Football Manager fans have received yet another setback, as this year’s installment faces its most significant delay to date, with Sports Interactive requesting additional time “to deliver a game that we can all be proud of.”
Things have taken a turn for the worse for Sports Interactive and Football Manager, as the game, which was previously pushed from early November to late November, has now been postponed for the second time within a month.
The initial delay was attributed to the transition to the Unity game engine, a process that studio head Miles Jacobson described as “trickier than we originally anticipated.”
Now, the developer is delivering more disappointing news, announcing that Football Manager 2025 will be delayed until March 2025.
“After discussions with Sega, our licensors, and partners, we believe the best course of action is to delay the launch until March 2025. Specific release dates for each platform will be provided once confirmed,” the developer stated in a blog post.
They added, “This extra time has not been enough to ensure that the game meets your expectations and our very high standards.
“Naturally, this is not where we envisioned being just seven weeks before our release, but in keeping with our studio values, we always take the broader perspective into account – and the bigger picture here is that we need this additional time to create a game we can all take pride in.”
The statement also mentions that fans who have pre-ordered Football Manager 2025 can request a refund from their respective retailers.
Warning signs had already emerged regarding the troubles with Football Manager 2025, even prior to the initial delay, as several features were removed. These included touchline shouts, the data chalkboard, the social media page, and various game modes such as create-a-club, versus mode, challenge mode, and the fantasy draft.
When Sports Interactive announced the first delay a month ago, they also disclosed that international football would no longer be a playable mode.
This raised concerns among fans about the game’s condition, with some expressing their intention to skip it altogether. The recently released trailer has also attracted significant negativity, amassing 5,500 dislikes compared to just 2,200 likes.
In just over a month, Football Manager 2025 has seen its delay extend from three weeks to a staggering four months, a significant deviation for a franchise that has consistently launched in the autumn each year.
This delay also presents an additional challenge: since Football Manager is an annual release, the new launch date will now fall just eight months before Football Manager 2026 is scheduled to be released—assuming the series attempts to return to its regular timetable.
In closing, the statement reads: “We fully understand that this news will be incredibly disappointing for you. We share in that disappointment and sincerely apologize.”
