Football Manager 2025 devs explain why they can’t just update FM24 database

As a seasoned gamer with a decade-long love affair with Football Manager, I can’t help but feel a pang of disappointment upon hearing the news that there won’t be an update for FM24 before the release of FM25. The anticipation and excitement that come with each new iteration have always been part of what makes this game so special to me.


Due to the postponement of FM25 until March 2025, many enthusiasts were expecting Sports Interactive to fill the void by refreshing the player data for FM24. Yet, the developers have clarified that this isn’t going to happen and provided reasons behind their decision.

It’s well known that Football Manager 2025 has encountered some challenges during its creation process. At first, fans were apprehensive when pre-orders started, as they hadn’t yet seen the game, leading to the inevitable delay from its original November 2024 release date to early 2025.

Since we’ve passed the midpoint of the home football league season, there have been requests from players for an update to FM24. This would enable them to utilize updated squads and players for the 2024/25 season, without any of the innovative features that will be included in the next version of the game.

Following the confirmation of the delay, Sports Interactive has disclosed that making the 2024 game compatible with the numerous changes planned for 2025 would be an overly demanding task.

After assessing the tasks involved, even though our licensors showed initial interest, it’s not possible for us to transfer the assets used in FM25 over to FM24 without having to create them from scratch again,” they explained in their statement.

“The same applies to the many competition rules, translations, and database changes that cannot be ported back.”

Clarity on why an FM24 Data Update is not possible ahead of FM25’s March release.

— Football Manager (@FootballManager) October 22, 2024

Basically, since work on FM25 continues, the main reason for not updating FM24 is that the team intends to dedicate all their resources towards creating the football simulation that the community is accustomed to receiving.

As an ardent supporter, I understand that tackling this project might divert essential assets from ensuring FM25 attains the peak of excellence – a standard we’re unwilling to waver from.

Additionally, they mentioned that those unwilling to hold off and dive into FM25 right at the start of the new season can request a refund from their retailer. However, when it eventually debuts early next year, the developers have guaranteed that players will need to re-familiarize themselves with the game due to some planned adjustments.

Read More

2024-10-22 16:48