EA have given fans their first brief look at the next F1 game following a livestream on YouTube.
Releasing on July 1, the game promises to deliver to players “biggest shake-up for over a decade”, alongside “a redefined race day experience”.
What will this mean in practice? Well, a whole bunch of changes to go alongside the gaming debut of the series’ current new generation cars.
EA Reveals New F1 Game
First of all, let’s tackle the obvious new additions. These come in the form of sprint races, a recent, but controversial introduction to the series, slotting in between traditional qualifying and the main races. We're also seeing a high-profile new track in the form of Miami International Autodrome, the home of the recently announced Miami Grand Prix.
Though these additions are hardly everything, with the game offering players a chance to “step into the glamorous world of Formula 1® with F1® Life, a customisable hub to show off their collection of supercars, clothing, and accessories, earned via gameplay, Podium Pass, and the in-game brand store.”
On-track racing has also undergone some refurbishment, with Lee Mather, F1® Senior Creative Director at Codemasters explaining: “Alongside the real-world changes, we have updated the physics to accommodate the new aero rules and re-worked the tyre model, making the handling more true to life.”
Adding to these physics updates is the introduction of a new adaptive AI system to scale the skill of opponents to that of the player, VR functionality on PC and redefined practice programs to help you hone your skills before race day.
Once you’re ready for lights out, prepare for a choice, as “the redefined race day allows players to customise their set-up with new Immersive and Broadcast options that affect formation laps, safety car periods, and pit stops”, with Immersive offering more challenges for hardened racers.
Some returning game modes have also been enhanced, with My Team now allowing players to choose three different starting budgets, alongside the established career and multiplayer modes from previous F1 games.
F1 2022 is set to release on July 1 across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Make sure to follow us for more updates on the upcoming F1 game as more details are revealed in the coming months.