Is the annual release of F1 becoming a bigger and bigger failure? Electronic Arts and Codemasters have, to put it mildly, put the games on a downward spiral.

Electronic Arts announced that it will not release F1 26 next year. Instead, EA Sports F1 25 will be significantly expanded to cover the 2026 Formula 1 season. The series will then return to its usual schedule in 2027 with EA Sports F1 27. In a blog post on Electronic Arts’ website, the publisher, led by Andrew Wilson, stated that the decision was made as part of a strategic reevaluation of the F1 franchise.

“Following the commercial and critical success of F1 25, which received praise from players, media, content creators, and F1 drivers alike, the team is building on the experience through a paid expansion. This premium content update will bring players closer to the sport’s major changes for 2026, including new cars, sporting regulations, teams, and drivers. The decision to offer a premium content update for F1 25 is part of a strategic reset for the F1 franchise. In 2027, a new game will be released that looks, feels, and plays differently, delivering more gameplay choices,” the blog post read.

Lee Mather, creative director at Codemasters, added that they remain fully committed to the EA Sports F1 franchise. Their multi-year plan builds on this year’s excitement with the 2026 expansion and reimagines the 2027 F1 experience to offer players around the world even more. With Codemasters taking a year off to prepare for the next full release in 2027, it will be interesting to see the leap between F1 25 and F1 27.

Additionally, the success of next year’s major paid expansion for F1 25, intended to cover the 2026 F1 season, will likely depend on the price of the expansion. In any case, the situation will be unusual due to the significant rule changes. The last significant engine change occurred in 2014, and Codemasters’ game was a resounding failure.

Source: WCCFTech, Electronic Arts