Sports Interactive and Sega have confirmed that the launch of the PS5 edition of Football Manager 2023 has been delayed indefinitely.
It was announced back in August that Football Manager 2023 would be heading to PS5 consoles for the first time this year. The FM23 Console Edition is set to release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 8 – the same day as the full PC and Mac version. But today the news dropped that PS5 players won't be joining in on the action as the game has been delayed on the platform due to "unforeseen circumstances".
There's no word on a new release date just yet, and worryingly, pre-orders for FM23 PS5 edition on the PS Storefront have also been cancelled. FM23 Console Edition isn't getting a physical release at retailers, so that means all PS5 pre-orders are cancelled as it stands.
Miles Jacobson, Sports Interactive’s Studio Director, said: “We're devastated by this outcome, which we have worked tirelessly with our partners for a number of weeks to try to address. It was especially difficult to make the decision to delay, as it involves holding back a great game which a number of talented people within SI have worked tremendously hard on for quite some time.
"We will continue to do everything in our power to get this game into the hands of PS5 gamers as soon as we can."
Breaking the bad news in a press release, the developer has said that FM23 PS5 launch has been delayed due to "unforeseen complications which have arisen during the submissions and approvals process". Sports Interactive has added that anyone who has pre-ordered the FM23 PS5 edition via the PSN Digital storefront will have their pre-order cancelled automatically, with full refunds set to be made, as is Sony platform policy.
If you've pre-ordered FM23 on any other platform, there's nothing to worry about, even those who've pre-ordered the Xbox edition of FM23 Console, with Sports Interactive confirming that all other titles in the FM23 suite are currently on course for the November 8 release.
Sports Interactive is rolling out a number of new features for FM23, including a Recruitment Revamp, new Match AI and Animation, UEFA licence, Supporter Confidence, Dynamic Manager Timeline and much more. Players who have placed FM23 pre-orders on PC and Mac can download the FM23 beta right now. And on the plus side, players can carry over their saves to the main title when the game is released on November 8, 2022.
It was also confirmed that Football Manager 2023 Touch will be released on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 for Nintendo Switch and Apple Arcade, with the game set to be available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV for the first time.
Anyone who pre-orders Football Manager 2023 on Steam, Epic Games, and Microsoft Store will receive early access prior to full release, plus a 20% discount.
