Fans Offer Mixed Reaction To Football Manager 25 Trailer As Sports Interactive Confirm Release Date

After game developer Sports Interactive finally confirmed this year’s Football Manager release date, fans have been sharing mixed reviews of the first FM25 trailer.

The Football Manager franchise has been going from strength to strength in recent years. Last year’s offering, FM24, sold more than seven million copies around the world.

With an ever-expanding player base and aims to reach a new audience, there were serious concerns when initial plans for an early November release date were pushed back.

But now the developer has confirmed FM25 will be released on 26 November. Studio director Miles Jacobson confirmed the date, with the first official game trailer dropping on 30 September.

The more you obsess, the more football gives back.

Live Your Game in #FM25 – ​Out from 26 Nov

🗓️​ https://t.co/NomcgfaZrE pic.twitter.com/XNyekq5nub

— Football Manager (@FootballManager) September 30, 2024

Notably, this year’s edition of Football Manager will be the first to utilise the Unity game engine. As a result, players can expect a complete overhaul of the match engine and UI in game, as well as numerous new features.

But while some are welcoming the change, others have been left disappointed by the FM25 trailer.

Fans On Social Media React To FM25 Trailer

With so much promised after the announcement of the Unity engine, fans of the game series were betting on lots of exciting new changes.

But the launch trailer offered little in terms of actual in-game images. What it did show was an updated UI, though this did not satisfy everyone.

FIRST FM25 SCREENSHOTS 👀

I’m honestly a bit dissatisfied. The skin looks very bland, the text is so small and there’s so much wasted space all over the page…

I was hoping with a brand new UI all the faults the previous FM default skins had, could be solved.

Might just be… pic.twitter.com/waNcpUDbJ5

— Omega Ω Luke (@OmegaLuke) September 30, 2024

Zero In-Game Match Engine Footage In Launch Trailer

A glaring omission from the first FM25 trailer is any footage of the actual match engine.

The Unity engine allows for vastly superior graphics and overall visuals compared with previous Football Manager titles.

And so for such a highly-anticipated launch and reveal trailer to not show one second of match footage is a worry for lots of fans.

Many have suggested that the only reason to not show in-game footage is because the game is not yet ready, a worrying thought so close to its full release.

The trailer went down so poorly with the game’s fanbase that it actually received more dislikes than likes on YouTube shortly after being uploaded.

The official Football Manager 2025 trailer has more dislikes than likes in just one day… 😬 pic.twitter.com/t6a4cvjBa3

— Out of Context Football Manager (@nocontextfm1) October 1, 2024

Not Time To Panic Yet With Weeks Left Until Full Release

One thing to remember is that there are still almost two months until FM25 is released.

While there have been plenty of concerns raised, there will undoubtedly be further trailers and details shown before the game goes on sale.

And a big new feature this year is the full Premier League licence. For the first time ever, the top flight of English football will appear in the base game from launch, with real faces, kits and badges for all 20 teams.

For years, players have needed to download mods in order to see their favourite Premier League clubs and players in the game with real likenesses.

And another big addition is the ability to manage women’s football, something Sports Interactive are very excited about.

Miles Jacobson said: “FM25 is just the starting point for the studio’s next 20, 30 years. It’s also the point where the world gets to see two of our multi-year projects come to fruition. The switch to the Unity engine and the introduction of Women’s Football.

“It gives us a real sense of achievement to begin sharing our hard work with you and we’re really looking forward to showing you more of the game in the weeks before the game’s release.”