SEGA Corporation has announced that Football Manager 25 will no longer be released. The development assets will be transferred to the next version of the game.
Sega has decided to discontinue the release of "Football Manager 25".
Sports Interactiveは、社内での広範な議論そしてセガとの入念な検討の結果、苦渋の決断ではありますが、『Football Manager 25』の発売を中止することを決定いたしました。
告知全文：https://t.co/vZGaDrZALI pic.twitter.com/IBKHogyI5l
— Football Manager JPN (@fm_japan) February 7, 2025
SEGA and British game developer Sports Interactive had been developing the latest installment of the popular "Football Manager" series, "Football Manager 25," but have announced that it will no longer be released on February 7, 2025 (Friday). The two companies announced the cancellation of the release of the latest title, "Football Manager 25," on February 7, 2025 (Friday).
The two companies have decided to discontinue the release of "Football Manager 25" on Friday, February 7, 2025, as it will take longer than expected to ensure the quality of the game. The company will take over the development assets and focus on the development of the next title.
Message from Sports Interactive (excerpts)
Given the fact that the release date has been changed twice and that you have been eagerly awaiting the first gameplay, we know that this decision will be a great disappointment to you. We apologize again for the length of time it has taken to make this decision.
(omitted).
Due to various difficulties and many unforeseen circumstances, we have not been able to achieve our goals in many areas of the game. The postponement of the launch was intended to bring the game up to the desired level, but it has become clear beyond doubt that even with the schedule adjustments we will not be able to achieve the desired level.
(omitted).
While we were able to achieve our goals in many areas of the game, we were unable to meet the required level in terms of overall player experience and user interface. A comprehensive evaluation, including playtesting on consumer consoles, has been conducted, and while we are confident that we are approaching a new direction for the game, it is still far short of the level you are looking for. We could have released FM25 as is and continued to make corrective updates, but we don't think that would be right. We also did not want to release the game later than March, as it was too late in the soccer season and we did not think it would be appropriate for everyone to buy another game before the end of the year.
The official website also provides a FAQ on the development cancellation
Does this decision affect all platforms and versions of "Football Manager 25"?
Yes,
all versions
will be
discontinued
. All versions will be discontinued and "FM25" will not be released on any platform.
What is the refund procedure if I pre-ordered on IPC / Mac?
If you pre-purchased "Football Manager 25" from an authorized SEGA reseller, you will automatically receive a full refund. The distributor will process the refund later, but if you have any questions, please contact the distributor.
Why didn't you decide to stop selling "FM25" when you chose to postpone it to March?
At the time we made the decision to postpone, we strongly believed, based on the available data, that we could deliver a game of a quality that would satisfy our players, even taking into account the postponement. The difficulties we have encountered since that time have made that impossible.
You said that the latest information on "FM25" would be released in January.
Compliance by stakeholders also affected the release of information, which is why we were unable to do so until today. This is a regulation related to the fact that SEGA SAMMY Holdings is a publicly traded company.
Will there be an update of "FM24" with season data for 2024/25?
No. The
game
will be
delayed until October
. As we announced in October when we decided to postpone the launch of the game, we will have to divert crucial resources that are essential for the launch of the next game. Because we need to focus all of our efforts on the next release, we will not be sending out updates for "FM24".
Will "FM24" continue to be available on subscription platforms?
We are currently in discussions with various platform partners and licensors to extend the contract for FM24. We will provide an update on this at a later date.
Those who have pre-purchased the digital version of the game may be eligible for a refund in accordance with their respective store's platform policies. For more information on the cancellation, please visit the official "Football Manager" website.
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