The makers of video game Football Manager 25 have cancelled its release after a number of delays.

The game’s release date had already been pushed back twice and its makers said they knew the latest news would “come as a huge disappointment”.

In an update on Thursday, Sports Interactive said it had made the “difficult decision” to cancel the release entirely after “internal discussion and careful consideration with Sega”.

Instead, their focus will now turn to the next release, Football Manager 26, expected to be released later this year.

The makers said they were “very sorry” to have “let down” those who had pre-ordered the game.

Football Manager was first released in November 2004 and its most recent release hit stores in November 2023.

The latest in the series can be played on a variety of platforms, including Xbox One, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.

It became the “most played” in the history of the franchise, having had seven million players within 100 days of its release.

Sports Interactive said it had hoped to create “the biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation” with the launch of Football Manager 25.

The company said the game was delayed “due to a variety of challenges”, until it became “unmistakably clear” that it would not achieve the expected standard, even with more time.

Expanding on the delays, the statement added the “overarching player experience and interface is not where [the company needs] it to be”.

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While Sports Interactive says it “could have pressed on”, it was “unwilling to go beyond a March release” as it was “too late in the football season”.

The company added that its “full focus” is now on creating a new era for the Football Manager series.