Why FM25 has been cancelled as popular football series is hit with huge blow following MONTHS of delays – after promising new era for the game

Football Manager 2025 has been cancelled after months of setbacks in devastating news for fans of the beloved series.

The game was slated to come out in March – four months later than it usually would – but has now been axed.

Sports Interactive, FM’s developers, promised a radical ‘new era’ of the game with a Unity engine, redesigned interface, enhanced graphics, and the landmark introduction of women’s football.

It was supposed to set up the game for the next 20 to 30 years and capitalise on the booming popularity of the series, with FM24 being the most popular version yet with at least seven million players. 

Now players will have to wait until the next instalment, FM26. Those who have pre-ordered FM25 have been promised refunds. 

‘Sports Interactive regret to inform that, following extensive internal discussion and careful consideration with SEGA, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Football Manager 25 and shift our focus to the next release,’ FM said in a statement. 

‘For the large numbers of you who pre-ordered FM25, we thank you enormously for your trust and support – we’re very sorry to have let you down.

‘We know this will come as a huge disappointment, especially given that the release date has already moved twice, and you have been eagerly anticipating the first gameplay reveal. 

‘We can only apologise for the time it has taken to communicate this decision. Due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, today was the earliest date that we could issue this statement.

‘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. 

‘With the launch of FM25 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.

‘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.’

Sports Interactive said it became ‘unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required’ for the game, ‘even with the adjusted timeline’.

‘Whilst many areas of the game have hit our targets, the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be,’ they added. 

‘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.

‘We could have pressed on, released FM25 in its current state, and fixed things down the line – but that’s not the right thing to do. We were also unwilling to go beyond a March release as it would be too late in the football season to expect players to then buy another game later in the year.

‘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.

‘Thank you for reading, your patience and your continued support. Our full focus now returns to creating a new era for Football Manager.’

Sports Interactive have been criticised for poor communication around the game amid delays. There have been long periods of silence abut the game’s progress.

It was originally pushed back to a late November release before the bombshell news that it was set to come out in March.

However, faced with the prospect of asking users to buy two games in one year, assuming FM26 is released in November, they have pulled the plug after months of working on what could be their next hit game. 

Originally known as Championship Manager between 1992 and 2004, Football Manager remains intensely popular among fans of the sport.