F1 2021, the first in the series published by EA, arrives in July

To nobody’s surprise, following last year’s excellent instalment, F1 2021 is happening. This year’s sim will be the first published by Electronic Arts, after its $1.2 billion acquisition of Codemasters last year. It’ll hit Steam on July 16. 

As always, F1 2021 will feature “the teams, drivers and circuits for the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship,” but also expect a new story mode and some post-launch track additions in the form of Portimão, Imola, and Jeddah—all of which will come free. The Career mode will get new features too, including multiplayer support for two players and ‘Real-Season Start’, which lets you jump into a season at any point with “real-time driver and constructor standings.”

As for the new ‘Braking Point’ story mode, it’s a rags-to-riches ascent from F2 obscurity to F1 fame, if you’re in the mood for some racing career escapism. The game is available to pre-order now on Steam, with a bunch of perks if you buy the Deluxe Edition.

Codemasters has been pushing out some very good F1 games over the last handful of years, with 2020 being a particular standout. “The deep career mode is even better when managing your own team, and the racing is superbly tactical,” wrote Justin Towell in his review.