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. While initially touted as a significant technical and visual leap, the new engine presented difficulties, particularly concerning the player experience and user interface.

The cancellation was revealed alongside Sega Sammy Holdings' financial results, which reflect a write-down of FM25-related costs. Sports Interactive explained the decision in a blog post, emphasizing extensive internal discussions and careful consideration with Sega. The company reassured fans that no job losses resulted from the cancellation.

Furthermore, there will be no Football Manager 24 update incorporating 2024/25 season data. Sports Interactive stated that diverting resources to such an update would detract from the development of FM26. Discussions are underway with platform holders and licensors regarding potential extensions of FM24 agreements on subscription services like Game Pass.

FM25 faced two prior delays before its ultimate cancellation, with the most recent target date set for March 2025. The developer is now fully concentrating on Football Manager 26, anticipated for its usual November release. Refunds are being offered to those who pre-ordered FM25.

Sports Interactive acknowledged the disappointment this news will cause, apologizing for the delayed announcement and explaining that stakeholder compliance and regulatory requirements dictated the timing of the official statement. The company reiterated its commitment to delivering high-quality games, explaining that the decision to cancel FM25 was made because the current state of the game did not meet their standards, despite significant effort from the development team. While many aspects met expectations, the overall player experience and interface fell short. They stated that releasing a subpar game and patching it later was not an acceptable option.

The developer's full attention is now dedicated to ensuring Football Manager 26 meets the expected quality. They promised to provide updates on the progress of FM26 as soon as possible.