Codemasters’ annual F1 games are always strong sellers, but F1 2021 sales are exceeding expectations.
During EA’s Q3 2022 Earnings Call for the period ending December 31, 2021, transcribed by The Motley Fool, the publisher said F1 2021 is performing “well above expectations.”
F1 2021 sales are “well above expectations”
“Under our leadership, F1 2021 continues to perform well above expectations, with unit sales nearly doubling year over year during the holiday period.” said EA CEO, Andrew Wilson during the earnings call.
Overall, Q3 was a “record quarter” for EA. As well as F1 2021, EA cited the strength of its live service games like Apex Legends for this achievement. Compared to FY21, EA Sports’ sales were also up nearly 10 per cent year to date.
F1 2021’s strong sales are not surprising. The series is more popular than ever, with last year’s season attracting record viewing figures.
In the UK, the controversial final-lap showdown between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi was watched by almost 7.4 million fans according to MotorSport. EA hasn’t released sales figures for F1 2021, but the sport’s huge spike in popularity last year will have increased the game’s sales.
EA also acquired Codemasters in February 2021 for $1.2 billion. This means Codemasters can afford to give F1 games larger marketing budgets than before.
F1 2022 release date
Of course, F1 2021’s performance means EA’s sales expectations for F1 2022 will be astronomically high. With new car regulations coming into force, this year promises to be another exciting season. We are confident F1 2022 will also be a huge hit for Codemasters and EA.
F1 2022 hasn’t been announced by Codemasters or EA yet. But going by last year’s game, it should go on sale in July.