Football Manager 25 Canceled After Two Delays; Sports Interactive Issues Pre-Order Refunds

Sports Interactive, renowned for the iconic Football Manager series, has announced the cancellation of Football Manager 25. This decision follows two prior delays from the initial release window of November 2024, resulting in refunds for all pre-orders placed by fans.

The previous installment, Football Manager 24, achieved remarkable success, becoming the developer’s top-selling edition in its 30-year history. With innovations planned for FM25, such as the inclusion of women’s football and a transition from the proprietary game engine to Unity, expectations were high. However, SI expressed concerns about quality, noting in a Development Update that the “overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be.”This cancellation marks the first absence of a Football Manager title since 2004.

What Led to the Cancellation of Football Manager 25?

Challenges with the Unity Transition

Sports Interactive aimed to implement groundbreaking changes in FM25, striving for the “most significant technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation.”They planned to enhance animations, improve the user interface, and introduce overall upgrades by adopting Unity. However, the developers faced significant challenges during this transition. After the initial November 2024 deadline was postponed to March 2025, SI acknowledged the difficulties, revealing in an October 2024 update that the development cycle was particularly arduous.

On February 6, 2025, SI officially canceled the game, citing a range of challenges in their statement:

Due to a variety of challenges that we’ve been open about to date, and many more unforeseen, we currently haven’t achieved what we set out to do in enough areas of the game, despite the phenomenal efforts of our team. Each decision to delay the release was made with the aim of getting the game closer to the desired level but, as we approached critical milestones at the turn of the year, it became unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required, even with the adjusted timeline.– FM Admin, Footballmanager.com

There was consideration of launching FM25 in an early-access format, allowing for iterative fixes post-launch. However, SI ultimately decided against this route, prioritizing quality over expediency. With many European leagues concluding shortly, delaying the game indefinitely was not a viable option.

Our Perspective: FM25 Cancellation Paves the Way for a Refined FM26

Time for a Fresh Start After Two Decades

The news of Football Manager 25’s cancellation is undeniably disappointing for fans who look forward to an immersive sports management experience. Nevertheless, this decision underscores Sports Interactive’s commitment to delivering a superior product, particularly in an environment where many AAA games launch with significant bugs and incomplete features.Despite a new Football Manager title being released annually since 2004, the additional time allocated for development is expected to yield improvements that enhance the gaming experience significantly.

One of the most eagerly awaited aspects of FM25 was the introduction of women’s football, a feature now anticipated in FM26. This aligns with trends in sports gaming, notably exemplified by EAFC’s successful inclusion of women’s teams in its Ultimate Team mode. While fans await the new Football Manager experience, it’s worth noting that Football Manager 24 is currently available on Xbox Game Pass, and there are indications it may stay beyond its initially scheduled removal in March 2025. FM24, with its array of enhancements, serves as a great option for fans during this interim period.

Sources: Sports Interactive, Footballmanager.com [10/10/24], Footballmanager.com [06/02/25]

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