Today, in a surprising turn of events, Sports Interactive and Sega shared some disappointing news for fans eagerly awaiting their latest soccer simulation: Football Manager 25 is officially off the table. Instead, the developers have elected to pivot their efforts towards the anticipated Football Manager 26.
In an update from Sports Interactive, the decision to cancel Football Manager 25 stemmed from a dissatisfaction with the game’s quality. While some aspects of the game were on track, they admitted that the overall player experience and user interface fell short of their standards. The team believes the planned improvements are promising, but they need more time to fine-tune these elements, prompting the shift in focus to the “next release.”
The statement elaborated, “We’ve faced various challenges along the way, some of which we’ve been transparent about, while others caught us off guard. Despite our team’s exceptional hard work, we haven’t met our objectives across enough areas of the game. We have delayed the release multiple times to address these issues, but as we crossed critical checkpoints early this year, it became clear we wouldn’t reach the quality level we were aiming for, even with the extra time.”
Continuing, they noted, “While many parts of the game met our expectations, the overall player experience and interface still need work. Extensive evaluations, including consumer playtesting, have validated our new direction, and we’re close—but not quite where we need to be to meet your high standards.”
For those who preordered Football Manager 25, rest assured that a full refund is on the way. Purchases made through official Sega-approved retailers will see refunds processed automatically.
