17 Racing games you shouldn’t miss in 2020

Monster Supercross goes into its third round in 2020. The Italian developer Milestone srl promises improved gameplay, a limitless track editor and dedicated servers for online players. Of course, fans are also able to join the official teams they know from the real world. Release date: 4 February (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia), Publisher: Milestone srl Developed with sprint car champion and NASCAR racing legend Tony Stewart, “Tony Stewart’s Sprint Car Racing” takes you to the dusty and muddy dirt tracks. You can either dive into the career mode which features 24 dirt tracks or test your skills in the multiplayer mode against up to 24 other players. Release date: 14 February (PS4 & Xbox One), February 21st (PC) In Overpass, the racetrack becomes a puzzle. Speed alone doesn’t ensure victory. The off-road simulation is about mastering the unique characteristics of your buggy or quad, navigating through many natural and artificial obstacles, and routing intelligently to achieve the best time possible. Release date: 27 February (PS4, Xbox One, PC). A Nintendo Switch version is going to be released later, a release date hasn’t been defined yet. The official simulation of one of the world’s most famous motorcycle races is back. Before you compete in the Isle of Man TT you must prove yourself in national road racing championships to earn money and reputation. In an open world you will be able to test upgrades and enhance your bike before you finally take on the most challenging and dangerous 60km in the world. The developers have reworked the bike physics from scratch to provide the most realistic simulation possible. Release date: 19 March (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch) Automobilista 2 will once again put you in the driving seat of an advanced racing simulator. The developers have been working on a massive graphical update, a new force feedback system and debugged the AI. Reiza Studios also announced that there will be more cars and tracks than in Automobilista and there will be both single player and multiplayer modes. With their new game, the Brazilian developers want to “celebrate Brazilian motorsports heritage by featuring some of the country´s most iconic heroes and achievements through its rich history in the sport”. Release date: 31 March (PC) In MotoGP 20, the new career mode will not only test your skills as a rider but also your talent as a manager. Your decisions aside the racetrack will have an impact on your upcoming races. A few game modes from previous MotoGP games have been revised based on the community’s feedback and new editors allow the players to customise their bikes. Dedicated servers will ensure a good multiplayer experience. Release date: 23 April (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia) One of the highlights of every sim racing year is the release of the new Formula 1 game. With two brand new tracks being added to the F1 calendar you will be able to race through the streets of Hanoi and the banks of Zandvoort for the very first time. There will also be an updated career mode and drivers will be able to create their own F1 team. For more multiplayer action, split-screen racing returns to the game. And of course, competitive online racing will be a key feature as well. Release date: 10 July (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia) As the title suggests, Inertial Drift is all about drifting. Set in a 90s retro future this arcade racer will offer unique twin-stick drift mechanics. The game includes 16 cars, each having totally different characteristics to master. In the career mode and local multiplayer, you will be able to compete and show off your skills. Release date: Spring 2020 (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch) Developer ECC Games renamed their new racing game “Drift 21” instead of “Drift 19”, after delays in the developing process. They entered a new partnership with publisher 505 Games, who also published Assetto Corsa and Control. They plan to start Drift21’s early access phase in Spring 2020. Why is it called Drift21 though? ECC Games aim to support the game long-term, with new tracks, cars, and tuning parts. Release date: Spring 2020 (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One) Put on your helmets and unleash the beasts on wheels. Monster Truck Championship lets you drive 18 customisable monster trucks on 25 different tracks. The game puts an emphasis on its realistic simulation of physics and car damage. You can either jump into the career mode or compete against up to seven other drivers online. There will be many different game modes like race, demolition or freestyle. Release date: Autumn 2020 (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch) Circuit Superstars mixes a race simulation with the nostalgic feeling of arcade games. While the driving system is easy to learn you have to master the controls and set up the perfect pit strategy to become victorious in this top-down racer. You will be able to drive racetracks and cars from each decade of motorsport and experience racing in an atmosphere we haven’t experienced for some time. Release date: 2020 (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch) In this free-to-play game you will be able to challenge your friends across PC and Xbox One. There will be almost endless possibilities to customise your karts and the Unreal Engine 4 will ensure you cross the finish line in style. New content will be added regularly with huge content updates every season. If you’re not a fan of items and RNG, you can race in the competitive speed mode, where only skill decides who comes out on top. Here you can push your kart to the limit with more precise controls and an advanced drifting system. Release date: 2020 (Xbox One and PC) If some of you might say: “Hey, this looks familiar to me,” then you’re not wrong! In 2017, R8 Games released the futuristic racing game “Formula Fusion” for PC. In the anti-gravity racer, you don’t have to care about the laws of physics. You can customise your car with weapon loadouts and skins and race in a multiplayer W.A.R. (World Anti-gravity Racing) against up to 10 opponents. In 2019 the game was rebranded to “Pacer” and it is currently being developed for PS4 and Xbox One. Rumours say the game might be finished this year and console players will be able to join the anti-gravity races as well. Release date: TBA Sony plans to bring the PlayStation 5 on the market for the 2020 holiday season. And with a new console coming out, there are also many rumours about a new Gran Turismo that might accompany the PS5 as a launch title. While not announcing a release date, Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi already confirmed that the next title of the series is in the making. In an interview with GT Planet he spoke about his love for the older titles of the series like GT2 and GT3. He teased that the next Gran Turismo will be a combination of the past, present and future, a “consummate form of Gran Turismo”. Release date: TBA With Project Cars and Project Cars 2, Slightly Mad Studios have set benchmarks for other sim racing games. In mid-2019, CEO Ian Bell confirmed that the successor, Project Cars 3, is in development. In an interview he teased that PC3 will be a “revolution” for the genre. Meanwhile the rumours about a possible release in 2020 are getting louder and louder. On February 9th, 2020 Ian Bell tweeted that the game is “progressing very well” and we can expect news in “a few weeks”. Release date: TBA Although GTR 3 has already been announced in 2017, fans are still waiting for the game to be released. Shortly after gamescom 2019, developer SimBin commented they are negotiating with different partners for a possible release of the game. Since then, months have passed and there still is no definite release date. After SimBin shared more screenshots with the community in fall 2019, we hope to see the game finally hit the market in 2020. Release date: TBA At the end of 2019, Turn 10 Creative Director Chris Esaki gave first overview on Forza Motorsport 8. The game will get a revisited tire pressure model, which adds more realism to the game. Turn 10 also plans to overhaul the penalty system. Neither release date nor platform have been confirmed yet. Rumour has it Forza 8 will be a launch title for the new Xbox Series X, which hits the market in late 2020. Release date: TBA