Football Manager fans will have to wait a bit longer for the highly anticipated Football Manager 25 (FM25). Sports Interactive (SI), the studio behind the iconic series, has officially announced that the release will be pushed back to March 2025. This marks a delay from its previous November 2024 launch window.
This delay marks the first time in over 20 years that a Football Manager title will miss its usual October/November release window, which has been a staple for fans of the series.
Why is FM25 Getting Delayed?
In a statement, SI explained that the delay was necessary to avoid compromising the quality of the game. “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,” SI said. They further acknowledged that timelines were “already tight” and that rushing would have put the game’s quality at risk.
First #FM25 screenshots have been released 👀 pic.twitter.com/nyvRSdhRkP
— 𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙄𝙉𝙄𝙏𝙔 𝙁𝘾 (@theinfinityfc) September 30, 2024
FM25 represents the biggest technical and visual advancement in the series, as the game transitions to the Unity engine, a major overhaul for the franchise. However, this change has brought unforeseen challenges. According to SI, “We simply cannot compromise the delivery of this crucial juncture in Football Manager’s history by rushing to release it in November.”
What Does This Mean for Players?
For fans who have already pre-ordered the game, SI assures that refunds are available through respective retailers if desired. However, many are expected to stick with their pre-orders, trusting the studio to deliver a high-quality product. Additionally, the popular Advanced Access feature will still be available ahead of the new March release date, though exact timing will be announced later.
SI also pushed back the highly anticipated gameplay reveal, originally planned for late 2024, to January 2025.
Community Reactions
The delay has of course caused disappointment among fans, however SI stressed that the extra time will ensure a game worthy of the franchise’s history. “We are extremely sorry,” they noted, “but this additional time will allow us to deliver a game that we can all be proud of.”
Some fans have argued that the developer should skip the 2025 release entirely and focus on FM26, offering a simple roster update for the current edition in the meantime:
Dear @SportsInt I will happily pay <£20 for an update to #FM24 that has players at their right clubs with updated stats and an optional 2025 start date
Take the year off and aim for November 2026 for the failed #FM25 release. Skip it and go for #FM26@FootballManager
— Chay (@ChayD) October 10, 2024
Others have voiced concerns about how the situation has been handled, particularly regarding the decision to open pre-orders for a game they believe was unlikely to meet its original release date. One Reddit user commented, “They probably knew all along that they wouldn’t have a product ready for November, but went ahead with pre-orders anyway, likely just to close the financial year with extra revenue. That’s beyond scummy, and by the time FM25 gets released, it will most likely still be in shambles.”
Despite the mixed reactions, many agree that delaying the game was the most responsible decision SI could make to ensure they deliver a complete and polished product. This follows a highly successful year for the franchise, with record-breaking numbers reported for FM24.
