Sports Interactive abandons plans for 2025 release, shifting focus to FM26 instead.

The long-awaited release of Football Manager 25 has been officially cancelled by Sports Interactive (SI), following multiple delays. The game’s developers announced that instead of launching FM25, they will redirect their efforts towards Football Manager 26, scheduled for release in November.

SI, a subsidiary of Sega, issued an apology to loyal fans after making the difficult decision to scrap FM25, citing numerous technical challenges. “We understand this will disappoint many, especially after the release date had already been postponed twice,” the company said in a statement.

While the developers had aimed to deliver the series’ most significant technical and visual upgrade in years, they revealed that the game fell short of their expectations. The overall user experience and interface were not up to the required standards, and the team chose not to rush the release. “We could have released FM25 in its current state and updated it later, but that would not be right,” the statement continued. Additionally, the developers deemed a March release too late in the football season to launch a game that players would then have to replace later in the year.

In response to the cancellation, SI confirmed that the 2024 version of the game would not receive updates for 2025’s squad and transfers, but promised full refunds to customers who had pre-ordered FM25.