Football Manager players hit with double blow ahead of FM25 release

Football Manager fans desperate to get their hands on the latest instalment of the iconic computer game series are having to brace themselves for a longer-than-expected wait.

The hugely popular management simulation game is usually released in early November, but the game’s developers have had to announce that complications moving the game over to the Unity engine will mean a later release date this year.

This year’s version is much anticipated after Sports Interactive signed a four-year partnership with the Premier League , which means that all 20 clubs from England’s top flight will be licenced in this year’s edition.

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That means official club crests, logos and player photos will be included in the game.

But fans will have to wait until the end of September for an announcement of when the game will be launched, with the developers confirming their target date is now ‘late November’.

Writing in a blog on the Sports Interactive website , FM guru Miles Jacobson posted: “The FM25 development cycle has been challenging for the whole team. We knew that moving the entire game to the Unity engine was going to be a complex endeavour. As we’ve gotten deeper into the process and gained learnings, it’s fair to say it’s been trickier than we originally anticipated.”

Jacobson also confirmed that these challenges have meant they have had to abandon plans to make international management a playable mode, as what they were planning to deliver ‘wouldn’t reach our initial quality threshold.’

He added that international management will return in time for FM26.

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