iRacing Acquires NASCAR Licence: Console Game Coming 2025

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After weeks of rumours, iRacing confirms the purchase of Motorsport Games’ official NASCAR licence, with a console game on its way.

Image credit: ENASCAR on Twitter/iRacing.com

For several weeks, rumours surrounding the Motorsport Games NASCAR licence have grown to large proportions. An investor call in late-August highlighted the fact that the company would have to sell assets in order to make it to the end of the year.

Well, the rumours are seemingly true. Motorsport Games has just announced that the NASCAR game licence is officially transferring to iRacing. As the series’ official technical and simulation partner, there is already an existing relationship between the developer and organisation. But as of today, 5 October, iRacing becomes the official NASCAR game licence holder.

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iRacing takes over NASCAR game licence. Image credit: iRacing.com

As part of the announcement, iRacing mentions that an official console game is coming in 2025. Joining iRacing‘s World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing, the title will release on consoles with PC and mobile titles also a possibility as part of the deal.

New NASCAR Game Era​

Having spent a number of years in the hands of Motorsport Games, the official NASCAR game licence is now moving to iRacing. This represents a return to previous highs in NASCAR gaming. In fact, the Papyrus team behind icons like NASCAR Racing 2003 Season will now return to the licence’s helm.

In a press release, iRacing President Tony Gardner described the opportunity to create the next NASCAR game as “an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.” He also stated, “With all the NASCAR game experience, console experience, resources and technology assets we already have in place, we are in a fantastic position to hit the ground running building a great NASCAR game franchise on the various platforms.”


As part of the deal, Motorsport Games will continue to support its existing NASCAR titles through 2024. This includes NASCAR Heat 5, NASCAR 21: Ignition and NASCAR Rivals. Motorsport Games CEO Stephen Hood mentioned that the deal comes after a “thorough, strategic review.”

Hood finished off by stating “We will now concentrate our efforts towards delivering around other IP already in advanced development.” In fact, MSG is hard at work putting together the official FIA WEC game, Le Mans Ultimate. With this sale complete, past financial concerns will hopefully be put to rest, with a promising title on the way.

Are you looking forward to the next NASCAR console game on the way from iRacing? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
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Angus Martin
Motorsport gets my blood pumping more than anything else. Be it physical or virtual, I'm down to bang doors.

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I personally am very excited. I see they have steam listed so pc support should be there. 20 years after the last the best NASCAR devs get the license back. If they have a full season, nice physics, and good ai id be sold at full price. Knowing iracing has all of those assets I feel more enthusiastic about this than maybe any other sim title ive seen since the early 2000s
 
I am seriously hoping that the "Steam" logo actually means that there will be a proper PC version. Even if 2025 is faaaaar away, there is at least some hope at the end of the tunel now. Also funny how 20 years later the NR license went back to the same team that did the best NR simulation so far - NR2003.
 
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They made NASCAR Racing 2003 (and prior) but would the new game be based on iRacing tech or Monster Games tech (World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing)?
 
:sleep: Nascar = snoozefest. Trying to play a "simulator" with controller on a console, what a terrible idea.
 
I am not a NASCAR guy (nothing against it, best wishes for the fans) but this news gives me hope that we might see the end of this MSG non-sense, and iRacing may be able to properly host the Indy 500 and Le Mans 24h again soon.

Disclaimer for the haters, I don't hope iRacing gets exclusivity on anything, I just hope they can host two events that were very popular among a lot of people involved in the platform.
 
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Let's hope that it won't use iRacings visuals. For the rest great news.
Funny you said that… I did an iR race at Rudskogen, which has a distinct rocky look, and told myself how well done that track is. And 120fps with max details.

Odd thing to experience?
 
This is excellent news, *only* if the NASCAR game will also be available for PC *without* having to subscribe to iRacing.

Otherwise, this is indeed great, because NR2003 is still one of the best racing titles I ever tried. I much prefer to simrace NASCAR than watch it on TV.
 
This is excellent news, *only* if the NASCAR game will also be available for PC *without* having to subscribe to iRacing.

Otherwise, this is indeed great, because NR2003 is still one of the best racing titles I ever tried. I much prefer to simrace NASCAR than watch it on TV.
Agreed on both points. Sub to iracing would be a no go for me.
 
A better question is how NASCAR went with MSGM in the first place.
  • In one corner, you have a veteran game dev whose roots in racing simulators can be traced back to the late 1980s, and whom your own drivers endorse out of their own free will - in some cases dating back to their teenage years.
  • In another corner, you have a mysterious tech startup spearheaded by an European man whose past accomplishments include... tanking the stock value of a credit card payment processor... and whose staff could be argued had never even seen a NASCAR race before.
NASCAR sat down, carefully weighed all options, and went with the latter, then had to reverse course after ~5 years and come crawling back to the former.

Buffoonish.
 
Premium
Well, I guess that I was wrong and that MSG made juice out of a rock...
In the end, NASCAR really did MSG a solid with this situation :-D
I assume that avoiding litigation if they simply terminated the licence agreement with MSG (which they frankly could), the large legal fees which would come with it and having a new plan going forward without a period of uncertainty was valued more than exercising contractual rights
How the hell MSG still managed to get $6M (I was told, not sure the source) out of this is comical :-D
As a side note, the guys at MonsterGames should be able to produce a good and functional product.
 

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