After last year's poorly received NASCAR 21: Ignition, the NASCAR game series is taking a break on consoles and PC. That means there will be no NASCAR 22 game on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Instead, developer Motorsport Games is preparing a 2022 season expansion for NASCAR 21: Ignition while also working on NASCAR 23.
There is, however, a new NASCAR game coming to Nintendo Switch this year. Following leaks via product listings on Amazon, Motorsport Games has announced NASCAR Rivals is racing onto Nintendo Switch this October.
The official game of the 2022 NASCAR season
NASCAR Rivals is the official game of the 2022 season, with all the teams, drivers, cars, and regular season and playoff schedule from the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series.
Game modes in NASCAR Rivals include Race Now, which allows players to select any driver and team and race at any track in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series.
There is also a full career mode where players can either join an existing team or create their own team with the ability to adjust your driver’s appearance and race suit or create custom car paint schemes and add sponsor logos in the expanded Paint Booth. A Challenges mode also features scenarios inspired by real-life incidents from the NASCAR Cup Series.
Racing rivalries
Possibly inspired by GRID Legends’ Nemesis system, how you race in NASCAR Rivals will affect how other drivers race against you.
Throughout the season, other drivers will act friendly or friendly towards you. Relationships with other drivers will be shown in the Career mode’s About Me tab.
Online and split-screen multiplayer
NASCAR Rivals will also have online multiplayer for up to 16 players along with split-screen allowing for head-to-head racing wherever you go.
New to the series is a local multiplayer feature where players can race against up to seven players on a local network using a local wireless connection such as Bluetooth. Nintendo’s Joy-Con Wheel is also supported.
Improved graphics and sound
Compared to last year’s NASCAR Switch game (NASCAR Heat Ultimate Edition+), NASCAR Rivals will boast improved lighting at all tracks and sharper textures according to Motorsport Games. Audio is also improved, with sound effects captured from the track and in engine dynos, along with a new soundtrack featuring artists such as X Ambassadors and Allister X.
“NASCAR Rivals is Motorsport Games’ latest racing experience that meets fans where they are, giving real-life drivers and NASCAR fans alike the ability to take it on the go,” said Dmitry Kozko, CEO of Motorsport Games. “As we continue to work alongside NASCAR to grow its gaming franchise, we’re excited to give players the opportunity to out-do themselves on the track wherever they are thanks to the Switch’s portability.”
Release date
NASCAR Rivals will launch on Nintendo Switch on 14 October with a $49.99 RRP on the Nintendo eShop. Pre-orders for the game start on 24 August, with a physical edition available at retailers. It remains to be seen if NASCAR Rivals will be available outside of the US.