After 2 Delays, Football Manager 25 Is Officially Dead & Sports Interactive Is Issuing Pre-Order Refunds

Sports Interactive, the developers of the long-running Football Managerseries, has officially announced the cancelation of the latest iteration in the sports management franchise; Football Manager 25. This comes after two previous delays since the initial November 2024 launch, with all pre-orders of the title to be refunded to fans.

After the success of last year's Football Manager 24, which became the developer's bestselling edition in its 30 year history, Sports Interactive revealed some changes to FM25, including women's football and a switch from the in-house game engine to Unity. The technical and visual enhancements to the series weren't deemed to be of a suitable standard, as SI released a Development Update announcement for Football Manager 25, stating that "the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be." Due to this, there will not be a Football Manager game for the first time since 2004.

What Went Wrong With Football Manager 25?

The Switch To Unity Has Been Difficult For SI

Sports Interactive aimed to make revolutionary changes to Football Manager 25, as they intended to create the "biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation," with enhanced animations, a better interface, and other overall improvements by switching to the Unity engine. The initial November 2024 release date was delayed to March 2025, as SI admitted that Football Manager 2025 "has been a difficult development cycle for the studio" in an update from October 2024. On 06 February, SI decided to cancel the title outright, providing context in a 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

Sports Interactive considered releasing FM25 in an early-access state, while gradually updating and fixing technical issues while it was available. This was vetoed by the studio, who have been developing sports management simulators like Football Manager, NHL Eastside Hockey Manager, and Championship Manager since 1994. SI was "unwilling" to delay FM25 beyond March, as many European football leagues will be finished in just a few months, making the game obsolete.

Our Take: FM25 Delay Will Ensure a Polished FM26

It's Time For The Series To Refresh After 20 Years

Player leaving the tunnel in Football Manager 2023

The cancelation of Football Manager 25 is undoubtedly disappointing to fans, as the series is the premier sports management experience with an unparalleled level of detail and control in managing football teams. The decision demonstrates Sports Interactive's commitment to delivering a high-quality experience, which is unusually refreshing at a time when AAA games are launched unfinished with numerous glitches and technical faults. Despite a Football Manager game being released every year since 2004, the series' continued quality will be improved as SI has more time to create an all-new FM experience with refined features.

The debut of women's football in Football Manager 25 was a much-anticipated feature, which will now be available in FM26. This comes after EAFC integrated women's teams and players into their widely successful Ultimate Team game mode, which has been a refreshing addition. While waiting for a new FM experience until the end of 2025 at the earliest, Football Manager 24is available on Xbox Game Pass, and SI has hinted that it may be extended beyond its current March 2025 removal. FM24 is an excellent addition to the series and makes many improvements to the typical FM experience.

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