Football Manager 25 Canceled: Dev Issues Apology to Fans

Sega and Sports Interactive have made the tough decision to cancel Football Manager 25 across all platforms, marking the first time the beloved sports simulation series has missed a yearly release since its inception in 2004. This cancellation comes after a challenging development period, particularly with the transition to the Unity game engine, which has caused significant issues with the player experience and interface.

The news was shared as part of Sega Sammy Holdings' latest financial results, which also included a writedown of costs related to the game. Sports Interactive, after "extensive internal discussion and careful consideration" with parent company Sega, announced the decision in a heartfelt blog post to fans. Sega has confirmed to IGN that no jobs will be affected by this decision.

Sports Interactive has also confirmed that there will be no Football Manager 24 update with the 2024/25 season data, as it would detract from the resources needed for the next release. The developer is currently negotiating with platform holders and licensors to possibly extend the FM24 agreements on subscription services like Game Pass.

FM25 had already faced two delays, with the most recent pushing the release to March 2025. Now, Sports Interactive is shifting its focus to Football Manager 26, which is slated for a November release as usual.

In their message to fans, Sports Interactive expressed deep regret to those who had pre-ordered FM25, offering refunds and apologizing for the disappointment. They explained that the decision to cancel was made after realizing that the game did not meet the high standards they set out to achieve, despite the team's hard work. The developer had aimed for FM25 to be "the biggest technical and visual advancement for the series in a generation," but the transition to the new game engine proved too challenging.

The company emphasized that they could have released FM25 in its current state and fixed issues later, but chose not to, as it wouldn't meet the quality players deserve. They also noted that a release beyond March would be too late in the football season for players to then purchase another game later in the year.

Sports Interactive is now fully focused on ensuring that Football Manager 26 meets their goals and the quality level expected by fans. They promised to keep fans updated on their progress and thanked them for their patience and continued support, reaffirming their commitment to creating a new era for the Football Manager series.