Football Manager 25 Canceled, Dev Apologizes for Letting Fans Down

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 decision follows a challenging development process hampered by the transition to the Unity game engine.

The developer had previously touted FM25 as a significant technical and visual leap, but encountered difficulties, particularly with the player experience and user interface. The announcement was made alongside Sega Sammy Holdings' financial results, which reflect a write-down of associated costs. Sega has confirmed that no job losses will result from this decision.

Sports Interactive stated that no Football Manager 24 update with 2024/25 season data will be released, prioritizing resources for FM26. Discussions are underway with platform holders and licensors to potentially extend FM24 agreements on subscription services. FM25 had already faced two delays before its cancellation, with the latest projected release date set for March 2025. The team is now fully committed to delivering Football Manager 26 in its typical November release window.

Refunds are being offered to those who pre-ordered FM25. The developer apologized for the delay in communication, citing stakeholder compliance requirements. The decision to cancel, rather than release a subpar product, was made after extensive internal review and playtesting revealed the game didn't meet the expected quality standards. The core issues centered around the overall player experience and interface. Releasing the game later in the year was deemed impractical due to the football season's timing. All efforts are now focused on ensuring FM26 meets the high standards expected by players.