EA is shifting how it handles its annual Formula One series, confirming that there will be no new standalone F1 game in 2026. Instead, next year’s season will arrive as a paid expansion for F1 25, bringing updated cars, driver lineups, and regulation changes directly into the existing title. This move marks a notable departure from the franchise’s traditional release cycle and is part of a longer-term plan to restructure how the series evolves from year to year.
According to EA, the next full entry will arrive in 2027 and is being framed as a broader rethink of what an F1 game should offer. The company describes it as a more “expansive experience” with additional ways to play, pointing to a multi-year strategy to keep the series relevant as Formula One itself continues to grow globally. Whether that translates into deeper management features, larger online modes, or more flexible career systems remains to be seen, but the shift suggests EA wants to move away from annualized, incremental updates.
Codemasters’ Senior Creative Director, Lee Mather, characterized F1 25 as a strong foundation and noted that the studio plans to build on the current momentum rather than rush a new yearly installment. F1 25 received generally positive critical responses for refining areas that had been uneven in recent entries, with reviews citing it as the most complete package since the well-regarded F1 2020. That reception likely contributed to EA’s decision to focus on expansions and long-term updates rather than committing to a full sequel in 2026.
For long-time fans, the paid expansion model could offer more stability, especially if the update meaningfully reflects the sport’s major changes in 2026. It may also allow the studio to focus resources on the 2027 release rather than splitting development capacity across overlapping projects. Codemasters has been stewarding the modern F1 series since 2009, while EA’s broader association with Formula One dates back to the early 2000s. The 2027 installment, then, will not only be another yearly entry but a test case for how the franchise adapts to new expectations around live-service updates and evolving sports calendars.
By stretching the development timeline, EA appears to be prioritizing a larger redesign over the traditional yearly rhythm. Players who stay with F1 25 into 2026 will effectively get the next season packaged into the game they already own, while the 2027 release aims to reframe the series for a broader audience. Whether this approach resonates will depend on how substantial the paid expansion turns out to be and how effectively the next full title delivers on the promise of a reimagined Formula One experience.
