Sports Interactive and SEGA have canceled Football Manager 25 (FM25) just weeks before its planned March 2025 release. The highly anticipated title, billed as a major overhaul for the series with significant advancements in UI and graphics, which had already faced two previous delays, was scrapped after failing to meet the developer’s quality standards.

Cancellation Details

Following extensive internal discussions between Sports Interactive and publisher SEGA, the decision to cancel FM25 was finalized. The studio took time to communicate this decision due to legal obligations, explaining in their Football Manager website post that “Due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, today was the earliest date that we could issue this statement.”

The developer has confirmed that all pre-orders for Football Manager 25 will be refunded. The game, which was originally scheduled for a November 2024 release before being pushed to March 2025, had been positioned as a major overhaul for the series. However, despite multiple delays, the development team was unable to reach their targeted goals.

Technical Challenges Led to Cancellation

Sports Interactive detailed several reasons behind their decision to cancel FM25. According to the studio, while many areas of the game met their targets, “the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be.” This assessment was validated through consumer playtesting, which showed that while the new direction of the game had promise, it fell short of the required standards. Despite ‘phenomenal efforts’ from the development team and having ‘clear validation for the new direction of the game and getting close,’ the team determined they remained too far from their desired standards.

The studio considered releasing FM25 in its current state with post-launch fixes but ultimately rejected this approach. They also ruled out another delay, noting that launching the game later would disrupt the timing of future releases by coming “too late in the football season to expect players to then buy another game later in the year.”

“Each decision to delay the release was made with the aim of getting the game closer to the desired level but, as we approached critical milestones at the turn of the year, it became unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required, even with the adjusted timeline,” the studio explained.

Planned Features and Updates Affected

The cancellation impacts several planned changes to the Football Manager series. Sports Interactive had intended to remove multiple features from FM25, including the Create-a-Club system and Touchline Shouts functionality.

The cancellation has also raised questions about updates to the current title, Football Manager 24. Sports Interactive addressed this directly, stating that a data update to implement current club and player information remains unfeasible. The studio explained this would be a “substantial undertaking” that would “divert critical resources away from the development of the next release.”

While the work done on FM25 won’t be entirely lost, as Sports Interactive indicated development assets will carry over to the next game, players shouldn’t expect the removed features to suddenly reappear in the series’ next iteration.

Financial Consequences and Business Performance

Sega has reported that the cancellation of FM25 has impacted their fiscal forecast, alongside delays to two free-to-play titles. However, their Entertainment content business remains “strong,” with both sales and profits showing year-on-year growth.

In the Consumer sub-segment, which houses Sega’s video game operations, sales increased to 164.8 billion yen ($1.1 billion) from 149.1 billion yen ($983.3 million). Operating income also saw significant growth, rising to 25.1 billion yen ($165.6 million) from 11.6 billion yen ($76.5 million).

The company’s success was driven by strong catalog sales, particularly Persona 5 Royal (Remaster) and Unicorn Overlord. New releases also performed well, with Sonic x Shadow Generations exceeding 2 million sales and Metaphor: ReFantazio surpassing 1 million units, with the game currently exceeding sales expectations.

Due to the FM25 cancellation, Sega recorded a loss in the third quarter from work-in-process assets write-downs. The company has adjusted its full-year forecast for Entertainment Contents, now projecting net sales of 320 billion yen (down from 335 billion yen) but increased ordinary income of 44 billion yen (up from 40 billion yen). Additionally, Sega recorded an extraordinary loss of approximately 6.1 billion yen in the second quarter following the sale of Amplitude Studios through a management buyout.

SEGA’s Gaming Division Shows Growth Despite FM25 Setback

Sega has reported that the cancellation of FM25 has impacted their fiscal forecast, alongside delays to two free-to-play titles. However, their Entertainment content business remains “strong,” with both sales and profits showing year-on-year growth. In the Consumer sub-segment, which houses Sega’s video game operations, sales increased to 164.8 billion yen ($1.1 billion) from 149.1 billion yen ($983.3 million). Operating income also saw significant growth, rising to 25.1 billion yen ($165.6 million) from 11.6 billion yen ($76.5 million). The company’s success was driven by strong catalog sales, particularly Persona 5 Royal (Remaster) and Unicorn Overlord. New releases also performed well, with Sonic x Shadow Generations exceeding 2 million sales and Metaphor: ReFantazio surpassing 1 million units, with Metaphor specifically exceeding sales expectations. Due to the FM25 cancellation, Sega recorded a loss in the third quarter from work-in-process assets write-downs. The company has adjusted its full-year forecast for Entertainment Contents, now projecting net sales of 320 billion yen (down from 335 billion yen) but increased ordinary income of 44 billion yen (up from 40 billion yen). Additionally, Sega recorded an extraordinary loss of approximately 6.1 billion yen in the second quarter following the sale of Amplitude Studios through a management buyout.

Next Football Manager Game Takes Priority

Sports Interactive has confirmed they will redirect their efforts toward the next entry in the franchise. “Through the cancellation, every effort is now focused on ensuring that our next release achieves our goal and hits the quality level we all expect,” the studio stated. The development team plans to leverage existing work from FM25, with Sega confirming they will be “carrying over the development assets to its sequel.” The company emphasized their commitment to “continue development efforts to produce and serve higher-quality works.” Sports Interactive has promised to provide updates on the progress of the next title “as soon as we are able to do so.”

Key Takeaways

1. Quality Standards Led to Cancellation: Sports Interactive chose to cancel FM25 rather than release a product that didn’t meet its standards, even with multiple delays.
2. Financial Impact Mixed: While Sega adjusted their forecast downward due to the cancellation, strong performance from other titles like Sonic x Shadow Generations and Metaphor: ReFantazio helped offset the impact.
3. Development Assets Not Lost: The work done on FM25 will carry over to the next title in the series, suggesting future benefits from the current setback.
4. Market Timing Matters: The decision not to further delay was influenced by the football season’s timing and the impact on future release schedules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will pre-orders be refunded? A: Yes, Sports Interactive has confirmed all pre-orders will be refunded.

Q: Will Football Manager 24 receive a data update? A: No, Sports Interactive stated this would be a “substantial undertaking” that would divert resources from developing the next release.

Q: What features were planned to be removed in FM25? A: The game was set to remove several features including the Create-a-Club system and Touchline Shouts.

Q: When will the next Football Manager game be released? A: While no specific date has been announced, Sports Interactive has committed to providing updates on the next release’s progress “as soon as we are able to do so.”

Q: Why couldn’t the game be delayed again? A: A further delay would have meant launching too late in the football season to expect players to purchase another game later in the year.

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