INDYCAR Racing The Game: The Official Name, Logo, and Early 2027 Release Window Are Here

The IndyCar game that sim racers and open-wheel fans have been waiting for now has a name, a face, and a launch target. iRacing Studios and INDYCAR jointly announced on July 10, 2026 that the upcoming standalone INDYCAR video game will be called INDYCAR Racing The Game, and it is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam in early 2027.

Also see:
▶ First Screenshots Analyzed: What INDYCAR Racing The Game Actually Looks Like
▶ Play ExoCross Now: Your First Look at the Engine Powering the IndyCar Game
▶ iRacing Studios’ Full Game Catalog: How They Got to the IndyCar Game
▶ The 2027 IndyCar Driver Shakeup: Will the Game Reflect the New Grid?

What Is INDYCAR Racing The Game?

INDYCAR Racing The Game is the first dedicated standalone IndyCar video game in more than 20 years. Developed by iRacing Studios (the same team behind the long-running PC sim iRacing), it aims to bring an authentic IndyCar experience to console players and PC gamers who want something beyond a subscription-based simulation.

The game is officially licensed by INDYCAR and developed in partnership with iRacing. That means real drivers, real teams, real tracks, and the genuine NTT INDYCAR SERIES license. This is not a third-party title with borrowed branding. It is a first-party, purpose-built IndyCar game.

For context: the last time IndyCar had its own dedicated game, the Champ Car era produced several titles before those championships fragmented and the games went with them. iRacing brought IndyCar to PC as licensed content, but a full standalone title for consoles has been absent for over two decades. INDYCAR Racing The Game is meant to fill that gap.

Who Is Making INDYCAR Racing The Game?

iRacing Studios is a motorsport simulation company based in Bedford, Massachusetts. The parent platform, iRacing, built its reputation on laser-scanned tracks, precisely modeled cars, and a serious approach to competitive online racing. That foundation carries directly into INDYCAR Racing The Game.

Tony Gardner, iRacing President, put it plainly in the joint announcement: “We’re bringing everything we know about authentic, immersive racing to consoles and PC, and creating an experience worthy of the INDYCAR name.”

That phrase, “everything we know,” matters. iRacing has been scanning IndyCar tracks and modeling IndyCar cars for years. Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Mid-Ohio, Barber Motorsports Park, the streets of Long Beach. These are circuits that iRacing has refined through millions of laps of competitive sim racing. The expectation is that INDYCAR Racing The Game inherits that groundwork rather than building from scratch.

iRacing has also shown it can expand beyond pure simulation. The ExoCross title (built on the same Orontes engine that powers the IndyCar game) demonstrated the studio’s ability to ship a finished console product. And NASCAR 25, also developed on that engine, confirmed the studio can handle a major licensed racing IP at console scale.

Platforms and What We Know About Availability

INDYCAR Racing The Game is confirmed for three platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. There is no mention of PlayStation 4 or Xbox One in the announcement. The team is building for current hardware, which suggests the visual and simulation targets are set at next-gen standards.

Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus inclusion have not been announced. Pre-order details, pricing, and any special editions are all marked as “to be announced in coming months.” Those details will likely start rolling out as the early 2027 launch window gets closer.

The 2027 Release Window and the Indy 500 Connection

The release window is early 2027, timed specifically around the 2027 Indianapolis 500. That framing is deliberate. The Indy 500 is IndyCar’s Super Bowl: the race that draws mainstream attention, casual fans, and global media coverage that the series does not always get during the regular season.

Launching a dedicated IndyCar game in the lead-up to Indy 500 weekend puts the game in front of the largest possible IndyCar audience. New fans who discover the series through the race can immediately find a way to play it. Existing fans can race at Indianapolis in the game before or after watching the real thing.

The shift from an earlier-rumored 2026 target to early 2027 was confirmed in this announcement. The push is presented as a deliberate quality choice, not a setback. Given what is at stake, getting the game right matters far more than getting it out fast.

What We Know About INDYCAR Racing The Game So Far

Specific gameplay details are still thin, and iRacing is feeding information in controlled waves. What the July 2026 announcement confirmed:

The game targets “hyper-realistic” open-wheel racing. Given iRacing Studios’ background, the physics model is expected to lean toward simulation rather than arcade. How much the difficulty floor will adjust for a mainstream console audience is one of the most important open questions.

Track variety is confirmed across multiple surface types. The announcement referenced Indianapolis Motor Speedway alongside celebrated street circuits, indicating the game will cover the three main track types on the IndyCar calendar: ovals, road courses, and street circuits. No complete track list has been released yet.

The promotional imagery released alongside the name features current NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward, suggesting a current-season roster is planned. No official driver or team list has been confirmed.

Game modes, career structure, online multiplayer functionality, and setup depth are all still to be announced. Alex Damron, INDYCAR’s Chief Marketing Officer, captured what the series is aiming for: “Our new video game will capture the energy and drama of our sport with hyper-realism, bringing our series to a new generation of gamers.”

Why This Matters

IndyCar has not had a mainstream console presence in over 20 years. NASCAR has NASCAR 25. Formula 1 has the EA Sports F1 series. Open-wheel IndyCar racing has been invisible on console since the Champ Car days. That absence has real consequences: no game means no new entry point for fans who discover the sport and want to experience it from behind the wheel.

INDYCAR Racing The Game is the chance to change that. A quality console title on PS5, Xbox, and Steam reaches an audience that the iRacing subscription never will. And if it lands well, if the physics feel right, the track list is strong, and the career mode gives players a reason to stay, it becomes a pillar of IndyCar’s growth outside the US.

Whether it delivers on all of that will become clear as more information is released. For now, the name is confirmed, the platforms are set, and the countdown to early 2027 has started.

What to Expect Next

iRacing and INDYCAR have committed to releasing additional details before launch. Based on typical console game announcement timelines, expect the following to roll out over the coming months: a full track list reveal, official driver and team roster confirmation, a look at game modes and career structure, gameplay trailers showing races in motion, pre-order details and any bonus content, and possibly a playable demo or beta period ahead of the launch window.

IndyGameHub will cover every announcement as it drops. This game is the reason this site exists, and the road to early 2027 starts now.