iRacing to release official IndyCar game in 2026 - all you need to know
- Dan Jones
- Aug 27
- 4 min read
It has been over two decades since IndyCar fans have been able to play an IndyCar-specific video game and after years of failed attempts, the wait is almost over.
iRacing Studios will produce a standalone IndyCar game to be released in the autumn of 2026 which will be available to PlayStation, Xbox and PC players. The game will feature official licensed content and drivers from both the IndyCar Series and Indy NXT and will feature a multilevel career mode and online multiplayer.
iRacing took the IndyCar license at the beginning of 2024 just a year after the exclusive license was provided to Motorsport Games. Motorsport Games had planned a similar standalone video game to be released in 2023 but that project was ultimately cancelled due to funding issues with the company.
“IndyCar fans have long been clamoring for a standalone title for consoles, and we’re excited to give them what they’re looking for in 2026,” said Tony Gardner, president of iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations. “iRacing Studios’ standalone IndyCar title will offer all the excitement of the IndyCar Series and an immersive experience that fans of all ages can enjoy. We are already very excited about how the game is coming together.”
iRacing is months away from launching a similar standalone game for the NASCAR Cup Series, which is set to release on October 14th and has previously created a console game for the dirt series, World of Outlaws.
IndyCar President J. Douglas Boles added: “The most competitive and challenging racing on the planet deserves a dedicated and widely available gaming experience. iRacing Studios is the ideal partner for us, trusted and known to our core fans and ready to share our sport with a wider and highly engaged audience.”
IndyCar has a storied history with iRacing, most notably featuring an infamous challenge series during the COVID-19 pandemic which featured a controversial ending to the virtual Indianapolis race.
The game is to be built "from the ground up" and iRacing have designed a designated development team to create the game, which will be hosted on the Orontes engine.
“Our company has grown significantly in recent years with the addition of new development teams and studios,” Gardner added. “Our IndyCar title will benefit from this growth, 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.”
iRacing currently offers an extensive race of IndyCar content on its game. The Dallara IR-18 is available to purchase with the majority of the tracks on the 2025 schedule available too. The studios recently announced that the Dallara IL-15, the official car of the Indy NXT series will be available as of Season 4, which starts in approximately two weeks. The Streets of St. Petersburg is also under development and is provisionally expected for an early 2026 release date.
The standard iRacing game requires players to pay a subscription either monthly, annually or every two years, however this new game should offer an affordable option for both casual players and hardcore SIM racers.
Scott McLaughlin has been announced as one of the drivers who will be primarily involved in the development process. McLaughlin was victorious in the aforementioned 2020 IndyCar iRacing Challenge.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the development process for iRacing Studios’ new IndyCar title,” McLaughlin said. “It’s an honor to work with a team that has developed such amazing products to help deliver IndyCar's first dedicated title in quite some time. It’s already an exciting time to be an IndyCar fan for so many reasons, and this game will take the fans’ at-home driving experience to the next level!”
The announcement also marks an extension of the license agreement between IndyCar and iRacing.
It's the latest of a series of announcements designed to help the long-term growth and popularity of the series. Within the last 12 months, the iRacing announcement adds to a new race on the Streets of Arlington as well as IndyCar's partnership with FOX Sports, which later turned into the organisation acquiring one-third of Penske Entertainment.
The game should also offer a level of accessibility many IndyCar fans would not have previously experienced. With iRacing's complexion and cost inaccessible to many, IndyCar content on motorsport games has been few and far between. The series featured its 2015 season on Project Cars 2 and has some cars in Forza Motorsport - although the physics model is more arcade-style than sim racing.
The popularity of the Formula One games has been significant, with Codemasters and later EA Sports releasing yearly games replicating those of the real-world series. Those games are considered more on the arcade side but have allowed casual players to be immersed into the world of F1 and has led to many growing an interest in the sport.
Before NASCAR's partnership with iRacing, the NASCAR Heat games were also a popular source for casual gamers and attracting newer fans to the series. Similar titles have been produced for MotoGP and the World Rally Championship.
It's a game that should appease to the IndyCar fans that have been waiting for an IndyCar-licensed game but could also be a significant factor into bringing new eyes onto the sport in the future.
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