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Football fans worldwide had their fears confirmed earlier this week when Sports Interactive and Sega announced that there would be no new Football Manager game this year, as plans to release FM25 were officially scrapped.
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Having become part of football gaming royalty amongst the football community, Football Manager is a game enjoyed by tens of thousands of players all over the world, but the writing has been on the wall for some time since FM game developers announced the delay to the initial release back in October 2024.
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Although this isn’t the first time a major sports franchise game has faced delays, this is the first time Sports Interactive has encountered such a setback, and many are concerned about whether they will be able to deliver this much-loved game in 2026.
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Why has FM25 finally been cancelled?
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Football fans often believe they know better than the experts, as evidenced by how many of them place bets on sports betting sites. The same logic applies to games like Football Manager.
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Over the years, both the tactical depth and the quality of Football Manager’s game engine have dramatically improved, allowing many players to unleash their inner Pep Guardiola.
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Players can plan individual and team tactics to the smallest of details and through the game’s interactive and slick game interface, players feel like they are experiencing the real thing when their teams are out on the pitch.
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Expectations were high for the 2026 version of this fabled franchise, but during testing, the quality fell significantly below previous standards.
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The usually reliable interface was clunky, and major changes—such as removing international teams and introducing women’s teams—were clearly behind schedule.
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With this summer being a quiet one when it comes to any international tournaments, domestic seasons all over the world will come to an end in May and with the season reaching its final stages, Sports Interactive believe that releasing the game at a later date is simply not worthwhile.
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Is FM2026 on track?
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In Sports Interactive’s press release they tried to reassure fans that FM2026 would be delivered in a timely fashion. All resources have now been pulled off FM25 and are now being used to ensure that FM26 is delivered on time and to a better quality than previously seen.
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Many have accused Sports Interactive of vastly underestimating how long the raft of new upgrades have taken to deliver and whether they have the staffing levels or financial means to deliver FM26 on time very much remains to be seen.
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For so many, the delay of FM25 will hit hard. The ability to take a minnow right to the summit of world football is a feat that many adore and not being able to do it for this season will forever be regarded as a sore point.
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The non-release of FM25 could hit Sports Interactive hard, and whether they can bounce back remains to be seen. The pressure is now well and truly on for FM26 and Sports Interactive to deliver.
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