Sports Interactive and Sega have announced the cancellation of Football Manager 25 across all platforms. This marks the first time the long-running series has skipped a year since its inception in 2004. The decision follows significant challenges encountered during development, primarily related to the transition to the Unity game engine. The developers aimed for a "generation-defining" technical and visual leap, but ultimately fell short of their own high standards, particularly regarding player experience and interface.

Despite two previous delays, internal assessments and playtesting revealed the game wasn't meeting the quality bar. Releasing a subpar product wasn't an option, and a March 2025 release was deemed too late in the football season for a new game launch. Therefore, the difficult decision was made to cancel FM25 and redirect all resources towards Football Manager 26, targeting the usual November release window.

The developers expressed sincere apologies to fans, especially those who pre-ordered, and confirmed that refunds are being processed. No job losses are associated with the cancellation. Discussions are underway with platform holders and licensors to potentially extend agreements for FM24 on subscription services. The focus is now entirely on delivering a high-quality Football Manager 26.