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 2004 debut. The decision follows a challenging development process involving a transition to the Unity game engine.
Initially touted as a significant technical and visual leap, the migration to Unity presented unforeseen difficulties, particularly impacting the player experience and user interface. The announcement, part of Sega Sammy Holdings' financial results, includes a writedown of associated costs. Sega has confirmed that no job losses resulted from this decision.
Sports Interactive stated in a blog post that there will be no Football Manager 24 update with 2024/25 season data, prioritizing resources for Football Manager 26. Discussions are underway with platform holders and licensors to potentially extend FM24 agreements on subscription services like Game Pass.
FM25 faced two prior delays before its cancellation, with the last projected release date set for March 2025. The developer is now concentrating on Football Manager 26, anticipated for its usual November release window. Refunds are being offered to those who pre-ordered FM25.
Sports Interactive acknowledged the disappointment, explaining that despite significant progress in many areas, the overall player experience and interface did not meet their standards, a conclusion validated by extensive internal testing and consumer feedback. They chose cancellation over a compromised release, emphasizing their commitment to delivering high-quality games. The focus is now entirely on ensuring Football Manager 26 meets the expected quality.
