interactive said there won’t be any Football Manager 24 update with 2024/25 season data, as it “would divert critical resources away from the development of the next release which requires our full focus.” The developer is currently in discussions with the platform holders and licensors on the possibility of extending its FM24 agreements on subscription services such as Game Pass.
FM25 had already suffered two delays before its cancelation, the latest to March 2025. Sports Interactive has now shifted its focus to Football Manager 26, which is expected to release in the usual November slot.
“For the large numbers of you who pre-ordered FM25, we thank you enormously for your trust and support – we’re very sorry to have let you down,” Sports Interactive said. Refunds are being offered.
“We know this will come as a huge disappointment, especially given that the release date has already moved twice, and you have been eagerly anticipating the first gameplay reveal. We can only apologise for the time it has taken to communicate this decision. Due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, today was the earliest date that we could issue this statement.
“We have always prided ourselves on delivering the best value for money games that bring you countless hours of enjoyment, that feel worth every moment and every penny you spend. With the launch of FM25 we set out to create the biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation, laying the building blocks for a new era.
“Due to a variety of challenges that we’ve been open about to date, and many more unforeseen, we currently haven’t achieved what we set out to do in enough areas of the game, despite the phenomenal efforts of our team. Each decision to delay the release was made with the aim of getting the game closer to the desired level but, as we approached critical milestones at the turn of the year, it became unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required, even with the adjusted timeline.
“Whilst many areas of the game have hit our targets, the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be. As extensive evaluation has demonstrated, including consumer playtesting, we have clear validation for the new direction of the game and are getting close – however, we’re too far away from the standards you deserve.
“We could have pressed on, released FM25 in its current state, and fixed things down the line - but that’s not the right thing to do. We were also unwilling to go beyond a March release as it would be too late in the football season to expect players to then buy another game later in the year.
“Through the cancellation, every effort is now focused on ensuring that our next release achieves our goal and hits the quality level we all expect. We will update you on how we are progressing with that as soon as we are able to do so.
“Thank you for reading, your patience and your continued support. Our full focus now returns to creating a new era for Football Manager.”
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