Braking Point was a very welcome addition a few years ago, and so fans are eagerly anticipating its return in F1 23. But what can we expect in F1 23 Braking Point 2?
The drama of Drive to Survive is on a collision course with the realism of the official Formula 1 game. After being omitted from F1 22, Braking Point is confirmed to return in F1 23.
The reveal trailer gives us a taste of what to expect in F1 23's new story mode, reacquainting us with old characters while introducing new ones.
Latest news - Braking Point 2 first impressions
We have been fortunate enough to get hands-on with Braking Point 2 in F1 23. Having played through the first three chapters of the new story we are very impressed with it all.
The visuals and presentation have taken a step up with some DTS-inspired interviews welcoming some new characters to the game mode before we dive into the action.
You can check out our full preview here.
New Braking Point 2 details revealed in second deep dive
Following a delay last week after the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was cancelled due to flooding, EA has lifted the lid on Braking Point 2 in the latest deep dive.
The deep dive gives insight into new character Callie Mayer's role as well as how the story will change based on your performance and decisions.
F1 23 reveal trailer gives first look at Braking Point 2
The F1 23 reveal trailer gives us a first look at Braking Point 2, reuniting us with Aiden Jackson and Devon Butler while introducing new characters and rivalries.
We also finally have the first confirmed F1 23 details from improved handling to the return of red flags.
F1 23 Braking Point
Codemasters' dual development system means they have two teams making games, one for odd years and one for even. The odd-year team is the one that introduced some story with F1 2019's Feeder Series.
That F2 journey introduced Devon Butler and Lukas Weber to players, characters that were carried over into F1 2021's Braking Point, but they weren't the main focus.
The story mode had players racing as Aiden Jackson. We took him to F2 glory before moving into F1 and competing not just with his veteran teammate Casper Akkerman but the returning Devon Butler too. It was a fun tale, with players leaving Jackson as he got his promotion to Mercedes, echoing the real-life journey of George Russell.
F1 23 is set to continue the story, with the return of protagonist Aiden Jackson and antagonist Devon Butler. This time, however, Jackson and Butler are racing as teammates for the struggling Konnersport Racing, a new fictional racing team. Looks like Jackson's career with Mercedes didn't work out, then.
Given that Jackson and Butler were racing rivals in F1 2021's Braking Point, this should create an interesting dynamic - we're expecting a lot of tension between the two Konnersport drivers.
“The return of Braking Point allows players to immerse themselves in a racing story, which provides a unique look at F1 alongside the authentic race features our players know and love,” said Lee Mather, Senior Creative Director at Codemasters.
Like in F1 22, the story will be told in CGI cut scenes with enhanced visuals over F1 2021's Braking Point. By contrast, GRID Legends' Driven to Glory story mode featured live-action cut scenes. This seemed like a logical step forward for F1 22's Braking Point, but Codemasters is sticking with CGI cut scenes instead.
Set in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Performance and Reputation levels by how you perform on the track. Reaching higher levels will unlock bonus rewards as well as Podium Pass XP.
Decisions you make when developing your car and the team and how you respond to the press will also affect how the story plays out, as well as earn you bonus rewards.
New characters: Meet Callie Mayer
While F1 game fans will be familiar with Aiden Jackson and Devon Butler, F1 23's Braking Point introduces us to new characters. A new female driver called Callie Mayer appears in the trailer.
Despite the different last name, Mayer is Butler's sister as well and we can definitely see the resemblance going off the reveal image!
At the start of the trailer, she becomes the first woman to win Formula 2 before the rising star gets promoted to Formula 1. She is seen wearing Konnersport Racing overalls, so she could be a new playable character or a reserve driver.
Codemasters worked with W Series World Champion and Williams Racing development driver Jamie Chadwick to make her character as authentic as possible.
Notably, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen appear in Drive to Survive-style live-action interviews reacting to Konnersport Racing's performance. This could mean the two drivers will have cameos in Braking Point 2.
F1 23 new features
As well as Braking Point 2, F1 23 brings significant handling changes with improved handling.
A new safety rating will overhaul online play and encourage better driving standards. Both Las Vegas and Losail tracks will also be in the game from launch, along with the returning Portimao, Shanghai, and Paul Ricard circuits.
A commonly requested feature, red flags are returning for the first time since F1 2014.
Release date
F1 23 releases on 16 June across PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC via EA App, Epic Games Store, and Steam.
Players can start racing three days earlier on 13 June by pre-ordering the Champions Edition.