Sega cancels Football Manager 25 to focus on development of Football Manager 26

Sports Interactive and Sega have announced the cancellation of Football Manager 25 (FM25) to focus on the development of Football Manager 26 (FM26). This decision follows numerous delays to the release of FM25, which was originally pushed back to March 2025, resulting in the game's release in the middle of the football season and the potential release of two series within one year.

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The developers cited various challenges and unforeseen issues as reasons for the cancellation. They acknowledged that while many aspects of the game met their goals, the overall player experience and interface did not reach the required level. Although consumer testing had validated the new direction, the game still fell short of the expected quality.

Sports Interactive expressed regret over their decision and apologised to fans, especially those who had pre-ordered FM25. They assured that all pre-orders will be automatically refunded. The team emphasised their commitment to delivering a high-quality gaming experience in future releases and stated that they are now fully focused on creating a new era for Football Manager.

Earlier, the studio announced that there would be no updates to Football Manager 24 with fresh player data, as this would divert critical resources from the development of the next release. This position remains unchanged despite the cancellation of FM25.

Source: Eurogamer