Why EA Sports won’t release a new F1 game in 2026 - and what it means for fans

EA Sports have made the shock decision not to release a new F1 game in 2026.

Codemasters, which was acquired by EA in 2021, has continued to produce the official F1 game, with a new title released annually since 2009.

In a surprise announcement on Tuesday evening, EA abandoned plans to release a new game next year.

Despite a huge technical regulation overhaul in 2026, players will only get a chance to drive the new cars through a paid DLC update.

EA will instead focus their full attention on a new game in 2027. They say F1 27 will be a “deeply authentic and innovative representation of the action and thrill of Formula 1, reimagined into a more expansive experience with new ways to play for fans around the world”.

EA Sports’ senior creative director Lee Mather said of the decision: “F1 25 has been an incredible success, fueled by the passion of fans and the energy of the sport.

“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 reimagines the F1 experience for 2027 to deliver even more for players at every level around the world.”

The right move long term?

In theory, EA’s decision to focus on F1 27 is the right move in the long term, provided they deliver.

Fans and players have been critical of EA/Codemasters for their yearly releases, which are often littered with bugs or unusual decisions that aren’t rectified throughout the game cycle.

F1 24 was poorly received due to its bizarre handling model and lack of game modes.

While F1 25 has rectified some of the issues of its predecessor, EA haven’t reacted to community-raised concerns such as the lack of slipstream, which results in processional races.

The top drivers adopt a strange, sharp turn-in approach to gain lap time — an unrealistic technique that simply wouldn’t work in real life.

In the short term, the F1 26 DLC package’s success will depend on how much EA decides to change.

If it’s simply liveries and driver updates, with few adjustments to replicate the new regulations, EA may lose even more of their player base.

Regardless, the decision has only increased the pressure on EA to finally deliver a complete F1 title — something they’ve arguably failed to do since 2020.