The Biggest Sim Racing Releases Still Coming in 2026

2026 is far from finished for sim racing. With September already underway, several of the year’s most important releases are still ahead, ranging from an entirely new NASCAR game to major Gran Turismo 7, iRacing, Le Mans Ultimate and Project Motor Racing updates.

The remaining calendar is slightly different from a conventional list of upcoming racing games. Some of the biggest releases are complete standalone titles, while others are substantial expansions or seasonal builds capable of changing an existing simulator almost as much as a new game.

There are also several projects that developers still intend to advance before the end of the year but have not attached to a firm date. That distinction matters, particularly with titles such as Assetto Corsa EVO and Automobilista 2.

iRacing 2026 Season 4 — September

Before NASCAR 26 arrives, iRacing itself is preparing one of its biggest seasonal builds of 2026. The service enters its Season 4 transition in September with significant work taking place underneath the simulation rather than simply another collection of cars and tracks.

The headline technical change is Physics Islands, iRacing’s refactored and multithreaded physics architecture. According to iRacing, distributing physics calculations more efficiently across available CPU threads can reduce physics CPU overhead by 50% or more in heavily populated sessions on a wide range of systems.

This is particularly important because Physics Islands is not just a performance feature. It creates the technical foundation for future increases in physics tick rates, faster input sampling and higher force feedback update rates.

Season 4 also introduces the Gen 4 Grand National, major revisions for existing cars including the Mazda MX-5 and pavement Sprint Car, refreshed circuit content and the initial deployment of separate pace cars and independent starts for multiclass racing.

There are significant UI, particle and weather developments too, making this one of those iRacing releases where the changes underneath the simulator may ultimately matter more than any individual piece of content.

We covered the wider roadmap in our August 2026 iRacing Development Update breakdown and our guide to iRacing 2026 Season 4.

New users considering joining the service can view the current iRacing membership options here.

Project Motor Racing V8 Power Pack — September 15

Project Motor Racing’s next major DLC arrives on September 15 with a very different focus: V8 touring and road racing machinery.

The V8 Power Pack adds nine cars across three classes. Modern Australian V8 racing is represented by the 2023 Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, while the USV8 category introduces contemporary TA2-style Camaro, Challenger and Mustang machinery.

The Historic USV8 class then goes considerably further back with cars including the AMC Javelin, Ford Mustang Boss 302, Plymouth Barracuda and Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.

The package also adds Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, including two layouts, making the DLC considerably more significant than a simple vehicle pack.

Project Motor Racing has already received several major additions during 2026, but the V8 pack begins the final stretch of its Year 1 Season Pass. We have a full breakdown in our Project Motor Racing V8 Power Pack guide.

NASCAR 26 — September 18

NASCAR 26 is the biggest completely new sim-oriented racing game still scheduled to launch in 2026.

Developed by iRacing Studios, NASCAR 26 arrives on September 18 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Gold Edition buyers receive three days of early access beginning September 15.

The game builds on NASCAR 25 but makes substantial changes to the underlying driving experience. These include an upgraded tire and braking model, revised force feedback, improved AI and iRacing Studios’ Dynamic Track Technology, allowing track conditions to evolve throughout a race weekend.

Cross-platform multiplayer is another major addition, while Career Mode has been expanded with more structure and progression. NASCAR’s Chase format returns as a standalone championship option, and Peak Performance provides a dedicated training environment for improving specific driving skills.

Side drafting has also received dedicated attention, while presentation improvements include new graphics, lighting, replay cameras, particles, burnout celebrations and additional tracks.

For wheel users, the improvements to the driving model and force feedback are particularly important. We previously examined the changes in our NASCAR 26 force feedback and handling breakdown.

If iRacing Studios delivers on those changes, NASCAR 26 could become one of the most important console racing releases of the year rather than simply an annual sequel.

Le Mans Ultimate US Track Packs — September and December

Le Mans Ultimate’s expansion into American endurance racing will continue before the end of 2026 through another four circuits.

The US Track Pass began in July with Daytona International Speedway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Studio 397 plans a second pack containing two additional circuits in September, followed by another two-track release in December.

The individual tracks in those remaining packs have not yet been officially identified, so any specific circuit predictions should still be treated as speculation.

This means Le Mans Ultimate will have added six American venues through the pass once the programme is complete. It represents a notable expansion beyond the simulation’s original World Endurance Championship focus and gives its Hypercar, LMP2 and LMGT3 machinery substantially more environments in which to race.

Studio 397 has also continued improving the online foundations of LMU through RaceOS, its revised netcode and ongoing development of RaceControl. Consequently, the remaining 2026 releases are likely to arrive alongside further simulation and online refinements rather than functioning purely as circuit DLC.

Gran Turismo 7 Spec IV Part 1 — October

Gran Turismo 7 has unexpectedly become one of the biggest stories of the final quarter after Polyphony Digital revealed Spec IV.

The free update is large enough that Polyphony has divided it into two releases, with the first arriving in October and the second in December as Gran Turismo begins preparing for the franchise’s 30th anniversary in 2027.

October will introduce Sportsland SUGO to Gran Turismo for the first time, alongside six new cars.

Polyphony is also adding a new Spec IV opening cinematic, a Vintage section for cars that can no longer be purchased new, Car Concierge for ordering Used and Legend cars, manufacturer-specific Experience challenges and an expanded Car Viewer.

That already makes the October release considerably larger than the normal monthly Gran Turismo 7 update, but it represents only half of Spec IV.

