How to get free FM24 update to replace canceled Football Manager 25

Football Manager 25 has been canceled, leaving a hole that players would usually fill with their annual release. Fortunately, one group has created an entire FM25 DLC complete with league and transfer updates, new wonderkids, and more – and it’s free.

The news that FM25 was canceled was announced in the early hours of Friday, February 7, after months of delays and speculation over whether the game would ever even come out.

While the announcement wasn’t exactly unexpected, it has meant that players can’t get their usual fix and have to continue playing old iterations of the game.

Fortunately, FMScout have made an entire “DLC” for FM24 that players can download and play as if it’s the current season, without having to buy a whole new game.

Football Manager 25 “DLC”

Here’s how you can download and play FMScout’s Football Manager 25 DLC – however, it’s worth noting that this is only available for players on PC.

1. Head to the FMScout FM25 DLC page.
2. Click ‘Download Now’.
3. Extract the contents of the download to your Editor Data folder:
   • Windows: \Documents\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2024\editor data\
   • Mac: \Documents\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2024\editor data\
4. Start up FM24, pick ‘Start a new Game’, then select Career Mode.
5. Select the ‘Database’ drop down menu and ensure you are on the 24.3.0 Update.
6. Make sure all 19 files of the DLC are checked. There are 4 optional files too, they are:
   • FM24 Real Names Licence Fix
   • FM24 Leagues Mega Pack
   • FM24 Trophies Megapack
   • FM24 Agents Pack
7. Select ‘Choose Game Mode’.
8. Select ‘Original’, then ‘Advanced Setup’.
9. Once it’s loaded, select the leagues you wish to load and set any custom database size options you prefer.
10. Start Game.

What is different in FM24 to 25 DLC?

There are a few key changes in the DLC to bring the game up to present day. They are:

• Promotions, Relegations, & updated EU places: “Clubs will be competing in the correct league for the 2024/25 season. It covers all the top European leagues and then some. You will find several files instead of just one because the FM24 pre-game editor doesn’t allow merging files in case there are also competition changes involved.”
• Competition Changes: “There are 3 files solely with comp changes and 9 others combined with promotions and relegations. Sadly there seems to be a pre-game editor limitation that makes it impossible to re-create the new format of EU competitions 100% correctly.”
• New Wonderkids: “This file contains a total of 175 new U21 players on high potential ability. That essentially means new wonderkids.”
• Ability Changes: “Current Ability (CA) and Potential Ability (PA) changes have been applied to numerous players who already exist in the FM24 database. These changes should reflect the players’ real life performance during the 2023/24 season.”

There are also optional files for updates ages and contract expiry, as well as ‘No injuries & no suspensions’, should you wish to begin your season with a clean slate.

Sports Interactive

For those not on PC, or if you would simply prefer to keep playing the regular Football Manager 24, you’ll have to wait for FM26 for the next big official update.

Hopefully, though, with all of the changes coming to the game, the wait will be worthwhile.