Sports Interactive and Sega have announced the cancellation of Football Manager 25 across all platforms. This marks the first time the long-running series has skipped a year since its inception in 2004.
The developer had touted FM25 as a significant technical and visual leap, but encountered difficulties transitioning to the Unity game engine. Issues with the player experience and user interface proved particularly problematic.
The decision, revealed alongside Sega Sammy Holdings' financial results (which include a writedown of FM25 development costs), followed extensive internal discussions. Sega has confirmed that no job losses are associated with the cancellation.
There will be no Football Manager 24 update for the 2024/25 season. Sports Interactive explains that allocating resources to such an update would detract from the development of FM26. Discussions are underway with platform holders and licensors regarding extending FM24 agreements on services like Game Pass.
FM25 had already been delayed twice before its cancellation, with the latest projected release date being March 2025. The development team is now fully focused on Football Manager 26, anticipated for its usual November release window. Refunds are being offered to those who pre-ordered FM25.
Sports Interactive acknowledged the disappointment this news will cause, particularly given the previous delays and anticipation for the game. They emphasized their commitment to delivering high-quality games and explained that the decision to cancel was made because the game didn't meet their internal standards, despite significant effort. Extensive testing revealed shortcomings in the overall player experience and interface that couldn't be rectified within the remaining timeframe without compromising quality. Releasing a subpar game or delaying further into the football season was deemed unacceptable.
The developer assures fans that all efforts are now concentrated on ensuring FM26 meets expectations, promising future updates on its progress.
