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 generational leap in technical and visual advancements, issues with the player experience and interface proved insurmountable.
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 came after extensive internal discussions with Sega. Sega has confirmed that no job losses will result from this cancellation.
There will be no Football Manager 24 update with 2024/25 season data. Sports Interactive stated that allocating resources to such an update would detract from the development of Football Manager 26. Discussions are underway with platform holders and licensors regarding extending FM24 agreements on subscription services like Game Pass.
FM25 faced two prior delays before its ultimate cancellation, with the latest target date set for March 2025. The developer is now fully focused 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 communicating the cancellation, citing stakeholder compliance and regulatory requirements. They emphasized their commitment to delivering high-quality games and acknowledged falling short of their own standards for FM25 despite significant team effort. While many aspects met their targets, the overall player experience and interface did not reach the required level, a conclusion validated by extensive testing.
The decision to cancel, rather than release a subpar game and patch it later, was made to ensure the next installment meets expectations. Releasing in March would have been too late in the football season for a new game launch. Sports Interactive concluded by thanking fans for their patience and support, promising to update on FM26's progress as soon as possible.
