The latest version of the Football Manager video game series has been cancelled, its developer has announced.

Sports Interactive said it was making the “difficult decision” to cancel the 2025 edition of the game, after previously delaying its release twice, because it was “unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required”.

The developer said it would now shift its attention to the 2026 version of the game, and that those who had pre-ordered Football Manager 2025 would be able to obtain a refund.

First launched in 2004, Football Manager has become a cult classic among football and gaming fans, offering players the opportunity to step into a manager’s shoes and oversee every minor detail of their chosen team.

Sports Interactive had previously announced that Football Manager 25 would include a major overhaul and update of the game’s interface and gameplay, as well as adding substantial new features – such as the inclusion of women’s football for the first time.

The developer had originally planned to release the game in early November, but pushed it back to later in the month because of a “challenging” development period.

It then announced a further delay in October, pushing the release back to March, before confirming the full cancellation of the game on Friday.

In a blog post, Sports Interactive said: “We know this will come as a huge disappointment, especially given that the release date has already moved twice, and you have been eagerly anticipating the first gameplay reveal.

“We can only apologise for the time it has taken to communicate this decision.

“Due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, today was the earliest date that we could issue this statement.

“We have always prided ourselves on delivering the best value for money games that bring you countless hours of enjoyment, that feel worth every moment and every penny you spend.

“With the launch of FM25 we set out to create the biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation, laying the building blocks for a new era.

“Due to a variety of challenges that we’ve been open about to date, and many more unforeseen, we currently haven’t achieved what we set out to do in enough areas of the game, despite the phenomenal efforts of our team.

“Each decision to delay the release was made with the aim of getting the game closer to the desired level but, as we approached critical milestones at the turn of the year, it became unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required, even with the adjusted timeline.”

The company added that it could have “pressed on” and released the game in its “current state” and fixed issues “down the line”, but said it was “not the right thing to do”.

“We were also unwilling to go beyond a March release as it would be too late in the football season to expect players to then buy another game later in the year,” it said.

“Through the cancellation, every effort is now focused on ensuring that our next release achieves our goal and hits the quality level we all expect.

“We will update you on how we are progressing with that as soon as we are able to do so.”