Football Manager 25 Canceled, Dev Apologizes for Letting Fans Down

Sega and Sports Interactive have made the difficult decision to cancel *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 UK-based developer had envisioned *FM25* as a generational leap in technical and visual advancements, aiming for a significant upgrade. However, the transition to the Unity game engine presented unforeseen challenges, particularly impacting the player experience and user interface.

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

There will be no *Football Manager 24* update with 2024/25 season data. Sports Interactive explains that allocating resources to such an update would detract from the crucial development of the next game. 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, the last pushing the release to March 2025. Sports Interactive is now fully concentrating 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 significant disappointment this news will cause, especially given the previous delays and anticipation. They apologized for the delay in communicating the decision, citing stakeholder compliance and legal/financial regulations as factors. The developers emphasized their commitment to delivering high-value games, stating that *FM25*, despite considerable effort, did not meet their standards in key areas, particularly the overall player experience and interface. Extensive testing confirmed this, validating the need for further development.

The decision to cancel, rather than release a subpar game and patch later, was made to ensure the quality expected by players. Releasing in March was deemed too late in the football season for a new game purchase. All efforts are now focused on ensuring *Football Manager 26* meets the high standards expected. Further updates on its progress will be shared as they become available.