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 marked by significant technical hurdles.
While initially touted as "the biggest technical and visual advancement for the series in a generation," the transition to the Unity game engine proved problematic, particularly impacting the player experience and user interface. This led to a writedown of associated costs in Sega Sammy Holdings' latest financial results.
The cancellation, following extensive internal discussions, was announced in a blog post to fans. Sega has confirmed that no job losses will result from this decision. Furthermore, there will be no Football Manager 24 update incorporating 2024/25 season data, as resources are fully dedicated to the development of the next iteration.
Sports Interactive is currently negotiating with platform holders and licensors to potentially extend FM24 agreements on subscription services like Game Pass. FM25 had already faced two delays before its ultimate cancellation, the latest pushing the release to March 2025. The developer is now concentrating its efforts 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 a gameplay reveal. The delay in announcing the cancellation was attributed to stakeholder compliance requirements.
The developer emphasized its commitment to delivering high-quality games offering exceptional value. While many aspects of FM25 met their targets, the overall player experience and interface fell short of their expectations, a conclusion validated by extensive testing. The decision to cancel, rather than release a subpar product and address issues later, was made to uphold their commitment to quality. A post-March release was deemed impractical due to the late stage of the football season.
All efforts are now focused on Football Manager 26, aiming to deliver a game that meets the high standards expected by players. Further updates on the development progress will be shared as they become available.
