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Football Manager fans have had a fresh look at the latest instalment in the ever-popular series, following the cancellation of last year’s version.<\/p>\n
FM25 was shelved after developer Sports Interactive told players it had made the “difficult decision” to cancel as it was “too far away from the standards you deserve”.<\/p>\n
In their statement, the makers added that they were putting “every effort” into the next game.<\/p>\n
They’ve now dropped a first look on their socials, much to the excitement of players. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The clip very prominently advertises that “not all footage appears in-game”, with commentator Peter Drury’s voice heard saying: “The wait has been long. The build-up impossible to ignore. So much has changed, but that feeling? It never left.”<\/p>\n
It ends with the words “Guess who’s back?” and promises a “match day first look” will be “coming soon”. <\/p>\n
Fans are, unsurprisingly, ecstatic, with many taking to the comments to share their hype. <\/p>\n
The game first launched in 2004 and usually has a new edition annually. <\/p>\n
FM25 was due for release in November 2024 before being delayed and later cancelled.<\/p>\n
In a blog post in February, developer Sports Interactive announced the cancellation, and confirmed it would now shift focus to the 2026 version of the game, with fans who had pre-ordered the cancelled release being offered a refund.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The object of the game is to step into the shoes of a manager, pick a team, and – hopefully – lead them to victory. <\/p>\n
Sports Interactive had promised a range of upgrades to the game’s visuals and interface in FM26, while also introducing women’s teams for the first time.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Newsbeat previously, the developer said it had to build a new stats database and record new motion-capture sequences for female players.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n