The title had been slated to release in March.
Football Manager 25 (FM25) has been scrapped just weeks ahead of its proposed March 2025 launch window so developer Sports Interactive can focus on the next entry in the franchise.
The title had already been delayed twice but has now been canceled by Sports Interactive and publisher Sega following 'extensive' internal discussions.
In a post on the Football Manager website, Sports Interactive confirmed pre-orders will be refunded and apologized for taking so long to communicate the decision–but noted it had to fulfil regulatory obligations.
"Due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, today was the earliest date that we could issue this statement," said the studio.
Sports Interactive said FM25–billed as a major overhaul for the series–presented a number of challenges that ultimately prevented the team from achieving its desired goals.
"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," it explained.
"Whilst many areas of the game have hit our targets, the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be. As extensive evaluation has demonstrated, including consumer playtesting, we have clear validation for the new direction of the game and are getting close–however, we're too far away from the standards you deserve."
The studio said it could have released FM25 in its current state and rolled out fixes at a later date, but felt that would have been the wrong decision.
It also suggested that pushing the release date back again would result in the title launching too late in the football season, potentially disrupting the cadence of future releases.
The studio will now focus on the next entry in the long-running soccer management sim.
"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," it continued. "We will update you on how we are progressing with that as soon as we are able to do so."
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