NASCAR announces its plans to give the gaming company iRacing exclusive rights to develop simulation-style games for consoles and PC in 2025.
Motorsports media empire NASCAR has announced that it will hand over exclusive rights to develop simulation-style games to frequent collaborator iRacing from the previous developers, Motorsport Games Inc. These games will be coming in 2025 and will be available on the PlayStation, XBOX, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The transfer of these rights from 704Games’ subsidiary Motorsport Games Inc. to iRacing was overseen by NASCAR Team Properties. iRacing has promised to deliver the highest quality products for NASCAR and the gaming community using the vast technological resources they’ve built up over the years. This announcement comes shortly after the success of rival Gran Turismo’s film.
NASCAR Partners With iRacing and Motorsport Games Inc.
iRacing has been a frequent collaborator with NASCAR since 2010 and has been dubbed their “official simulation partner” for game development. The company already runs dozens of official racing series with thousands of participants, including the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series and the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series. Additionally, iRacing’s tech has been used to develop real-life cars and tracks such as the NextGen car, Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, and Chicago Street Race.
Motorsport Games Inc. is a much more recent partner with NASCAR, having only worked with them since 2018. Their racing titles include NASCAR Heat 5 and NASCAR Rivals, which will still be run by Motorsport through 2024 even after the transfer.
This decision from NASCAR, iRacing, and Motorsport Games Inc. comes after thorough consideration and review from all three companies. Motorsport CEO Stephen Hood has stated, “the sale of the NASCAR license is the result of a thorough, strategic review of where we believe our company should be headed over the longer-term.” NASCAR has also made the satisfaction of gamers who enjoy their brand a priority. NASCAR’s Managing Director of Esports and Gaming Nick Rend also described how “there continues to be tremendous opportunity to connect with millions of potential new fans in the gaming space.”
NASCAR has also continued to expand its gaming presence outside these two companies. Examples from the organization include NASCAR Speed Hub on Roblox, the console game NASCAR Arcade Rush, and even numerous partnerships with fellow racing game Rocket League.
Source: NASCAR
