Football Manager 25 AXED
Sega and Sports Interactive has abandoned its new 'Football Manager' game.
'Football Manager 25' has been axed.
Sega and Sports Interactive confirmed the much-delayed next instalment in the football simulator series has been shelved, owing to a series of challenges.
The developer explained that it failed in its mission to "create the biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation."
A lengthy statement read: “We can only apologise for the time it has taken to communicate this decision. Due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, today was the earliest date that we could issue this statement.
“We have always prided ourselves on delivering the best value for money games that bring you countless hours of enjoyment, that feel worth every moment and every penny you spend. With the launch of FM25 we set out to create the biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation, laying the building blocks for a new era.
“Due to a variety of challenges that we've been open about to date, and many more unforeseen, we currently haven't achieved what we set out to do in enough areas of the game, despite the phenomenal efforts of our team.
“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 game was due to drop in early November 2024, before being pushed back to later that month.
Studio manager Miles Jacobson said at the time: "Firstly, we’ve had to shift the official announcement of FM25 to the end of September. The gameplay focus period will follow soon thereafter.
"Our target launch date has moved accordingly and is now scheduled for late November, rather than our usual early November slot.”
The developers encountered issues as they worked with a new 'Unity' engine.
