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 impacting the player experience and user interface.

The cancellation was revealed alongside Sega Sammy Holdings' financial results, which reflect a writedown of FM25-related costs. Sports Interactive explained in a blog post that the decision, made after extensive internal discussions with Sega, was necessary to maintain the series' high standards. Sega has confirmed that no job losses are associated with the cancellation.

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. Discussions are underway with platform holders and licensors regarding potential extensions of FM24 agreements on subscription services like Game Pass.

The cancellation follows two previous delays, the last pushing the release to March 2025. Development has now shifted to 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, apologizing for the delayed announcement due to legal and financial compliance requirements.

The developer emphasized its commitment to delivering high-quality games, explaining that despite significant progress in some areas, the overall player experience and interface didn't meet their standards, a conclusion supported by extensive testing. Releasing FM25 in its current state was deemed unacceptable, as was delaying further into the football season.

All efforts are now focused on Football Manager 26, aiming to deliver a game that meets the expected quality. Further updates on the progress of FM26 will be provided as they become available.