Videogame publisher EA Sports has announced that it will not release an official Formula 1 game in 2026, instead opting to update the current F1 25 title with a paid-for content update.
It’s not the first time EA subsidiary Codemasters has scaled back on an F1 game before pushing ahead with its follow-up. In 2015, the first title to be released on eighth-generation consoles, came out earlier than preceding titles, and with a reduced number of features – such as career mode, which returned in 2016 – but a title was released nonetheless.
Next year will mark the first time since Codemasters (which was bought by the American company in 2021) hasn’t produced a full annual game since 2009, when it launched F1 2009 on Nintendo Wii and Sony’s PSP.
F1 25, which was launched on May 30 this year for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC, will get a downloadable update featuring all of the 2026 teams and cars next year, before a new game arrives in 2027 which EA says will be “a deeply authentic and innovative representation of the action and thrill of Formula 1, re-imagined into a more expansive experience with new ways to play for fans around the world.”
The company also says that the move is part of a “multi-year strategic investment in the EA Sports F1 franchise, with support from both Formula One Management and the F1 teams.”
“F1 25 has been an incredible success, fueled by the passion of fans and the energy of the sport,” said Lee Mather, senior creative director at Codemasters. “With Formula 1’s momentum on and off the track, now is the perfect time for us to look ahead and build for the future. We’re fully committed to the EA Sports F1 franchise. Our multi-year plan extends this year’s excitement with the 2026 expansion and re-imagines the F1 experience for 2027.”
F1 in the real world will undergo huge change next year with new engine and aerodynamic regulations, as well as the addition of Cadillac to the field and Sauber morphing into Audi, the 2026 expansion – while bring in these major changes – will be priced lower than a full game, although F1 25 will still be required to play it.
It is a similar move to what the publisher has employed with Formula 2 since F1 2019, with the previous year’s field represented in the game at launch and the current field added later on, albeit as a free update.
While EA has come under fire over the years for its tendency to pad out its games with micro-transactions and paid-for features, the move will likely be a welcome one for gamers who often criticize sports game publishers for releasing full new titles on a yearly basis that offer little in the way of change compared to the previous iteration.
Details, including a release date and pricing for the F1 25 2026 update, will be revealed later.
