Football Manager 25 canceled: What's the reason behind the decision?

Sports Interactive announced that it along with SEGA had decided to cancel the release of Football Manager 25. This was done via a post on Football Manager's official X handle. Based on the announcement, the developers made the diofficult decision after multiple internal meetings and will now focus on the release of the next installment, i.e., Football Manager 26.

The developers apologized to the fans for canceling the launch of this title, even after rescheduling the release twice. While they aim to deliver the best value-for-money games that give users countless hours of entertainment, the same couldn't be made possible for Football Manager 25. They faced various challenges which led to the game getting scrapped.

---

Why did Sports Interactive and SEGA cancel the release of Football Manager 25?

According to the blog post, the release of FM 25 would have seen "the biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation." However, the developers could not achieve such advanced changes in several areas of the game. Despite the delay, the standard required for release could not be met.

Sports Interactive also stated that despite fruitful developments in many areas, the "overarching player experience and interface" did not meet its expectations. The extensive evaluation (including consumer playtesting) highlighted that the developments were far from the ideal build expected by the developers.

They could have waited until March 2025, but the recent status of Football Manger 25 cleared the air that the game cannot be released. Hence, the developers took a unanimous decision to scrap the game's launch.

The cancellation is a major setback for SEGA and Sports Interactive, as their fierce rivals, EA Sports, will have no competition with their FC 25 Career Mode.

Hence, Sports Interactive mentioned its focus on the release of the next installment of Football Manager.

"Through the cancellation, every effort is now focused on ensuring that our next release achieves our goal and hits the quality level we all expect. We will update you on how we are progressing with that as soon as we are able to do so."

Meanwhile, those who pre-ordered Football Manager 25 must wait for official confirmation regarding compensation.

As for FM fans, they must wait for the release of the FM26 or they can continue their venture in Football Manager 24. It remains to be seen if the developers Interactive can provide an enriched gaming experience in FM26.