Latest news with #FootballManager2025
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Football Manager 25 cancelled after several delays
The upcoming 2025 edition of Football Manager has been cancelled, its developers have announced. Sports Interactive, which makes the game, said that it had made the 'difficult decision' to cancel it in collaboration with its partner SEGA. It said that it would not be able to make a good enough game in time and that it had opted to cancel it entirely as a result. Sports Interactive had been planning to use the new game to 'create the biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation, laying the building blocks for a new era'. But it was hit by a number of challenges that meant it had not 'achieved what we set out to do in enough areas of the game'. It had already announced that the game was delayed a number of times, which it said had happened 'with the aim of getting the game closer to the desired level'. Football Manager 2025 was initially supposed to be released in early November. In September, it said the game would not be available until later in November, and then in October it said the game would not come out until March 2025. But it had become clear around the turn of the year that developers would not meet important deadlines and would instead have to cancel the game. It had not been able to announce it until now because of 'stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations'. It was unwilling to launch the game in an unfinished state, it said, and also objected to the idea of launching the game and then asking players to buy the 2026 version soon after. Sports Interactive would also not be able to simply update the 2024 edition with this year's data, it said, since that would take too many resources away from the new game. Football Manager had already been able to pre-order on various consoles. Sports Interactive said that refunds would be issued to those who had done so. The series began in 1992, as Championship Manager, but changed its name to Football Manager in 2004 after developers Sports Interactive split from publishers Eidos. Since the first of those games, in 2005, there has been an annual update to the game, usually released near the start of the football season. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Football Manager 25 cancelled after delays
The latest version of the Football Manager video game series has been cancelled, its developer has announced. Sports Interactive said it was making the 'difficult decision' to cancel the 2025 edition of the game, after previously delaying its release twice, because it was 'unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required'. The developer said it would now shift its attention to the 2026 version of the game, and that those who had pre-ordered Football Manager 2025 would be able to obtain a refund. First launched in 2004, Football Manager has become a cult classic among football and gaming fans, offering players the opportunity to step into a manager's shoes and oversee every minor detail of their chosen team. Sports Interactive had previously announced that Football Manager 25 would include a major overhaul and update of the game's interface and gameplay, as well as adding substantial new features – such as the inclusion of women's football for the first time. The developer had originally planned to release the game in early November, but pushed it back to later in the month because of a 'challenging' development period. It then announced a further delay in October, pushing the release back to March, before confirming the full cancellation of the game on Friday. In a blog post, Sports Interactive said: '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. '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 company added that it could have 'pressed on' and released the game in its 'current state' and fixed issues 'down the line', but said it was 'not the right thing to do'. 'We were also unwilling to go beyond a March release as it would be too late in the football season to expect players to then buy another game later in the year,' it said. '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. 'We will update you on how we are progressing with that as soon as we are able to do so.' Sign in to access your portfolio
The Independent
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Football Manager 25 cancelled after delays
The latest version of the Football Manager video game series has been cancelled, its developer has announced. Sports Interactive said it was making the 'difficult decision' to cancel the 2025 edition of the game, after previously delaying its release twice, because it was 'unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required'. The developer said it would now shift its attention to the 2026 version of the game, and that those who had pre-ordered Football Manager 2025 would be able to obtain a refund. 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 Sports Interactive First launched in 2004, Football Manager has become a cult classic among football and gaming fans, offering players the opportunity to step into a manager's shoes and oversee every minor detail of their chosen team. Sports Interactive had previously announced that Football Manager 25 would include a major overhaul and update of the game's interface and gameplay, as well as adding substantial new features – such as the inclusion of women's football for the first time. The developer had originally planned to release the game in early November, but pushed it back to later in the month because of a 'challenging' development period. It then announced a further delay in October, pushing the release back to March, before confirming the full cancellation of the game on Friday. In a blog post, Sports Interactive said: '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. '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. 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 Sports Interactive '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 company added that it could have 'pressed on' and released the game in its 'current state' and fixed issues 'down the line', but said it was 'not the right thing to do'. 'We were also unwilling to go beyond a March release as it would be too late in the football season to expect players to then buy another game later in the year,' it said. '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. 'We will update you on how we are progressing with that as soon as we are able to do so.'
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Football Manager 25 cancelled after delays
The latest version of the Football Manager video game series has been cancelled, its developer has announced. Sports Interactive said it was making the 'difficult decision' to cancel the 2025 edition of the game, after previously delaying its release twice, because it was 'unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required'. The developer said it would now shift its attention to the 2026 version of the game, and that those who had pre-ordered Football Manager 2025 would be able to obtain a refund. First launched in 2004, Football Manager has become a cult classic among football and gaming fans, offering players the opportunity to step into a manager's shoes and oversee every minor detail of their chosen team. Sports Interactive had previously announced that Football Manager 25 would include a major overhaul and update of the game's interface and gameplay, as well as adding substantial new features – such as the inclusion of women's football for the first time. The developer had originally planned to release the game in early November, but pushed it back to later in the month because of a 'challenging' development period. It then announced a further delay in October, pushing the release back to March, before confirming the full cancellation of the game on Friday. In a blog post, Sports Interactive said: '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. '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 company added that it could have 'pressed on' and released the game in its 'current state' and fixed issues 'down the line', but said it was 'not the right thing to do'. 'We were also unwilling to go beyond a March release as it would be too late in the football season to expect players to then buy another game later in the year,' it said. '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. 'We will update you on how we are progressing with that as soon as we are able to do so.'
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Football Manager 2025 finally scrapped after months of delays
Football Manager 2025 has finally been scrapped after two previous delays, with Sports Interactive now set to focus on the 2026 release. FM25 had previously been teased as the biggest leap forward for the popular video game series, including a new match engine, complete gameplay and visual overhaul and the inclusion of women's football. It was initially delayed back in the autumn and then again to March 2025, but there had been radio silence in the months since. But, announced as part of Sega's latest financial results, a statement the sporting franchise will now skip the 2025 release altogether. Sports Interactive also confirmed that there will be no data update released for FM24 for the current 2024-25 season. "For the large number of you who pre-ordered FM25, we thank you enormously for your trust and support -- we're very sorry to have let you down," Sports Interactive said in a statement. "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. Due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, today was the earliest date that we could issue this statement. "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 he 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. "Whilst many areas of the game have hit our targets, the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be. As extensive evaluation has demonstrated, including consumer playtesting, we have clear validation for the new direction of the game and are getting close -- however, we're too far away from the standards you deserve. "We could have pressed on, released FM25 in its current state, and fixed things down the line -- but that's not the right thing to do. We were also unwilling to go beyond a March release as it would be too late in the football season to expect players to then buy another game later in the year. "Through the cancellation, every effort is not focused on ensuring that our next release achieves out goal and hits the quality level we all expect. We will update you on how we are progressing with that as soon as we are able to do so." Refunds will automatically be issued, Sega have confirmed.
