Sim Racing — news

Polyphony Digital has revealed plans for a major Spec IV update heading to Gran Turismo 7. The rollout will be split into two stages, scheduled for release in October and December of this year. Alongside additional game modes, the patch will expand the simulator's circuit selection with the return of Autumn Ring and the introduction of Sportsland Sugo. The update will also add 12 new vehicles to the roster. A published teaser trailer revealed six of the incoming machines, while the remaining half of the lineup has not yet been disclosed. Among the identified vehicles is the BMW M5 (E60), powered by its naturally aspirated 500-horsepower V10 engine. Classic Japanese motorsport will be represented by the Honda MUGEN MOTUL Civic Si Race Car from 1987, returning to the franchise after its appearance in Gran Turismo 6. The preview also showed the practical Honda Stepwgn minivan and the classic Citroën 2CV. Motorsport and futuristic concept machinery round out the first batch. The Mazda RX-Vision GT3 Evo is set to bolster the Gr.3 racing category, while the Xiaomi Vision GT joins the game's lineup of dedicated electric concept vehicles.

iRacing Studios has released a new developer diary for the upcoming NASCAR 25 simulator, detailing significant updates to the game's career mode and customisation tools. Compared to earlier entries, players will have greater depth in strategic decision-making between race weekends. The revamped career mode places a stronger emphasis on long-term planning. Progression requires managing resource allocation and selecting car upgrades, directly influencing performance over the course of a season. The mode also introduces coaching from 2010 Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray. Players will be able to review and compare their telemetry against reference data, examining throttle inputs, corner entry points, racing lines, and track-specific techniques. The livery editor has also received major enhancements. The selection of base decal shapes has expanded from 7 to 50, alongside a new mirroring function that allows decals to be duplicated onto the opposite side of the car. NASCAR 25 is scheduled for release on 18 September for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with Gold Edition owners receiving three days of early access.

Developer Kunos Simulazioni has deployed hotfix v0.91 for Assetto Corsa EVO, targeting several critical issues introduced with the previous v0.9 update. The most prominent addition in this patch is official integration for TrackIR, a camera-based head-tracking solution mounted above the monitor. The feature allows drivers to naturally look through corners and track surroundings across all axes, offering an accessible alternative to VR headsets without heavy performance penalties. The hotfix also addresses severe instability in the artificial intelligence behaviour. According to the studio, an error during the v0.9 rollout led to legacy AI code accidentally mixing with incompatible experimental routines, which caused erratic opponent driving on track. Hotfix v0.91 reinstates the intended AI stability. Additional fixes address game crashes encountered on AMD graphics cards, shadow rendering bugs in replay mode, erratic vehicle movement when viewing from the third-person camera, and shimmering environment textures. Kunos has also resolved an audio bug where the engine sound of the Mazda RX-7 cut out while running audio-driven force feedback, and added a fresh livery for the Volkswagen Golf 8 R.

Straight4 Studios intends to develop its upcoming simulator, Project Motor Racing, into a full-fledged platform for the sim racing community. The long-term vision for the title was outlined by Aris Vasilakos, who took on the role of Chief Creative Officer at the studio in May 2026, during his presentation at Gamescom 2026. In the immediate term, the development team is focusing on addressing technical issues and expanding in-game content. However, the core priority for the project's evolution centers on providing open tools for players and communities, specifically through dedicated SDK and API integration. These developer tools are designed to allow users to independently manage competitions, maintain custom leaderboards, and organize leagues and championships. Vasilakos noted that achieving this platform vision will require a substantial amount of development work moving forward.

The developers of NASCAR 26 have unveiled a new gameplay feature that allows players to manually adjust driver performance ratings. The mechanic was showcased in a promotional video featuring Trackhouse Racing drivers Shane van Gisbergen, Ross Chastain, and Connor Zilisch, who reviewed their in-game assessments before being introduced to the custom editing tools. The rating architecture evaluates drivers across seven distinct track categories: Intermediate, Road Course, Super Speedway, Speedway, Concrete, Short Intermediate, and Martinsville. Each track-specific metric directly impacts a competitor's overall evaluation. Reflecting his real-world road racing success, Shane van Gisbergen was awarded a 99 rating in the Road Course category. It has not yet been confirmed whether the customization feature will be integrated into the primary career mode or restricted to standalone game modes. NASCAR 26 is scheduled for release on September 18 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Independent studio Maverick Games, established by former Forza Horizon 5 creative director Mike Brown, is developing CLUTCH, an ambitious open-world racing project. Brown explained that following the critical and commercial reception of the fifth installment in the Forza Horizon franchise, he chose to depart Playground Games to take on a more challenging creative endeavor rather than continuing to iterate on established sequels. The upcoming title is designed as an open-world racing simulator crafted by experienced industry veterans. The studio has set high benchmarks for the production, with Brown explicitly stating that the team intends to compete for major Game of the Year accolades rather than settling for recognition solely within the automotive genre. According to the developer, this ambition functions as an internal quality bar, ensuring every aspect of the title can contend directly against major AAA releases across the wider gaming industry. Founded in 2022 with an initial group of just seven people, Maverick Games has expanded its staff to nearly 130 employees over recent years. CLUTCH is currently scheduled for release in spring 2027 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Indie racing title Pretend Cars Racing 2 has officially graduated from Early Access on PC. Drawing inspiration from top-down arcade classics such as Super Cars II and Micro Machines, the project blends retro perspective with authentic motorsport elements and serious racing atmosphere. The full release includes a complete career mode, 37 circuits modeled after real-world venues, and seven vehicle classes spanning various historic eras. Players can compete in multi-class fields featuring WEC-style prototypes alongside GT3 machinery, accompanied by dynamic time-of-day progression and variable precipitation. Both car and driver names can also be customized directly in the game. A central feature of the package is an integrated circuit editor, allowing users to design custom layouts, share them with the community, and download community creations through Steam Workshop. Multiplayer options include two-player local split-screen as well as Steam Remote Play Together. Pretend Cars Racing 2 is currently available on PC via Steam for £7.15 or $7.99.

