Football Manager 25 announce ‘massively disappointing’ further delay to release date

Fans of the computer game Football Manager who have been patiently awaiting the latest instalment of the iconic franchise will have to wait even longer after a second delay was confirmed.

The football management simulation game is usually released in early November, but makers Sports Interactive last month had to announce that complications in moving the game over to the Unity engine meant the release of Football Manager 25 had been pushed back to late November.

FM guru Miles Jacobson posted in a blog that this process had ‘been tricker than we originally anticipated’ and it would appear that this process remains ongoing after a fresh delay was confirmed.

FM 25 (Image credit: Sports Interactive)In an Instagram post, makers Sports Interactive have confirmed that the new edition of the game will now be released in March 2025, with specific dates to follow once confirmed.

“In our last Development Update in September, we explained that we needed to push FM25’s original release back to give ourselves more time to deliver the best possible experience for this first instalment in a new era of Football Manager,” their statement read.

“This additional time has not been sufficient to ensure the game quality and experience meets your expectations and our very high standards.

“In the previous blog we explained that it has been a difficult development cycle for the studio. Many things have been moving slower than we had predicted – despite everyone in the team working at an incredible pace to try and get everything done.

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“Timelines were already tight and, as rightly pointed out by many of your recent comments, we were simply rushing too much and in danger of compromising our usual standards. This has put an enormous amount of pressure on everyone working across the studio, who are all passionately committed to delivering the best game possible.”

The post adds that those who have pre-ordered the game have the option to claim a refund by contacting their retailer.

The new gameplay reveal will now move to the end of January 2025, as the makers issued an apology to disappointed fans.

“We are intensely aware that this will be massively disappointing for you. We share that disappointment and are extremely sorry.

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“Thank you for reading and your patience. It means the world to us as we continue to work on creating a new era for Football Manager.”

There had been significant anticipation surrounding the latest version of the game after Sports Interactive signed a four-year partnership with the Premier League, meaning that all 20 clubs from England’s top flight will be fully licensed with club crests and logos in the new edition.