Project CARS and Project CARS 2 are being delisted

Slightly Mad Studios has announced Project CARS and Project CARS 2 will be delisted from digital stores within the next few weeks due to expiring car and track licenses.

Project CARS and Project CARS 2 being removed from sale

Project CARS will be removed from sale on 3 October, while Project CARS 2 will be delisted on 21 September. However, both games will still be fully playable after these dates. The multiplayer servers will also still be active so you’ll still be able to race online.

“Due to expiring car and track licenses, both Project Cars and Project Cars 2 will be delisted from sale in the coming months,” the studio said in an announcement on Twitter. “The games remain fully playable, and our players will still be able to enjoy all the game features, including multiplayer."

"We will remove Project Cars from sale on October 3rd and Project Cars 2 on September 21.”

After these dates, the only way to enjoy Project CARS and Project CARS 2 if you don’t already own them is to track down used physical copies.

Project CARS was originally released in May 2015 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Before the launch of Project CARS, serious racing simulations were rarely seen on consoles. Project CARS (which stands for Community Assisted Racing Simulation) was partially crowdfunded by the community through its World of Mass Development platform.

The game was praised for its realistic physics and variety of racing disciplines representing the career path of a real racing driver progressing from.

Project CARS 2 followed in September 2017, adding more cars and tracks as well as introducing dynamic track and weather conditions with its revolutionary LiveTrack 3.0 technology.

Despite its age, Project CARS 2 is still a formidable racing simulator. Its track roster is unmatched with dynamic time of day and weather options available for every circuit.

2020’s Project CARS 3 was the last mainline game in the series following Codemasters’ acquisition of Codemasters. It doesn't appear to be affected by these licenses expiring and will presumably remain on sale.

While the first two games were hardcore simulators, Project CARS 3 was criticised for its simplified, arcade-style handling, and removal of features like tyre wear and pit stops.

Sadly, it's common for racing games to be pulled from sale due to expiring licenses. It's why you can no longer buy any of the Forza Motorsport games digitally.

Project CARS 4

Project CARS 4 is reportedly in development. Former CEO Ian Bell suggested the fourth game will return to its sim racing roots, promising it will be “the most realistic simulation ever made” in a since-deleted Tweet from 2020.

Since then, reliable leaker Tom Henderson has claimed Project CARS 4 is in development and is aiming for a 2024 release.

Slightly Mad Studios does hint at a sequel, ending the announcement revealing that the studio’s next project will be revealed “when the time is right.”

“We remain focused on making the best sim racing titles, and as mentioned previously, we look forward to sharing more on the next Slightly Mad project when the time is right,” Slightly Mad Studios said.