With less than two months until release of F1 22, there’s plenty of information we now are aware of so let’s list it all here!
Image credit: Codemasters / EA
For better or for worse, F1 22 is the most talked about Codemasters F1 game series instalment for some time. On the one hand, it’s the first with EA’s influence and they certainly harbour a well-founded reputation for heavy monetisation of their in-game economies.
But that’s paired with many reasons to be intrigued, all of which we are going to talk about here. So, here is all we know about F1 22 so far!
Cross Play is Official
Yes, that’s right. When it comes to cross play, there has been a good deal of confusion. In their initial announcement, Codemasters and EA seemed to indicate that unlike F1 2021, players on PS5 wouldn’t be able to connect to PS4 players. The same was true with Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S players. That was quickly rectified by Codemasters, who stated that it in fact would be the case that Gen 8 and Gen 9 console gamers could participate in the same races.
However, the biggest announcement was yet to come. In conversation with many content creators, Senior Creative Director of the Codemasters F1 games Lee Mather confirmed that at some point post-launch, the games would be cross platform as well as cross generation. This means that PlayStation, Xbox and PC players will be able to race against one another.
F1 22 will be the first game in the series that will feature cross-platform gameplay. This will certainly put a smile on the face of many console players, since their favourite content creators tend to only do open lobbies on PC.
For many years, players have been requesting the addition of this feature. Its arrival will therefore be music to the ears of the online racing community. All the top competitive leagues divide their playerbase between the three platforms. It will be fascinating to see how they all mesh together once cross-platform is integrated.
Otherwise it will be great for all those with friends on other platforms who can finally race together!
Supercars in F1 Life
One of the out-of-left-field additions that Codemasters announced was F1 Life. We still don’t really know what the feature consists of. Codemasters describe it as experiencing what it’s like to be an F1 driver, where players can earn clothing, accessories and most interestingly, supercars.
The F1 games have had classic cars in the past, and Formula 2 made its debut for the 2019 game. This addition, however, is perhaps the most far-removed from the norm in quite some time.
In the first gameplay trailer released before the Miami Grand Prix weekend, the McLaren 720S was shown right at the end, confirming its inclusion but nothing else. However, industry insider Tom Henderson seems to have an exact idea of what other supercars will be in the game.
If Henderson’s predictions are to be believed, F1 22 will include road cars from the four major supercar manufacturers in Formula One. With that being said, we still don’t really know how Codemasters plan on integrating them. Will players have the opportunity to unlock these cars via interesting and unique challenges?
The most likely outcome is that the supercars will be part of the Podium Pass. Introduced in F1 2020, Podium Pass is a system reminiscent of the ‘battles passes’ from many Triple A titles. Players have to buy into each season of the Podium Pass with PitCoin, which costs real money.
Updated Tracks and Potential New Additions
After the Spanish, Australian and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix circuits all underwent modifications, F1 game players had to wait a bit before they could race on the new layouts. F1 2021 still had the 2020 layouts of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and Yas Marina, and despite Albert Park not featuring on the schedule, it was also in the game in its old configuration.
Codemasters have confirmed that these circuits will finally be updated for the release of F1 22. But there’s also an indication that more circuits will be coming to the game.
In the same discussion with content creators during which cross-platform gameplay was confirmed, Lee Mather was asked about the potential inclusion of circuits that aren’t on the 2022 schedule. Mather simply replied “Watch this space”, which seems to all-but-confirm it. Don’t expect the Nordschleife, Le Mans or Bathurst but maybe some old favourites will return.
The Chinese GP circuit has been included in the recent games, despite not taking place since 2019, so it’s likely that it will remain. Whether or not Portimão will still be included is an open question. The circuits that were brought onto the schedule in 2020 could also be added in post-launch, such as Mugello, Nürburgring GP, Istanbul and the Sakhir ‘oval’.
That’s not to mention circuits that fans have wanted to see return, like Sepang and Hockenheim. There are endless possibilities, so we will just have to find out when the game releases.
Virtual Reality
VR is another feature that has been a part of many an F1 game fan’s wish lists for years. F1 22 will be the first in the franchise to incorporate this technology. The PC version of the game will be compatible with Value Index, HTC Vive, HTC Vive Cosmos, Oculus Rift and Oculus Quest 2.
The question then becomes, will Xbox and PlayStation players get the same treatment? Unfortunately, console gamers won’t yet be getting VR support.
This is unlikely to change during the game’s lifecycle. So, any hopeful console VR players will have to wait until at least the release of the 2023 F1 game before potentially getting to experience virtual reality in an F1 car on the official game.
Customisable Race Options
We’ve seen through a lot of preview videos from content creators that there are plenty of customisable options and new features when it comes to racing. In their announcement, Codemasters spoke about the options of either immersive or broadcast style formation laps, safety car periods and pit stops.
What we know now is that this will provide players with a choice as to whether they want to do the formation laps, safety car periods or pit stops themselves or if they want to let the AI handle it. Doing the latter would result in the perspective changing to be more reminiscent of what viewers of the races would see. But, if players choose a more immersive mode, they’re in for a pleasant surprise.
In immersive mode, it’s now up to the player to park in their grid slot correctly on the formation lap. The same is also true for the pit stops, in which players will also have to navigate their way into the pit box. In previous games, the AI would take over towards the end of the formation lap before going to the grid slot and also in the slow zone of the pit lane.
These options and features will appease both sides of the community. The ability to manually navigate to grid slots and pit boxes certainly requires the top competitive drivers to practice and get it right.
Pre-order Bonuses
If anyone pre-orders the game by 16 May, they will receive a Miami-themed content pack. This will include a spec car livery, a driver suit, gloves, cap and a t-shirt, all designed by a Miami-based artist named ABSTRK.
There will also be the Champions Edition’s pre-order bonuses. Along with getting access to the game three days early on 28 June, those who pre-order the Champions Edition will have the following features. F1 22 New Era Content, F1 Life Starter Pack, new My Team icons and 18,000 PitCoin.
Read more: What to expect from F1 22
Which of these features are you most excited for in F1 22? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
