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.

Initially touted as a "generational leap" in technical and visual advancements, the transition to the Unity game engine presented unforeseen challenges. Specifically, the player experience and user interface fell short of expectations.

The cancellation, announced alongside Sega Sammy Holdings’ financial results (which include a writedown of FM25 development costs), followed extensive internal discussions. Sega has confirmed to IGN that no job losses are associated with this decision.

Sports Interactive clarified that there will be no Football Manager 24 update incorporating 2024/25 season data. This prioritizes the development of FM26, slated for the usual November release. Discussions are underway with platform holders and licensors regarding potential extensions of FM24 agreements on subscription services like Game Pass.

The cancellation follows two previous delays, the last pushing the release to March 2025. Sports Interactive is offering refunds to those who pre-ordered FM25. The developer apologized for the delay in announcing the cancellation, citing stakeholder compliance and regulatory requirements.

Despite significant progress in many areas, the overall player experience and interface did not meet the team's standards, a conclusion supported by extensive internal testing and consumer feedback. Releasing a subpar product was deemed unacceptable, as was delaying further into the football season.

The team's full attention now shifts to Football Manager 26, aiming to deliver a game that meets the high expectations of its dedicated fanbase. Further updates on FM26's progress will be shared as they become available.