EA has announced that there will be no F1 game release next year, and instead F1 25 will receive paid DLC replicating F1 26. “The decision to offer premium content updates to F1 25 is part of the strategic reset of the F1 franchise,” they explain.
The 2026 DLC will “bring players closer to the sport’s major changes for 2026, which include new cars, sporting regulations, teams and drivers,” but no other details have been revealed. The next game in 2027 will refresh the series to “look, feel and play differently, providing more gameplay choices.”
Here’s Tef to tell you why it really matters:
This is quite an crucial issue for fans of this sport and the racing genre. 2026 marks the beginning of a completely recent set of regulations that shift the focus of aerodynamics away from ground effect and instead include moving wings, which will suddenly make cars much lighter and faster on the straights, before the wings snap into place for better cornering. One would hope and expect that Codemasters’ physics model would be able to adapt to this change – there are Formula 2 cars in the game, for example – but this may seem like a basic outlier.
“F1 25 was an incredible success, fueled by the passion of the fans and the energy of the sport. Given the dynamics of Formula 1 on and off the track, now is the perfect time for us to look ahead and build for the future. We are fully committed to the EA SPORTS F1 franchise. Our multi-year plan is ramping up this year’s excitement with an expansion into 2026 and reimagining the F1 experience in 2027 to bring even more to gamers of all skill levels around the world,” adds Lee Mather, Senior Creative Director at Codemasters.
We rather enjoyed F1 25’s entry into the annual sports series, which presented its own fictional F1 story in its third Braking Point story. Dom stated in our review: “F1 25 is a marked improvement over last year’s version, with improved handling, the returning Braking Point story mode and more, all adding up to an excellent F1 racing experience.”
The F1 25 game has been enriched with a DLC pack inspired by the movie F1 The Movie. Content comes in the form of six chapter scenarios, which are available as part of the Iconic Edition or purchased separately. These events take you to key moments from the film, dealing with dramatic weather, strategic moments and overcoming adversity on the tracks of Silverstone, Monza, Zandvoort, Mexico, Spa-Francorchamps and Abu Dhabi. Completing these scenarios unlocks Sonny Hayes’ helmet for employ in the F1 world and driving career.
Source: EA
