Like managing football (soccer to those of us in the States)? Next year, you'll only be left with one choice as EA Sports is pulling the plug on the FIFA Manager series. This year's FIFA Manager 14 will be the final release in the franchise.
The football manager genre at this level of sophistication is highly specialised and primarily played in two countries (England and Germany), in which – on top of everything – one game has practically dominated the market in recent years. The niche market and general trend toward online and mobile games were also contributing factors. Moreover, FM had reached a crossroads at which a new engine and/or corresponding online technology would be the only way to give the series a boost. When all these factors were evaluated, it led us to the decision to blow the final whistle.

All of us, the team at Bright Future and our colleagues at EA SPORTS, loved and still love FIFA MANAGER. It’s a game that has captivated many fans over the years, and been our pride and joy since its first instalment FIFA MANAGER 2002 (with Rudi Assauer on the cover). We’ve had Löw and Mourinho on the cover, Felix Magath twice, and many other German and international stars who have lent their expertise to the game. We were also lucky to have a very dedicated community. Your passion and commitment to FIFA MANAGER is unrivalled, and made the series a great joy to work on.

The Football Manager series continues to sell like hotcakes in just about every area of the world that isn't called "North America," so fans will still have that to look forward to next year.