Football Manager explains the shocking decision that leaves fans furious

The release of Football Manager 2025 has been delayed until March 2025.

The management simulation video game, first released in 2004, has become a fan favorite with many eagerly awaiting the annual edition.

FM25 was supposed to release on November 26 and many fans had already pre-ordered the game.

But now it seems that fans will have to wait until next year to enjoy the new installment.

Taking to social media to announce the news, game developer Sports Interactive posted an extensive explanation for fans.

A statement said: “After careful consideration, Sports Interactive has made the difficult decision to further delay the release of Football Manager 25.

“Following discussions with SEGA, our licensors and partners, we have agreed that the best course of action is to delay the launch until March 2025. Specific platform launch dates will follow once confirmed.

“In our last development update in September, we explained that we needed to delay the original release of FM25 to give us more time to deliver the best possible experience for this first installment in a new era of Football Manager.

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

“In the previous blog, we explained that it has been a difficult development cycle for the studio. Many things have moved slower than we had predicted, even though everyone on the team worked at an incredible pace to try to get everything done. was ready.

“Deadlines were already tight and, as many of your recent comments pointed out, we were simply rushing too much and were in danger of compromising our usual standards.

“This has put enormous pressure on everyone working at the studio, who are passionately committed to delivering the best game possible.

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“FM25 is the biggest technical and visual breakthrough for the series in a generation. We simply cannot compromise delivering this pivotal moment in Football Manager history by rushing to release it in November.

“Of course, none of us expected to be here seven weeks from our release, but, in the spirit of our studio values, we always consider the bigger picture, and the bigger picture here is that we need this additional time to deliver a game we can all be proud of.

“To the many of you who have already pre-ordered the game, we greatly appreciate your trust and support. However, given the delay, if you wish to claim a refund, please contact your retailer.

“Something you noticed was missing from our September 30 announcement was the mention of Advanced Access on PC/Mac.

“We can confirm that Advanced Access will be available ahead of the new launch date and, when we are sure how long that period will last, we will update you at the earliest opportunity.

“The new game reveal will also be moved to the end of January 2025.

“We are very aware that this will be enormously disappointing for you. We share that disappointment and are very sorry.

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

But the news has not been received at all well by fans of the game, who have taken to social media to express their frustrations.

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One wrote: “No way you guys aren't serious.”

Another repeated: “YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS.”

But a third wrote: “I don't need a new Football Manager 25 in March. The season is about to end and I need a Football Manager 26 right now. There is no reason to buy 25 when the season is about to end. and the next FM is on the way…”

In fact, the underlying consensus among gamers is that releasing the game so late in the football season causes it to lose much of its appeal, with people largely suggesting that the developers only focus on the 2026 edition of the game. .

One fan wrote: “The season will be over by then, better to skip 25.”

A more concerned fan added: “I really hope this isn't the beginning of the end for FM… but I'm scared.”

However, the developers have released an edition of the game every year since its launch, so skipping a version of Football Manager in 2025 seems highly unlikely.