NASCAR 21: Ignition April, 2022 Community Update

Motorsport Games have today posted a community update for the NASCAR 21 userbase that outlines updates, DLC and product launches until mid-way through 2023.

The big news, as detailed below and in their text below that, is that there won’t be a NASCAR 22 release on most platforms. Motorsport Games will instead continue to work on the existing product, adding the 2022 season to it.

Here are the main details:
– There will be no NASCAR 22 on PC and consoles. Instead, the 2022 season will be a season expansion for NASCAR 21. Releasing in September, 2022.
– The ’22 Season Expansion will feature the full 2022 NASCAR Cup Series team and driver rosters, the three unique Next Gen cars and various aero packages, the 2022 regular season schedule, and more. The Season Expansion will be followed by three DLC packs, which will feature alternate schemes.
– NASCAR 22 will release on Switch during the Autumn, 2022.
– N21 Patch 1.5 delayed from April until June, 2022 on consoles.
– N21 Patch 1.5 will include cross-generational play.

Full text from their post:

28 Apr – NASCAR 21: Ignition Community Update – April 2022

To our passionate and engaged fan base,

The team at Motorsport Games has been working tirelessly behind the scenes since our last community update post and roadmap discussion. As we close out April, it is time to provide another update on where we stand with the improvements to NASCAR 21: Ignition, as well as our road ahead in 2022 and beyond.

In our previous announcement, we targeted April for the release of Patch 1.5.0.0, which will introduce NASCAR 21: Ignition on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. This process has taken longer than initially expected and will now be released in June 2022.

We are working closely with Microsoft and Sony, who are in full support of our timeline for release.

Patch 1.5.0.0 includes cross-generational gameplay, support for PlayStation 5 activities, and more. In addition, there is a fix for the issue in which some players were appearing under the car in Career Mode.

We understand that a lot of changes need to be made for the next release in the NASCAR franchise to deliver on the excitement of the sport. We also recognize that the effort and resources needed to make those changes are not possible this calendar year. Therefore, we have worked with our partners at NASCAR to put together a NASCAR 2022 Season Expansion for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, due out in September 2022.

This Season Expansion will feature the full 2022 NASCAR Cup Series team and driver rosters, the three unique Next Gen cars and various aero packages, the 2022 regular season schedule, and more. The Season Expansion will be followed by three DLC packs, which will feature alternate schemes.

Our team has been working closely with NASCAR, the teams, manufacturers, and tracks to ensure the Next Gen cars are accurately represented in-game for players to enjoy. The Next Gen car is the next evolution in NASCAR Cup Series racing, and with the NASCAR 2022 Season Expansion players will be able to enjoy this next step in the sport’s history.

The Nintendo Switch will still see a 2022 NASCAR game release this year, with improved visuals and new features over last year’s NASCAR Heat Ultimate Edition+. Stay tuned for more details as we approach the game launch in Fall 2022.

Looking ahead to 2023 and beyond, Motorsport Games is committed to improving the quality of our games moving forward. Our continued partnership with NASCAR and the teams will ensure we release the best possible NASCAR gaming experiences.

Using lessons learned from the release of NASCAR 21: Ignition, Motorsport Games will move in a new direction with the next NASCAR release.

The 2023 NASCAR game will not inherit the tech debt of NASCAR 21: Ignition as its base, but instead will be capitalizing on the phenomenal work done by the teams that brought you KartKraft and rFactor 2 while still utilizing the Unreal Engine. This will unify the development of the NASCAR 23 product with our current and future product portfolio to create the best opportunity for success.

By moving to a season expansion update for 2022, more time is allocated to the development team to work on improvements and features, all while releasing earlier in the year than previous titles. Motorsport Games is currently targeting a release date of Mid-2023 for the updated console title.

Without moving to the Season Expansion for the 2022 season, our development process for the NASCAR console game would have been much more restricted and would have limited our ability to take a renewed approach to the product. In order to get into a better rhythm and cadence for future years, this step needed to happen.

We appreciate the NASCAR gaming community’s passion and desire for a high-quality NASCAR video game. At Motorsport Games, we share that same passion and are committed to taking the necessary steps from lessons learned to fulfill those needs and take the NASCAR gaming world to a new level in years to come.

This work will not happen overnight, and much like a race team finding its footing early in the season, there are some bumps along the road. We continue to learn and adapt every day, but the goal of delivering the ultimate NASCAR gaming experience to the most passionate fan base in all of sports will never change.

-Jay Pennell, Brand Manager, NASCAR