F1 25 To Get Paid 2026 DLC Instead of New Game Release

EA just pulled off something nobody saw coming. There won't be an F1 26 next year.

The publisher announced on 18th November that F1 25 will receive a paid expansion covering the 2026 Formula 1 season rather than getting a full sequel. This marks the first year without a new F1 game release since 2009.

What's In The 2026 Expansion

The DLC brings everything you'd expect from a new season. New cars, drivers, teams, and sporting regulations all make the cut. Audi joins the grid after acquiring Sauber, while Cadillac enters as the sport's newest team, expanding the roster to 22 cars.

But here's where things get messy. The expansion won't include Madring, Spain's new street circuit debuting in 2026. That track only appears in the 2027 game.

EA hasn't announced pricing or a release date yet. Those details drop sometime in 2026.

Why Skip A Full Release

EA calls this a "strategic reset for the F1 franchise" . Lee Mather, Senior Creative Director at Codemasters, frames the decision as building for the future.

The 2027 game will "look, feel, and play differently" whilst delivering more gameplay choices .

Translation? The current game engine is old. Really old. The EGO Engine has powered the F1 series since 2009. Sixteen years of iterative updates doesn't cut it anymore.

The 2026 season introduces technical changes that the ageing engine simply isn't built for. Active aerodynamics with movable wings. A 50/50 power split between combustion and electricity. Smaller, lighter chassis requiring completely rewritten collision detection.

One former Codemasters developer commented on ResetEra: "F1 25 meanwhile is the most successful F1 game in years so they have a much stronger platform to build their DLC on top of."

EA tried this approach before with WRC. That game launched in 2023 with paid seasonal DLC for 2024. The rally title didn't perform as hoped, but F1's substantially larger audience changes the maths.

Community Split Down The Middle

Racing sim enthusiasts? Mostly relieved. They've begged for a proper engine overhaul for years. If skipping 2026 means getting ray-tracing, better VR support, and realistic tyre physics in 2027, they'll take that trade.

Casual players and console racers aren't as thrilled. The 2026 regulations represent F1's most radical technical shake-up in decades. Not having a dedicated game to showcase these changes feels like a wasted opportunity.

Competitive esports drivers face their own concerns. Professional racers rely on yearly releases to reset the meta and showcase skill gaps. Running F1 25 for two consecutive years with patched-in physics threatens to create a stale competitive environment.

The Timeline Moving Forward

Here's what the roadmap looks like. Early 2026 brings the expansion's reveal trailer, showcasing Audi's livery and the new car models. Summer 2026 sees the expansion release, assuming EA meets that window.

The 2026 DLC release will determine whether fans stick around or jump ship to competitors like iRacing and Assetto Corsa Evo. Those simulators have already captured chunks of the hardcore racing audience.

Late 2026 or early 2027 brings first teasers for F1 27. Expect EA to market the new engine heavily. "Reimagined experience" and "expanded career mode" will dominate the messaging.

One thing's certain. You'll need to own F1 25 to buy the expansion. EA confirmed the base game is mandatory for accessing the 2026 content.

Some fans worry EA will bundle F1 25 plus the expansion as a "Gold Edition" for new players in late 2026. That would let EA double-dip on revenue whilst making existing F1 25 owners pay separately for the DLC.

Does This Work For Sports Games

EA isn't alone in experimenting with this model. Sports games have clung to annual releases for decades despite fan complaints about minimal year-over-year changes.

The gaming community has requested this approach for years. Release a foundation game, support it with seasonal DLC, then launch a proper sequel when technology advances enough to justify it.

One RaceFans commenter noted: "There is no reason why most sports shouldn't already be doing the same, seasonal DLC and a game engine renewal every 4 years or so."

But sceptics abound. Will the DLC cost £50 or more? That approaches full game pricing. And without physical disc releases, EA controls pricing entirely. No second-hand market means no cheap entry point for late adopters.

The success of this experiment determines whether EA rolls this model out to Madden, FIFA, or other annual sports franchises.

F1 25 is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The 2026 expansion arrives sometime next year.