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2024 and 2025 will be an interesting and exciting time for NASCAR video game fans. In this article, we will track all of the major news stories about iRacing’s NASCAR video game.
We do not know what platforms the game will be on, but we can speculate.
Given that iRacing is already a racing simulator on PC, iRacing may forego a PC port. But, iRacing could see value in the game bringing in a more casual audience than iRacing itself does.
A Nintendo Switch port is also unlikely, especially given that no NASCAR video game has received a direct Nintendo port since NASCAR The Game: Inside Line in 2012. NASCAR Rivals, released in 2022, was separate from NASCAR 21: Ignition.
Notably, an Oct. 2023 post from NASCAR on X featured Nintendo Switch and Steam logos, only further adding to speculation about what platforms the game will be on.
Playstation 5 and XBOX Series X are virtual locks for the new game. It’s becoming increasingly rare for games to be exclusive to one home console, especially sports games.
iRacing’s first artist rendering of the game came with the news of a fall 2025 release date. This date is in line with most recent NASCAR games as every game since NASCAR Heat Evolution, with the exception of NASCAR Heat 5 saw a release in the fall. NASCAR 21: Ignition released in late October, with 4 of the 5 NASCAR Heat games released in mid-September.
It’s still unclear what other video games NASCAR ’25 will compete with in the fall of 2025. Grand Theft Auto 6 does not have an official release date yet, but that’s one to watch out for. NASCAR ’25 may have to work around these other major game releases.
In a February interview, Mike Straw revealed that Monster Games will develop NASCAR ’25 on Unreal Engine. Monster Games developed the NASCAR Heat games, and Unreal Engine was the same engine that Motorsport Games developed NASCAR 21: Ignition on.
While NASCAR 21: Ignition was a flop, Monster Games has developed solid NASCAR video games before including the beloved NASCAR Dirt to Daytona. With the power and flexibility that Unreal Engine has, Monster Games will have more to work with than in previous games.
While no NASCAR Next Gen game used Unreal Engine in development, we know that Unreal Engine has incredible graphical capabilities. The above video showcases just how pretty Unreal Engine games can look. Although, NASCAR games are not all about the looks.
For all of NASCAR 21: Ignition’s flaws, everyone agreed that the game looked incredible, even though it was released on last generation hardware.
As of right now, we don’t have much information on NASCAR ’25’s features. However, we do have some tidbits to discuss.
On Nov. 11, Dale Earnhardt Jr. asked fans on X, “What songs absolutely have to be considered?” This post went beyond the NASCAR online community and into the realm of the casual fanbase. This post also gave fans the feeling of their opinion being heard in the soundtrack of the next NASCAR game.
iRacing is famous for its popular “Trading Paints,” which allows players almost unlimited customization of paint schemes. Unfortunately, iRacing President Tony Gardner told Mike Straw of Insider Gaming that it won’t be as “Free and open” as on iRacing.
Still, a paint booth should be in the game. iRacing seems committed to building something, but we don’t know what that will be.
In the Nov. 12 episode of the Dale Jr. Download, we learned that longtime Cup Series Spotter TJ Majors would be at least one of the spotters involved in the game, calling the shots from atop the spotters’ stand. It is unknown who the Crew Chiefs and other Spotters involved will be.
Rumors of iRacing buying the NASCAR license started to gain some steam after an announcement that iRacing was working on a career mode. Around two months later, iRacing officially purchased the license.
As of the last update, there is no news on career mode specifics, but this might mean that iRacing is focusing on it, and for good reason. Career Mode is one of the most important single-player modes in any racing game, and a solid career mode is a key part of a good game.
On October 5, 2023, NASCAR and iRacing jointly announced that Motorsport Games had sold the NASCAR console license to Motorsport Games. The estimated release date given was 2025, but no specific date was given for the game’s release.
More information about the sale came out in April 2024. Mike Straw of Insider Gaming reported that iRacing paid $5 million upfront and added two $500k payments in 2024, bringing the total to $6 million.
iRacing President Tony Gardner sat down with Mike Straw in early February to discuss the next console video game and revealed that Monster Games would develop it on the Unreal Engine.
Monster Games has worked with iRacing before on the World of Outlaws video game. They also developed the old and new NASCAR Heat Series of games, including NASCAR Dirt to Daytona.
Motorsport Games used the Unreal Engine to develop NASCAR 21 Ignition; however, non-graphic issues left the game one of the worst-rated in NASCAR history.
Trading Paints is one of the most popular elements of iRacing online. Fans can create their own paint schemes and share them with others, which is incredible, especially given the depth of iRacing.
Unfortunately, iRacing President Tony Gardner said in an interview with Mike Straw that Trading Paints won’t be exactly like iRacing. He did qualify that iRacing will do the best it can, but having “Trading Paints” similar to the one used in the online simulator is not possible.
On April 3, 2024, iRacing made their first true tease of the next NASCAR video game. Under the working title of NASCAR ’25, iRacing also revealed a rough Fall 2025 release date alongside an artist’s rendering of a garage.
While this post does not show what the game will look like graphics-wise, it’s the first piece of information directly from iRacing itself. It also gives fans an idea of when the game will actually come out.
In August, iRacing released the first episode of what they are calling NASCAR ’25 Dev Diary. This episode, rather than giving intense details on the new game, reassured fans by introducing the development team and their history with NASCAR and NASCAR Gaming.
This crew involves gaming veterans and those who worked on the popular NASCAR Thunder, Heat, and NR2003. This video seems to be a promise to fans of NASCAR console gaming that after years of tough releases, things are looking up.
In October, iRacing executive Steve Myers posted some interesting things on X revolving around NASCAR ’25. Myer’s posts mostly focused on him testing the realism of a prototype build.
His comments mentioned that the game is fun but not difficult and that using a controller feels natural for how the car moves. However, Myers also mentioned that he tested an Xfinity Series car, which is a wishlist item for so many fans.
After this news took off, Myers seemingly backtracked on this, stating on X, “I technically did not confirm anything other than the car exists!” Myers further said that one thing holding back this addition is updating tracks. However, he said that the game is still early in development, leaving the door open to NASCAR’s other national series.
Episode two of NASCAR ’25 Dev Diary only further reassured fans that the next NASCAR console game is in good hands. However, we also got renders of a Ford Mustang Dark Horse, what appears to be an at-the-track setting, and wireframe renders of Daytona.
This episode focused more on the benefits of iRacing and its intense catalog of track scans and history working in racing. For a look at some of these renders, check out our original story on this Dev Diary.
For all your NASCAR ’25 updates, make sure to connect with the Daily Downforce on Discord, Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
