In a surprising turn of events, the highly anticipated Football Manager 25 has been officially canceled. This marks the first time in the franchise’s 20-year history that a title has been scrapped. Sports Interactive and Sega, the game’s developers and publishers respectively, announced the decision, citing their inability to meet quality standards within a reasonable timeframe.
FM25 was initially touted as a revolutionary step forward for the series. Developers had promised significant technical and visual enhancements, including improved animations, a revamped user interface, a completely overhauled matchday experience, and the long-awaited inclusion of women’s football. However, these ambitious goals proved challenging to achieve.
The game had already faced two delays, pushing its release from the usual autumn window to March 2025 – a move that raised eyebrows among fans. The lack of gameplay reveals and a missed development update in January further fueled concerns. Sports Interactive acknowledged the difficulties they encountered, citing both previously disclosed issues and unforeseen problems. They emphasized the immense effort put in by the team but ultimately admitted that they fell short of their targets.
The developers explained that further delays were not a viable option, as releasing the game late in the football season would likely result in poor sales. They also ruled out a post-release patching strategy, stating that it wouldn’t be the right approach. Instead, they opted to cancel FM25 entirely and channel their efforts into the next installment, which is expected to launch in autumn 2025.
Sports Interactive apologized for the delayed communication regarding the cancellation, attributing it to legal and financial regulations associated with Sega’s status as a publicly traded company. They confirmed that pre-orders will be automatically refunded. Furthermore, they announced that Football Manager 2024 will not receive a seasonal data update, as this would require substantial work and divert resources from the development of the next game.
