11 Exciting Driving Games Still to Come in 2026 and Beyond

2026 poses a strange year not just for driving games, but for the video game industry as a whole, mainly because of one specific game that’s arriving in November. You know the one.

This has basically forced every other game developer under the sun to rethink their release strategies, but there’s nevertheless plenty of driving and racing games to look forward to both for the remainder of this year and into the next. Let’s take a look, then at some of the most exciting that are due to arrive in the next year or so.

Forza Horizon 6 on PS5

Release date: TBC 2026

Platforms: PS5 (obviously)

That entire subheading would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, but with Microsoft loosening its exclusivity rights for a number of its flagship Xbox franchises, the sixth and perhaps greatest entry in the Forza Horizon franchise is making its way onto the PS5 in addition to the Xbox Series S/X and PC.

Thankfully, there won’t be the near four-year wait between Xbox and PS5 releases there was for Horizon 5. Developer Playground games has confirmed that the PlayStation version of Horizon 6 will arrive at some stage in 2026, although exactly when is still unconfirmed.

Hot Wheels Infinite Rush

Release date: 10 September 2026

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, Switch 2

What if Forza Horizon, but with Hot Wheels cars? That’s basically the elevator pitch for Hot Wheels Infinite Rush (ignoring the fact that previous Horizon games have already featured Hot Wheels-themed expansions).

Infinite Rush will take place across four themed open-world islands, with upwards of 150 customisable vehicles split into four classes and spanning both original Hot Wheels models and licensed cars (notably, Ferrari is making its first appearance in a Hot Wheels game).

NASCAR 26

Release date: 18 September 2026

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X

After a few dismal-to-middling entries, the official NASCAR tie-in games were back on form in 2025, with the series now under the umbrella of sim racing juggernaut iRacing. We can expect more of the same from NASCAR 26, which is launching on PCs and consoles next month.

Fundamentally, it shouldn’t differ too wildly from the successful NASCAR 25, although we’re promised updated physics and new features including a one-on-one driver training mode. There’ll be a bit of new content to indulge in too, including the Cup Series’ new street circuit on a naval base near San Diego and the return of the Ram name to the third-tier Truck Series.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer

Release date: 6 October 2026

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X

This could so easily fall into the bucket of ‘forgettable movie franchise tie-in games’, but Star Wars: Galactic Racer looks set to be a seriously enjoyable arcade racer whether you’re a Star Wars devotee or couldn’t give two hoots about the franchise.

Developer Fuse Games is made up of ex-Criterion staff with the Burnout and Need for Speed franchises on their CVs, Galactic Racer will feature an in-depth career mode that runs the gamut from landspeeders to the podracers that were the only memorable parts of The Phantom Menace. Boost systems that can overheat add an element of strategy to the racing, which takes place in beautifully recreated landscapes from the film franchise and also features some deep cut characters. No word yet  on whether Glup Shitto will be in the game.

Over the Hill

Release date: 14 October 2026

Platforms: PC (console versions coming 2027)

Bringing the pace down significantly, cosy lo-fi indie off-road sim Over the Hill is set to release in full on 14 October following a slow drip-feed of information since early 2025 and a limited-time demo this summer.

The game, which will see players explore various gorgeously-realised open-world maps in a variety of customisable cars closely inspired by classic 4x4s, looks set to be the perfect antidote to the typical fast-paced, pulse-raising racing game fare, and it’s one we’re very excited to get stuck into on those chilly autumn nights.

Endurance Motorsport Series

Release date: TBC 2026

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X

Publisher Nacon may have been more in the headlines this year for its financial issues, but work continues on Endurance Motorsport Series, a weirdly generic name for what promises to be quite a unique take on the racing game formula.

While the cars, consisting of modern endurance racing machinery like GT3s and Le Mans Hypercars, are fairly par for the course for a racing game in 2026, where EMS promises to differ is in the gameplay. It’ll blend elements of a regular racing game with those of a management title, allowing players to switch on the fly between driving and working on the strategy team on the pit wall. A mixture of licensed and fictional circuits completes the package.

