Developer Sports Interactive has announced that Football Manager 25 is getting cancelled. The studio, along with publisher Sega, have instead decided to focus on the next release of the franchise.
Regarding the decision behind the cancellation, the studio revealed that it faced great difficulty in attempting significant technical and visual jumps over its predecessors. The announcement comes after the title was delayed from its original November 2024 release window to March 2025.
“We have always prided ourselves on delivering the best value for money games that bring you countless hours of enjoyment, that feel worth every moment and every penny you spend,” posted the studio. “With the launch of Football Manager 25, we set out to create the biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation, laying the building blocks for a new era.”
Despite the developers making progress, Sports Interactive ultimately realized that it wouldn’t be able to hit the required deadlines while still maintaining an acceptable level of quality and polish.
“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,” the post continues. “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.”
The studio also explains that the overall player experience and UI were still not close to complete, despite having successfully hit several of its targets and milestones. Playtesting has indicated that, while close, the game is still failing to live up to the studio’s standards.
“Whilst many areas of the game have hit our targets, the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be,” posted the studio. “As extensive evaluation has demonstrated, including consumer playtesting, we have clear validation for the new direction of the game and are getting close – however, we’re too far away from the standards you deserve.”
The studio caps off the announcement by stating that it is now working on what will become the next iteration of the franchise. This will allow the studio the time it needs to get the game up to the standards that it was failing to hit with Football Manager 25.
Football Manager 25 was originally announced back in September. The title marked a big moment for the franchise, with the studio switching to Unity for its engine. Since it has now been cancelled, Sega and Sports Interactive have stated that those who pre-ordered the game through approved retailers will automatically receive refunds.
