Report: Motorsport Games to Lose Exclusive NASCAR License

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Josh Mull

Insiders tell games journalist Mike Straw that the exclusivity license between MSG and NASCAR is "all but dead."

What’s Happening?

Exclusivity for official NASCAR Cup Series games on consoles has been shown the black flag by NASCAR. That’s at least according to games journalist Mike Straw‘s sources. YouTuber Darian Gilliam released a video on X (formerly known as Twitter) featuring Straw’s revelation that “NASCAR is being set to announce that there will be other NASCAR games in development.”

Insider Gaming Reporter @MikeStrawMedia reveals major developments that will change the landscape of NASCAR Gaming.

The Motorsport Games exclusivity license is ending and there will be other games in development. I'll be uploading a video on this tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/UX6oFpsKxn
— Darian Gilliam (@BlackFlagMatter) August 16, 2023

Straw goes on to say, “the NASCAR exclusivity license between NASCAR and Motorsport Games is all but dead.”

You Need to Know:

This signals a strong move by NASCAR to rescue its flailing video game projects, as current license holder Motorsport Games’ exclusivity deal wasn’t set to expire until December 31, 2029. Word on the future of NASCAR gaming has mostly come from unconfirmed or anonymous sources so far, leading to vagueries around what this specifically means. For instance, the upcoming game NASCAR Arcade Rush is published by GameMill and Team 6, so there is already some kind of exception to MSG’s exclusivity agreement. A mainline Cup Series title current to this season, however, is still MIA.
Straw hints that he has heard the names of some studios, but he can’t confirm yet which of those studios will be working on the future projects. It should be noted that modern AAA video games take around 3 years to develop, meaning any game fans get before 2026 might just be another double-A shovelware title similar to recent entries. There is also still no word on which company or companies will be publishing the titles.
Despite the lack of specifics, fans are overwhelmingly excited to hear this news. With little to no communication from either NASCAR or Motorsport Games lately, fans are welcoming this news as a shake-up to the status quo of NASCAR console gaming.

In the Stands

Skewcar shows his excitement.

Tyler Ensminger hopes somebody else takes the hint.

Ryan Irwin says exclusivity has done more harm than good.

These fans have a few guesses as to who might be after the license.

Dustin sums up the consensus from NASCAR console gamers quite nicely.

After a series of feature-starved double-A titles, and with the current title being released in a near-unplayable state, NASCAR fans are overwhelmingly excited for change, and are eager to hear official word on what the future might hold. NASCAR is rumored to be making an announcement on September 30.