The developers of iRacing have shared core details about the simulation's forthcoming career mode. Under the planned structure, the entire catalogue of cars and tracks will be available to players as part of the base subscription, removing the requirement to purchase individual content pieces separately. The progression will follow a traditional motorsport ladder. Players will begin in entry-level categories and advance toward higher tiers, encountering tougher opponents, longer race distances, and expanded championship calendars. If a career stage calls for a vehicle or circuit outside a player's owned library, the system will temporarily unlock the necessary content for the duration of that specific race or season. Once the session or season concludes, temporary access will lapse and will not transfer into the standard online ecosystem. Adjustable difficulty settings and retries for specific objectives have also been confirmed. However, relying on extra attempts will impact the player's final rating on the global career leaderboards. At launch, the career mode is set to feature seven distinct motorsport disciplines. Deep management features, including sponsor negotiations, team budgets, and driver-owner mechanics, will not be present in the initial release, though the development team has not ruled out introducing them in subsequent updates. A definitive release date for the career mode has not yet been announced.

Development team at iRacing has outlined the upcoming content additions planned for the 2026 Season 4 release. The headline addition to the service is the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH hypercar. The prototype is expected to enter the IMSA iRacing Series as well as future special events, with Petit Le Mans in the second week of the season anticipated to be among the car's first major competitive appearances. Grassroots sports car racing also receives a boost with the introduction of Caterham. Players who purchase the vehicle will receive two distinct variants: the Caterham Academy targeted at Class D competition, and the more powerful Caterham 420R for Class C series. While no brand-new tracks built from scratch are scheduled for this release, three existing venues will undergo full overhauls: Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and the Milwaukee Mile. Current owners of these circuits will receive the updated versions without any additional cost. In addition, visual refreshes are slated for Summit Point and Road Atlanta. The update also touches several existing cars on the platform, bringing revisions to the Mazda MX-5 Cup, Gen 4 Cup, and the Sprint Car. The Gen 4 platform will gain a Grand National specification, which will be provided free of charge to existing base model owners. On the feature side, Season 4 will introduce multi-stage pace car rolling starts, an updated Pit Summary screen detailing estimated pit stop durations and repair times, and a new graphical vehicle damage indicator.

Developer Kunos Simulazioni has rolled out update v0.9 for early access simulator Assetto Corsa EVO. The studio clarified that this release does not mark the conclusion of the early access phase, confirming that the planned open-world component is still scheduled to arrive during the early access period. The update expands the vehicle roster with three additions: the Audi R8 LMS GT2, the road-going Audi R8 V10 Performance quattro, and the classic Mazda RX-7 FD Spirit R Type A. Alongside the new content, substantial revisions were made to the core physics engine, featuring a reworked tyre system, refined racing slicks tailored for GT machinery, updated limited-slip differential behaviour, fixes for all-wheel-drive dynamics, and an upgraded throttle response model rolled out across the newly introduced cars. Gameplay features have also been expanded with the arrival of Special Events, online leaderboards covering both hotlap and hotstint sessions, an attempt-limit system for events, and mandatory pit stops in multiplayer races. On the technical side, force feedback has been enhanced, peripheral reconnection issues following alt-tab switching or USB dropouts have been fixed, and graphical performance has been optimised with improvements to mirror reflections, shadows, and on-track exposure adjustments.

Thrustmaster has expanded its sim hardware lineup with the announcement of the SimTask Truck-40 Add-On Kit, a dedicated steering wheel targeted at enthusiasts of truck simulation titles such as Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator. The peripheral features a 40-centimeter rim and includes 22 integrated action buttons. It comes equipped with a mounting clamp and an adjustable metal support bracket that offers four height adjustment settings and up to 30 degrees of tilt, allowing users to replicate a realistic flat-angled truck driving position. The wheel is compatible with all Thrustmaster wheelbases featuring detachable rims and supports both the legacy and the updated quick-release systems. The included mounting hardware fits most of the manufacturer's base units, with the exception of the T128, T248, T248R, and T98 models. The SimTask Truck-40 Add-On Kit is scheduled to go on sale in October. Retail pricing has not yet been disclosed.

Playground Games has announced the introduction of a new Drift Attack mode for Forza Horizon 6. The upcoming update is scheduled for release on 7 September and will grant players access to a dedicated drifting format hosted permanently at the Shimanoyama Circuit. The core gameplay centers around drifting point accumulation, supporting solo runs, Convoy participation, and sessions in the shared open world alongside other players. A key feature of the mode is the introduction of Clipping Zones—designated track sectors that apply score multipliers when tackled mid-slide. The scoring system evaluates drift angle, duration, and trajectory accuracy. Launching an event requires no interface menus, as drivers simply pass through an archway located at the track within the open world. Lap counts are unlimited, enabling drivers to practice and refine their scores freely. Progressing through Drift Attack unlocks the 1990 Jaguar XJ-S Forza Edition. Moving forward, the development team also intends to integrate limited-time Drift Attack events into the open world as well as a collaboration with 7-Eleven.