After weeks of rumours and speculation, EA has officially announced F1 24. Details on this year’s F1 game are being kept under wraps for now, with the full reveal set for sometime in April.
We do, however, now know one crucial detail: the release date. It’s now official: F1 24 is arriving earlier than expected.
F1 24 release date confirmed
EA has confirmed that F1 24 will launch on 31 May, confirming that last week’s leak was true. However, those who pre-order the Champions Edition will get three days of early access from 28 May.
This is earlier than expected: an early May release date means F1 24 will arrive nearly two months earlier than F1 22 and around two weeks before F1 23, which launched on 16 June. Codemasters seemingly wants to align the F1 game series closer to the real-world championship.
You can watch the F1 24 announcement trailer below, which features live-action footage rather than gameplay representative of the game.
F1 24 won't be current-gen only
With EA Sports WRC moving from Codemasters' in-house Ego engine to Unreal, fans were hoping that F1 24 would get a long overdue engine upgrade with improved graphics and physics. Unfortunately, this seemingly won't be the case.
Unlike EA Sports WRC, F1 24 will arrive on the last-gen PS4 and Xbox One consoles along with PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. This implies F1 24 won't get any major graphics or physics changes. It's a shame because a current-gen-only release would allow Codemasters to fully utilise the more powerful PS5 and Xbox Series X|S hardware.
This doesn't necessarily mean that F1 24 will keep Codemasters' Ego engine, however. Notably, there is no Ego branding on the official F1 24 website. The PS4 and Xbox One also support Unreal Engine 4, so F1 24 may share the same engine as EA Sports WRC, but EA has yet to confirm this.
"Overhauled" career mode
One of the most requested features in Codemasters' F1 games is a new career mode. Since My Team was introduced, the career modes in Codemasters' F1 games have been largely the same, with Codemasters prioritising Braking Point 2 and F1 World in F1 24.
Thankfully, player's prayers will be answered in F1 24, with EA promising an "overhauled" career mode with "new gameplay rooted in the sport" and "more authentic handling."
"Our full reveal is coming soon, and we’re bringing players an overhauled Career mode, a new EA Sports Dynamic Handling System, and so much more," teased Codemasters' senior creative director Lee Mather.
Champions Edition pre-order brings 2024 content to F1 23
Like the last few entries, there will be a deluxe F1 24 Champions Edition. Players who pre-order the Champions Edition will receive two new Formula 1 Icons, 18,000 Pitcoin and an F1 World Bumper Pack featuring resources for single and multiplayer gameplay events.
On top of these perks, players will also get a bonus VIP Podium pass along with early access starting on 28 May. Those who pre-order the Standard Edition will receive 5,000 Pitcoin and an F1 World Starter Pack.
Unusually, this year's Champions Edition is bringing rewards to F1 23. To keep fans connected to the 2024 season before F1 24 arrives, those who pre-order the game can access new Time Trial challenges in F1 24 with selected 2024 team cars ahead of this weekend's race in Bahrain.
"For the first time, our F1 23 players can now connect immediately with the 2024 season with some of their favourite teams ahead of this weekend’s first Lights Out," Mather said.
For players who already own F1 2021, F1 22, or F1 23, EA is offering a 15% loyalty discount if you pre-order the F1 24 Champions Edition. Players will also receive 2023 McLaren and Alpine 2023 F1 esports liveries, which will carry over to F1 24.
The announcement leaves a lot of unanswered questions, but we're looking forward to finding out how the career and My Team modes will change in F1 24. With no driver shakeups or track changes in the 2024 season, F1 24 will need to innovate the series to keep players on the grid.
More will be revealed when EA fully lifts the covers off F1 24 in April, but the reveal date is yet to be confirmed.
Are you excited about F1 24? Let us know in the comments below.
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