Following two delays, video game publisher SEGA has now made the decision to cancel Football Manager 25 entirely. This is the first time that the series has skipped a yearly release since the series began in 2004.. The hugely popular football management sim normally sees a new game release every single year, with each new title bringing small updates to the gameplay systems and reflecting the current climate of the world’s football stage. This year’s version of Football Manager was initially set to launch in November 2024, but SEGA confirmed today that it has canned work on the game altogether.. In a blog post on the Football Manager website, a statement reads: “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.. “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.”. The blog post goes on to explain that the reason for the delay is due to several missed development milestones. The team had initially decided to delay the game to March in an attempt to reach those goals, but it’s since become clear that delivering Football Manager 25 isn’t feasible – especially if they expect fans to purchase Football Manager 26 in November 2025.. While SI doesn’t clearly state what those milestones were, we do know that it had a much bigger job than usual with this yearly release of Football Manager. This game was set to be the first in the series built using Unity, a completely different game engine to the one before it and likely one of the leading causes for causing delays in development.. A work in progress screenshot of Football Manager 25 gameplay. (Image: SEGA). The project cancellation applies to all platforms that the game was in development for, including PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Those who have already pre-ordered Football Manager 25 will receive a refund.. While video game cancellations usually result in excited fans getting up in arms, the Football Manager community seems to be taking the news extremely well. Several commenters on the Football Manager subreddit are praising the team at SEGA for making the ‘right thing’.. “I think it’s for the best,” writes one honest gamer. “Delaying it further bringing it even closer to the release date of FM26 is a no go. And releasing a broken game is disastrous for a company that only makes this game every year.”. Another disappointed fan shares the same sentiment, saying: “A lesser company would have released the game in March regardless of its state. Cyberpunk and Cities Skylines 2 spring to mind. In a world driven by corporate greed and profit, hats off to them on making the right call.”. The cancellation has caused some players to question whether releasing a brand new game every is ideal for both developers and players. “I hope they stop doing yearly games. Less games but more meaningful changes,” writes another commenter.. Those who were excited for the game to release will now have to wait until November to get their next hit of football management fun. Alternatively, Football Manager 2024 is still available to purchase on all major platforms and still holds up well today.. I’ve scoured online retailers to find the cheapest spots to pick up the last game. Use the links below to pick it up on your platform of choice:
