Football Manager 25 Canceled: Dev Issues Apology to Fans

Sega and Sports Interactive have officially announced the cancellation of Football Manager 25 across all platforms due to a challenging development process. This marks the first time in 21 years—the series' inception in 2004—that the popular sports simulation has skipped a scheduled release entirely.

Sports Interactive had previously described FM25 as the "biggest technical and visual leap forward" for the franchise in generations. However, transitioning to the Unity game engine proved problematic, particularly impacting the player experience and user interface. The decision to cancel the title was disclosed alongside Sega Sammy Holdings' latest financial results, which included a cost write-down related to the project. In a blog post addressed to fans, Sports Interactive explained that the choice followed "extensive internal discussion and careful consideration" with parent company Sega. Sega has confirmed to IGN that no jobs are affected by this announcement.

The developer confirmed there will be no Football Manager 24 update incorporating 2024/25 season data, as focusing on such an update would "divert critical resources" from FM26, which is slated for its typical November release window. Sports Interactive is also in talks with platform holders and licensors regarding extending existing agreements for FM24 on subscription services like Game Pass.

Football Manager 25 has been canceled. Image credit: Sports Interactive / Sega. Originally delayed twice, most recently to March 2025, the studio is now concentrating全力 on FM26.

"To the significant number of you who pre-ordered FM25, we are deeply grateful for your faith and support—we’re truly sorry to have fallen short," Sports Interactive stated. Refunds are being issued.

"We understand this will be a massive letdown, especially considering the multiple postponements and your excitement for the upcoming gameplay reveal. We apologize for the time it took to share this news; stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, meant today was the earliest possible date to release this statement.

"We’ve always aimed to deliver exceptional value for money, providing countless hours of enjoyment that justify every penny spent. For FM25, we intended to establish a new benchmark for the series, setting the foundation for future iterations. Despite the immense dedication of our team, unforeseen challenges—and those we’ve openly discussed—mean we haven’t met our goals in several key areas, even with adjustments to the timeline.

"While many aspects of the game met expectations, the overall player experience and interface still fall short of the standards you deserve. Extensive consumer testing validated the new direction, but we’re still too far from achieving that quality.

"Although we could have released FM25 in its current state and fixed issues later, that wasn’t the right approach. Releasing it beyond March would also have been too late in the football season to justify another purchase later in the year.

"With this cancellation, our full focus is now on ensuring FM26 meets our ambitions and delivers the quality everyone anticipates. We’ll keep you updated as soon as possible.

"Thank you for your understanding, patience, and ongoing support. Our priority is creating a new chapter for Football Manager."