Why does nobody like racing video games anymore?

August 1, 2026 - 05:39

It is strange to look at the current gaming landscape and realize that Forza Horizon is essentially the last man standing. A decade ago, you had Gran Turismo, Need for Speed, Project CARS, and even the arcade fun of Burnout. Now, if you are not playing a live-service kart racer or a hardcore simulator with a thousand-dollar wheel setup, there is almost nothing left. I have been thinking about why this happened, and I think it comes down to a few uncomfortable truths.

First, the open-world formula that made Forza Horizon a hit is incredibly expensive to replicate. Building a living, breathing map with dynamic seasons and hundreds of cars takes years and a massive budget. Most publishers see that risk and decide it is not worth it. Second, the audience changed. Racing games used to be a social activity, something you played on a couch with friends. Now, the competitive scene is dominated by battle royales and shooters, which offer a faster dopamine hit. Racing, by its nature, is about consistency and learning tracks, which feels like homework to a generation raised on instant respawns.

There is also a perception problem. Racing games are often viewed as either too casual or too technical. The middle ground, where you could drift a car around a corner without needing to know the exact brake pressure, seems to have vanished. And when a studio does try something new, like a story-driven racer, it gets compared to the old classics and fails to meet those impossible expectations. So we are left with one giant franchise, and a bunch of niche titles that only appeal to the most dedicated fans. It is a shame, because there is still nothing quite like the feeling of a perfect lap. But until someone figures out how to make that accessible and fresh again, the genre will likely keep spinning its wheels.