Grand Theft Auto VI

Release date: 19 November 2026

Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series S/X

Ah yes, that game. The one that’s presumably been causing every other video game developer in the business a massive headache. Over 13 years on from the last entry and after a couple of delays, GTA VI is finally set to arrive on 19 November, presumably causing a brief slowdown of the global economy as everyone takes a couple of days off work to play it.

Obviously, it’s not technically a driving game, but cars have naturally always been a core part of the GTA series (the clue is sort of in the name) and VI looks set to bring the biggest and most widely customisable vehicle roster the series has ever seen, as well as likely the biggest ever map to explore them with.

Clutch

Release date: Spring 2027

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X

Here’s something you don’t see every day: a triple-A arcade racing game featuring a brand new IP. In the olden days, this wouldn’t have been remarkable, but it’s a very rare event these days.

Launching in 2027, Clutch comes from startup studio Maverick Games, at the head of which is ex-Forza Horizon creative director Mike Brown. That’s a good starting point, as is what looks like a gloriously detailed open-world French Riviera map, and a strong variety of customisable cars. A number of James Bond-esque gadgets look set to bring a new dimension to gameplay too, even if they are dividing the internet’s opinion. It also remains to be seen whether the game’s narrative-focused story, featuring a big-name cast including Peter Serafinowicz and Little Simz, works well or falls into the all-too-common pit of racing game story cringe.

IndyCar Racing The Game

Release date: early 2027

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X

Clumsy name, but otherwise, this is a title the sim racing world has been waiting all too long for. There hasn’t been an official IndyCar game since 2004, but after an ultimately abandoned attempt by Motorsport Games, the series is finally getting its own dedicated title again under the auspices of iRacing.

We don’t have much information yet, but it’s safe to assume the game will replicate a full  IndyCar season – presumably the 2026 one, based on the cars included in the early screenshots – including the flagship Indianapolis 500. Hopefully, we’ll also be treated to the junior Indy NXT series and perhaps a bit of classic content too, but this is all speculation. IndyCar says the game is “expected to launch in the countdown to the 2027 Indianapolis 500,” which will take place on 30 May next year, so expect a lot more info in the runup to that.

F1 27

Release date: TBC 2027

Platforms: TBC

For the first time since Codemasters took on the franchise in 2009, there’s been no official F1 game in 2026, with this year’s controversial new cars as well as the new Madring circuit instead arriving as part of a 2026 season expansion for F1 25.

This is because Codemasters and parent company EA are planning a big change in 2027 for an annual series that had certainly started to feel a little stale. Details are still under wraps for now, but we’re promised that it’ll be “reimagined into a more expansive experience with new ways to play for fans around the world.” Quite what this means isn’t clear, but a fresh start for the franchise certainly can’t be a bad thing.

The 2027 WRC game

Release date: TBC 2027

Platforms: TBC

That’s an unofficial title, obviously. Much like the series itself, the official tie-in games for the WRC have been through the ringer a bit lately. After 2022’s WRC Generations marked the end of seven years of French developer KT Racing creating them, the rights to the series were acquired by EA Sports, with development handled by rally game veterans Codemasters. They duly delivered EA Sports WRC in 2023, only for that relationship to abruptly come to an end barely a year later amid one of EA’s many reshuffles staff redundancies at Codemasters.

The rights to the WRC games were swiftly transferred back to KT Racing’s parent company Nacon, with a promise of a new game in 2027. That still looks set to happen, but with a twist: instead of KT Racing, it’ll be developed by a newly established studio named Grit Games. We don’t know a whole lot else right now, but it’s been confirmed that, like EA Sports WRC, the nascent title will be developed around the Unreal Engine. It’s been a topsy-turvy couple of years reminiscent of the one experienced by the sport itself of late, but we remain hopeful that we’ll get a solid rally game out of it.