Football Manager 25 cancelled as developers shift focus to future release

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Story Highlights

  • After multiple delays, Sports Interactive and SEGA decided to cancel FM25.
  • The developers have cited an inability to meet the expected quality standards.
  • Players who pre-ordered FM25 through SEGA-approved retailers will receive automatic refunds.

It’s been revealed that Football Manager 25, from Sports Interactive, has unfortunately been scrapped. Instead, they are directing their efforts towards the upcoming game in the series. This decision was made after thorough internal deliberations and consultations with SEGA, as the team found it challenging to maintain the required quality level even after several postponements.

Football Manager 25 was cancelled as the player experience and interface fell short of standards

Initially slated for launch in November 2024, FM25 has been rescheduled to March 2025. The delay comes with assurances of substantial technical and visual upgrades, such as a switch to the Unity engine and an overhauled user interface. Originally intended for release on Android and iOS devices under the Netflix Games platform, this game promises exciting changes.

Sports Interactive apologizes to share that after thorough internal discussions and thoughtful consultations with SEGA, we’ve had to make a tough call and unfortunately, Football Manager 25 will not be released.

— Football Manager (@FootballManager) February 7, 2025

Ultimately, unexpected obstacles and the team acknowledging they didn’t meet our objectives in several parts of the game resulted in its cancellation. Despite certain aspects meeting our expectations, Sports Interactive confessed that the player experience and user interface did not reach the expected quality, even with the extended deadline.

Rather than releasing an unfinished product with problems later on, the studio opted to rechannel their resources towards making a more robust product in the future. Consequently, there won’t be any updates for Football Manager 24 covering the 2024/25 season.

In the past, there had been numerous whispers suggesting that the 25th edition’s launch delay might be lifted with an announcement on Friday. However, what took me aback was finding out that they decided to call off the launch instead.

Those who pre-purchased Football Manager 25 from authorized SEGA vendors will automatically get their money back, and customer service is on hand for any questions. As our team concentrates on the upcoming Football Manager game, we move forward to FM26, hoping it won’t experience the same issues, which I think is highly improbable.

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2025-02-07 09:41