Football Manager 25 Canceled: Dev Issues Apology to Fans

Sega and Sports Interactive have made the tough decision to cancel Football Manager 25 across all platforms, marking the first time the beloved sports simulation series has missed a yearly release since its inception in 2004. This cancellation comes after a challenging development period, particularly with the transition to the Unity game engine, which has caused significant issues with the player experience and interface.

The news was shared as part of Sega Sammy Holdings' latest financial results, which also included a writedown of costs related to the game. Sports Interactive, after "extensive internal discussion and careful consideration" with parent company Sega, announced the decision in a heartfelt blog post to fans. Sega has confirmed to IGN that no jobs will be affected by this decision.

Sports Interactive has also confirmed that there will be no Football Manager 24 update with the 2024/25 season data, as it would detract from the resources needed for the next release. The developer is currently negotiating with platform holders and licensors to possibly extend the FM24 agreements on subscription services like Game Pass.

FM25 had already faced two delays, with the most recent pushing the release to March 2025. Now, Sports Interactive is shifting its focus to Football Manager 26, which is slated for a November release as usual.

In their message to fans, Sports Interactive expressed deep regret to those who had pre-ordered FM25, offering refunds and apologizing for the disappointment, especially after the game's release date had been postponed twice. They acknowledged the anticipation for the first gameplay reveal and apologized for the delay in communicating the cancellation due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations.

The team at Sports Interactive had aimed to make FM25 the most significant technical and visual leap in the series' history, setting the stage for a new era. However, despite the team's hard work, they faced numerous challenges, both anticipated and unforeseen, which prevented them from meeting their goals in key areas of the game. Extensive evaluation, including consumer playtesting, confirmed the new direction but also highlighted that the player experience and interface were not up to the required standard.

Rather than releasing FM25 in its current state and fixing issues post-launch, or delaying beyond March, which would be too late in the football season, Sports Interactive chose to cancel the game. This decision allows them to concentrate all efforts on ensuring that Football Manager 26 meets the high standards expected by fans and delivers the quality they deserve.

Sports Interactive thanked fans for their patience and continued support, promising updates on the progress of the next release as soon as possible. Their full focus is now on creating a new era for Football Manager.