Since its debut, Football Manager has hit shelves every October or November, making it a staple in the gaming calendar alongside seasonal staples like Call of Duty.
However, the 2025 edition has broken this long-standing tradition, with Sports Interactive confirming a delay until March next year, seven weeks after pre-orders opened and just a short time before its typical release window.
The studio acknowledged, “This additional time has not been sufficient to ensure the game quality and experience meets your expectations and our very high standards.”
We have made the tough decision to delay the release of Football Manager 25 until March 2025.
Statement: https://t.co/zW7dRd1Lkp pic.twitter.com/UKPnz4l0Gb
— Football Manager (@FootballManager) October 10, 2024
Challenges for FM2025 development
Despite earlier efforts to stay on track, the developer faced setbacks in several production areas, even with the team working at an “incredible pace.”
The game is undergoing what Sports Interactive calls “the biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation,” including a shift from their in-house engine to the Unity platform.
This move, pivotal for the game’s future, proved challenging, requiring significant adjustments and pushing the development timeline beyond their initial estimates.
No seasonal update for FM24
Fans hoping for a seasonal data update for FM24 will be disappointed, as Sports Interactive confirmed they explored this but ultimately dismissed it.
Clarity on why an FM24 Data Update is not possible ahead of FM25’s March release. pic.twitter.com/IKrR6cGtIE
— Football Manager (@FootballManager) October 22, 2024
“We cannot lift assets that we are using in FM25 and make them work in FM24 without recreating them in full,” the studio explained.
They added that integrating new database changes would require substantial resources that would detract from FM25’s development.
Advanced access planned ahead of release
To ease the wait, Sports Interactive will provide an “Advanced Access” version of FM2025 before the official release, with the exact timeline for this early access still forthcoming.
Additionally, a gameplay reveal originally planned for this year is rescheduled for late January, leaving fans with several months to anticipate the latest advancements in Football Manager’s history.