More information will be revealed during Gran Turismo World Series Round 3 in Singapore on October 3, including additional details about the cars and features arriving across both updates.

You can purchase Gran Turismo 7  by clicking here for the PS4 version and here for the  PlayStation 5 Pro and PS4 versions. Additionally, there’s the 25th Anniversary Edition available for PS5 and PS4.

Project Motor Racing World Endurance Pack — Q4

Project Motor Racing also has one more Year 1 Season Pass expansion scheduled after its September V8 release.

The World Endurance Pack is officially listed for Q4 2026. At the time of writing, Straight4 Studios has not provided the same detailed car and circuit breakdown already available for the V8 Power Pack.

Its position as the final content pack in the Year 1 Season Pass makes it worth watching closely, especially given Project Motor Racing’s continuing emphasis on multiclass and endurance competition.

Until Straight4 publishes the contents, however, specific prototype, GT or circuit predictions should remain outside the confirmed list.

Automobilista 2 Career Mode — Still Targeting the Second Half of 2026

One of the most important potential releases remaining this year is not a new simulator at all. It is a feature Automobilista 2 players have been waiting for throughout much of the game’s lifespan: the official single-player Career Mode.

Reiza Studios outlined an ambitious 2026 roadmap in February, explaining that Career Mode is effectively the final system tying many of the simulator’s existing and upcoming features together.

Rather than releasing everything at once, Reiza plans to deploy Career Mode in stages, with its initial implementation targeted for the second half of 2026.

This is not the same as a fixed release date. Reiza explicitly warned that its roadmap remains subject to development and licensing changes, and as of early September there is still no precise launch date for the first Career Mode phase.

The feature is nevertheless one of the major things to watch during the final months of the year. Automobilista 2 has already expanded its sporting regulations, physics, AI, weather, historical content and championship systems throughout 2026, all of which provide additional foundations for a persistent career structure.

Until Reiza gives the first Career Mode build a date, it belongs in the planned for 2026 rather than guaranteed for 2026 category.

Gran Turismo 7 Spec IV Part 2 — December

The second half of Spec IV arrives in December and may ultimately be the larger of Gran Turismo 7’s two end-of-year releases.

The headline addition is the return of Autumn Ring, one of Gran Turismo’s most recognisable original fictional circuits. It will be joined by another six cars, taking the total Spec IV vehicle count to 12.

December will also bring Family Mode, designed to make GT7 easier to enjoy with players of different experience levels, as well as new forms of online competition.

Among those are Shuffle Races, reviving a concept familiar to veteran Gran Turismo players, and Online Drift Trials for competitive drifting.

Combined with the October release, Spec IV is positioned as one of the largest free expansions Gran Turismo 7 has received and effectively begins Polyphony Digital’s run towards the series’ 30th anniversary.

You can purchase Gran Turismo 7  by clicking here for the PS4 version and here for the  PlayStation 5 Pro and PS4 versions. Additionally, there’s the 25th Anniversary Edition available for PS5 and PS4.

Assetto Corsa EVO Free Roam remains the big wildcard

There is one obvious name missing from the dated calendar: Assetto Corsa EVO.

KUNOS released Early Access Update 0.9 on August 26 and followed it with 0.9.1 on September 1. Update 0.9 added Special Events, global Hotlap and Hotstint leaderboards, mandatory pit stops, three cars and another substantial physics and tyre model revision.

However, KUNOS also explicitly stated that 0.9 is not the final Early Access release.

Most importantly, Free Roam is still in development and remains planned for Assetto Corsa EVO during Early Access. KUNOS says development is getting closer to delivering it, but there is currently no firm release date.

That means it would be misleading to list Free Roam or Assetto Corsa EVO 1.0 as a confirmed 2026 release. Both are among the biggest developments to watch, but neither currently belongs next to NASCAR 26 or GT7 Spec IV on a dated calendar.

You can follow the existing development in our Assetto Corsa EVO Free Roam coverage and our breakdown of Assetto Corsa EVO Update 0.9.

If you do not own the game yet, Assetto Corsa EVO is available on PC, and the original Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition remains the reference point for what a mature modding scene looks like.

What has moved out of the 2026 calendar?

The remaining schedule is also notable for what is not coming this year.

There is no conventional F1 26. EA and Codemasters instead expanded F1 25 with its premium 2026 Season Pack, bringing the new regulations, Audi, Cadillac, updated driver grid and Madrid circuit into the existing game. We examined that unusual strategy in F1 26 Does Not Exist — Do We Miss It?.

The standalone INDYCAR Racing The Game was also originally planned for the second half of 2026, but iRacing Studios has since moved the official launch to early 2027, ahead of the Indianapolis 500.

Likewise, the next official WRC gaming project should not be added to a 2026 release list. The future of the licence now points towards a new generation rather than another Codemasters release this year.

2026 still has a strong sim racing finish

The most important thing about the remaining 2026 calendar is that it is not dependent on a single release.

NASCAR 26 provides the major new standalone game. iRacing Season 4 introduces substantial technical changes to one of the genre’s core simulations. Gran Turismo 7 Spec IV gives PlayStation users two major free updates, while Project Motor Racing and Le Mans Ultimate continue expanding their content programmes through the final quarter.

Automobilista 2’s first Career Mode implementation and Assetto Corsa EVO’s Free Roam remain potentially significant additions, but they should stay outside any fixed release calendar until Reiza Studios and KUNOS provide firmer dates.

For sim racers, that leaves September through December with considerably more to watch than the usual end-of-year DLC cycle — and several of the most technically significant releases of 2026 may still be ahead.

See you on the track!