Football Manager 2025 Canceled: What Happened and What’s Next?
Initially slated for an early November 2024 release, FM25 faced multiple postponements, first to late November and subsequently to March 2025. The primary reason cited for these delays was the ambitious plan to introduce a new game engine, aiming to deliver substantial technical and visual advancements. However, the development team encountered unforeseen challenges that impeded progress. In a statement, Sports Interactive noted, "Whilst many areas of the game have hit our targets, the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be... we’re too far away from the standards you deserve."
A Timeline of FM25’s Rise and Fall
Let’s go step by step through what happened:
June 2023 – The Big Reveal
Sports Interactive started teasing Football Manager 2025 as a massive upgrade over previous versions. For years, FM has been seen as an amazing game in terms of depth, but visually… well, it looks like it belongs in 2010.
SI promised a huge visual overhaul, and excitement started building fast.
October 2023 – The Premier League License Announced
For the first time ever, FM25 would feature full Premier League licensing—meaning real logos, official kits, and an authentic matchday experience.
Fans were hyped. This was another step toward making FM feel like a fully authentic football experience.
November 2023 – First Signs of Trouble
Some fans noticed that SI was being oddly quiet about FM25. Usually, by this time of year, we’d start seeing gameplay footage or at least a deeper dive into features. But instead? Silence.
Rumors started circulating about possible development issues, especially with the new Unity engine.
January 2024 – A Delayed Release Window
In a rare move, SI announced that FM25 would not be releasing in November 2024 (as expected). Instead, they pushed it back to March 2025.
The reason? "We need more time to get things right."
Translation: Development wasn’t going smoothly.
February 2025 – FM25 Officially Canceled
Then came the bombshell—FM25 was completely canceled. Instead of delaying the game even further, SI decided it was better to scrap the project altogether and focus on Football Manager 2026 instead.
Why Did SI Cancel Football Manager 2025?
Now, let’s get to the big question—why did SI cancel FM25 instead of just delaying it?
According to Sports Interactive, there were three major reasons:
1. The Unity Engine Switch Was a Nightmare
Moving to a new game engine is never easy, but for a game as deep and complex as Football Manager, it turned out to be a massive challenge.
SI admitted that while some areas of the game were coming along well, the overall experience wasn’t up to their standards. The UI wasn’t ready, the performance wasn’t smooth, and, most importantly, it didn’t feel right.
2. A March Release Wasn’t Ideal
Football Manager always launches in November for a reason—it lines up with the European football season.
Releasing the game in March would have been awkward, as by then, most real-world leagues would be deep into their campaigns. It just didn’t make sense to drop a new game halfway through the season.
3. They Didn’t Want to Release a Half-Finished Game
The easiest solution would’ve been to just release FM25 as planned and fix things with patches. But SI knew that wouldn’t be fair to fans. They didn’t want to sell an unfinished product and rely on updates to fix everything later.
Instead, they decided to cut their losses and shift focus to FM26.
What About Pre-Orders and Refunds?
If you pre-ordered FM25, don’t worry—you’re getting a full refund. SI has confirmed that anyone who bought the game through official channels (like Steam or SEGA-approved retailers) will get their money back automatically.
For anyone who bought through third-party key sellers, though, it might be a different story.
The Community Reaction: Disappointment, Frustration, and Understanding
As you’d expect, the reaction from FM fans has been mixed.
- Some people appreciate SI’s honesty and would rather wait for a polished FM26.
- Others are frustrated, feeling like SI should’ve communicated problems sooner instead of stringing fans along.
- A few fans are completely done with the franchise, saying they’ve lost trust in SI.
One thing’s for sure—this is a turning point for Football Manager.
What Happens Next? FM26 and Beyond
With FM25 scrapped, all eyes are now on Football Manager 2026.
SI has promised that FM26 will still include all the major features planned for FM25—the Unity engine, UI overhaul, women’s football, and better visuals. But now, they have more time to get it right.
We’ll likely get more news later this year, but one thing is certain: Football Manager 2026 has to deliver. After this whole FM25 situation, fans won’t be as patient if things go wrong again.
Final Thoughts
The cancellation of Football Manager 2025 is disappointing, no doubt about it. But in the long run, it could actually be a good thing if it means we get a far better Football Manager 2026.
At the end of the day, Football Manager is one of the most beloved sports games ever, and while this is a major setback, it’s not the end of the franchise.
The real question is: Can Sports Interactive regain the trust of the community and deliver an FM26 that’s truly worth the wait?
Only time will tell.
Yes, all versions are cancelled and FM25 will not be released on any platforms.
Pre-Purchase orders for Football Manager 25 will automatically be refunded in full if purchased through an official SEGA-approved retailer. Retailers will process refunds in due course, for any enquiries please contact your point of purchase.
At the time of the decision, based on the data available, it was our strong belief that we could reach our quality target level and deliver a game our players would be happy with, despite the delay. The challenges encountered beyond this point meant we were unable to achieve that.
As stated above, stakeholder compliance impacted the sharing of information until now which relates to SEGA Sammy Holdings being a publicly traded company.
No. As we said in October when the game was delayed, this is a substantial undertaking and would divert critical resources away from the development of the next release which requires our full focus.
We are currently in discussions with our various platform partners and licensors and hope to extend our FM24 agreements. We will provide an update on this in due course.
Enjoyed this article? Share it with your friends on social media and spread the word!