Welcome to Rear View Mirror, your weekly racing game news roundup. Get up to speed on all the latest racing game news from the past week.
From new updates for F1 22 and F1 Manager 2022 to a disappointing start for Need for Speed Unbound, here’s everything you may have missed in the world of racing games this week.
F1 22 update adds new Eliminator mode
F1 22 has been out for several months, but Codemasters is still supporting this year’s F1 game with regular updates.
The latest update adds a new limited-time Elimination mode and fixes a frustrating tyre bug where players could be disqualified for not using multiple tyre compounds. Full details can be found in the F1 22 update 1.16 patch notes.
That wasn’t all, as another surprise update lets you drive the Audi F1 show car in F1 22 four years before Audi enters F1 as a works team.
F1 Manager 2022 update brings big changes
F1 22 wasn’t the only officially-licensed Formula 1 game that had a substantial update this week.
The latest F1 Manager 2022 update brings big changes including balancing updates to DRS, slipstream, and dirty air. Safety Cars can also now allow lapped cars to unlap themselves.
Check out the F1 Manager 2022 update 1.11 patch notes for a full breakdown.
A slow start for Need for Speed Unbound
Need for Speed Unbound was released last week to little fanfare, as reflected in the slow sales.
NFS Unbound debuted at number 17 in the UK physical games charts and was beaten by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Digital sales are likely to be much higher, but it’s still a disappointingly slow start considering NFS is one of the longest-running racing game franchises.
In other racing game news…
Christmas has come early to Forza Horizon 5. The new Horizon Holidays Series update is here, with new cars, seasonal challenges, and free gifts for players to celebrate the Christmas season.
Rocket League Season 9 kicked off this week with a fire and ice theme, bringing a new car, a new arena, and new Rocket Pass items.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe fans got an early Christmas present this week. Wave 3 of the Booster Course Pass added eight classic tracks including the fan-favourite Maple Treeway.
A surprise update also lets you choose custom items when setting up races – so if you’ve ever wanted to make a chaotic race with only Blue Shells, you now can.
In case you missed it…
Gran Turismo 7 was crowned the Best Racing/Sports Game at The Game Awards. This is the first time a Gran Turismo game has ever won an award at The Game Awards - but did it deserve to win?
We’ve also been blowing Need for Speed Unbound wide open. We’ve got essential tips on how to earn money fast, how to get a perfect start, and the best starter cars.