Football Manager 25 Canceled, Dev Apologizes for Letting Fans Down

Sega and Sports Interactive 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 2004 debut. Sports Interactive had touted FM25 as a generational leap in technical and visual advancements, built upon the Unity game engine. However, the transition proved challenging, particularly impacting the player experience and interface.

The announcement, part of Sega Sammy Holdings’ financial results, includes a writedown of associated costs. Sports Interactive explained in a blog post that the decision followed extensive internal discussions with Sega. Sega has confirmed that no job losses resulted from this decision.

There will be no Football Manager 24 update with 2024/25 season data, as resources are fully dedicated to the next iteration. Discussions are underway with platform holders and licensors to potentially extend FM24 agreements on services like Game Pass.

FM25 faced two prior delays before its cancellation, the last pushing the release to March 2025. Sports Interactive is now concentrating on Football Manager 26, anticipated for its usual November release window. Refunds are being offered to those who pre-ordered FM25.

Sports Interactive apologized for the delay in communication, citing stakeholder compliance and regulations. They emphasized their commitment to delivering high-value games and acknowledged falling short of their ambitious goals for FM25 despite the team's considerable efforts. While some aspects met expectations, the overall player experience and interface did not reach the required standard, as confirmed by extensive testing.

The decision to cancel, rather than release a subpar product and issue post-launch fixes, was made to ensure the highest quality for future installments. Releasing later in the year was deemed impractical due to the football season. The developer assures fans that all efforts are now focused on Football Manager 26, promising updates on its progress as they become available. They thanked players for their patience and continued support.