Okay, so, bit of a bummer for Football Manager fans out there – FM25 is officially canned. Yeah, you heard right, canceled. First time in ages, like since 2004, that we're not getting a new yearly installment. Pretty big deal, right?
Apparently, Sports Interactive, the folks who make FM, were aiming for a massive upgrade with FM25, calling it a "generation leap" visually and technically. Thing is, they ran into some serious roadblocks moving the game over to the Unity engine. Sounds like the player experience and how you actually use the game just wasn't clicking.
The news dropped with Sega's latest money report – they had to write off some costs because of it. SI put out a blog post, proper apologetic, saying it was a tough call with Sega, their parent company, after "extensive internal discussion." Good news though, Sega told IGN no one's losing their job over this. That's something, at least.
Don't expect a 24/25 season update for FM24 either. SI said they need all hands on deck for the next game, which is now FM26. They are talking to platform guys and licensors about keeping FM24 going on services like Game Pass though, so that's a maybe.
FM25 already got pushed back twice before this, last time to March 2025. 1 Now, all focus is on FM26, aiming for the usual November release window. Fingers crossed, eh?
If you pre-ordered FM25, SI is saying a big thanks for the support and trust, and a massive sorry for letting you down. Refunds are on the way, naturally. They know everyone's gonna be majorly disappointed, especially after the delays and waiting for gameplay reveals. They said the delay in telling us was down to "stakeholder compliance," legal and money stuff, so today was the earliest they could spill the beans.
Basically, SI prides itself on making games that are worth every penny and hour you put in. With FM25, they wanted to go big, laying the groundwork for a new era. But, loads of challenges, some they saw coming, some they didn't, meant they just couldn't get it where they wanted, even with the team working their socks off. Each delay was meant to get it closer, but by the new year, it was clear they weren't gonna hit the mark, even with the extra time.
Loads of bits of the game were fine, but the overall feel and how you interact with it just wasn't up to scratch. Playtesting confirmed it – the new direction is solid, they're getting there, but just not there yet.
They could've pushed it out as is and patched it later, but that's not their style. And pushing it past March? Way too late in the season to expect folks to buy a new game.
So, by pulling the plug now, they're throwing everything at making sure FM26 is top-notch and hits the quality we all expect. They'll keep us updated on progress as soon as they can.
Big thanks from them for our patience and support. Now, it's all about making this "new era" for Football Manager happen with the next release. Let's hope FM26 is worth the wait, eh?
