Football Manager 25 Canceled, Dev Apologizes for Letting Fans Down

In a surprising turn of events, Sega and UK-based developer Sports Interactive have announced the cancellation of Football Manager 25 across all platforms. This marks the first time the beloved sports simulation series has missed a yearly release since its inception in 2004. The decision 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 cancellation was revealed as part of Sega Sammy Holdings' latest financial results, which also included a writedown of costs related to the game. Sports Interactive emphasized that the decision was made after "extensive internal discussion and careful consideration" with their parent company, Sega. Fortunately, Sega has confirmed to IGN that no job roles are affected by this news.

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

FM25 had already faced two delays, with the most recent pushing the release to March 2025. However, the game has now been officially canceled, and Sports Interactive is shifting its focus to Football Manager 26, slated for a November release as per tradition.

In a heartfelt message to fans, Sports Interactive expressed their regret, particularly to those who had pre-ordered FM25. They are offering refunds and apologized for the delay in communicating this decision, citing stakeholder compliance, legal, and financial regulations as the reason for the timing of the announcement.

The developer had aimed to make FM25 the most significant technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation, setting the stage for a new era. Despite the team's efforts, they faced numerous challenges, both anticipated and unforeseen, which led to the realization that the game's player experience and interface were not meeting the required standards, even after multiple delays.

Sports Interactive could have released FM25 in its current state and planned to fix issues post-launch, but they deemed this approach inappropriate. They also felt that releasing the game beyond March would be too late in the football season, making it unreasonable to expect players to purchase another game later in the year.

With the cancellation of FM25, the team's full attention is now on ensuring that Football Manager 26 meets their high standards and delivers the quality that fans expect. Sports Interactive promised to keep fans updated on their progress and thanked them for their patience and continued support as they work towards creating a new era for the Football Manager series.