IndyCar’s first standalone game in two decades is slated for release next year, iRacing Studios announced today. The title will debut in the “second half” of 2026, and will launch on Xbox Series consoles, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam, including the Steam Deck handheld.
iRacing fully welcomed IndyCar back to its simulation platform in early 2024, following the racing league’s abrupt but overdue split from Motorsport Games. But many hoped that iRacing and IndyCar’s partnership would extend beyond support in the PC sim. NASCAR similarly partnered with iRacing after terminating its own exclusivity deal with Motorsport Games, which had resulted in the disastrous NASCAR 21 Ignition. NASCAR 25, iRacing’s first standalone NASCAR title developed by veterans Monster Games and built in Unreal Engine 5, is due for release on October 14.
iRacing’s release states that next year’s IndyCar title will “feature a robust, multilevel career mode, licensed drivers from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone, and online multiplayer.” It’ll also be developed by a “dedicated team” using an enhanced version of the Orontes engine, the backbone of ExoCross, iRacing’s fictional yet physically rich futuristic racer from last year. I reached out to iRacing to ascertain some more information about this team, and will update this article with whatever I learn.
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@iRacing Studios brings the official INDYCAR game to PlayStation, Xbox and Steam in 2026, featuring the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone. pic.twitter.com/A9aeQxgISg
iRacing Studios has grown considerably over the past several years, now encompassing multiple teams developing different games built on unique technologies, beyond the eponymous PC sim platform. “Our INDYCAR title will benefit from this growth,” iRacing President Tony Gardner was quoted in the release, “as it will be the sole focus of one of these teams. However, the game will also incorporate elements like car and track assets, technology, and driving characteristics developed from other iRacing Studios products.”
That makes sense, as the publisher is building a family of franchises based on real-life motorsports, between NASCAR, IndyCar, World of Outlaws, and iRacing proper, that can all share components, theoretically streamlining development. Ironically, that was the model that Motorsport Games promised, though it didn’t pan out for that publisher. iRacing appears to be executing it with considerably more care.
The last contemporary IndyCar game on consoles was Codemasters’IndyCar Series 2005 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, though it was released in 2004 and all its content was based on the 2003 season. Hopefully, next year’s game will kick off a more consistent cadence of releases for years to come. America’s premier open-wheel racing series, as well as its fans, deserve it.
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