EA Confirms No F1 26 Release, Announces Major F1 25 Expansion to Cover the 2026 Season Ahead of Full Franchise Reset in 2027
Electronic Arts has confirmed a significant shift in its Formula One game development strategy. Instead of releasing F1 26 next year, the publisher will deliver a substantial premium expansion for EA Sports F1 25, designed to cover the full 2026 Formula One season. The mainline annual release will return in 2027 with the launch of EA Sports F1 27.
The company shared the announcement through an official blog post, which can be accessed here: EA F1 Franchise Announcement. According to EA, the decision forms part of what it calls a strategic reset for the F1 franchise.
The company stated that the direction for next year comes off the back of the strong commercial and critical performance of F1 25. Player feedback, media coverage, creator community response, and professional F1 driver impressions all contributed to the confidence behind continuing to build on the existing release through a major content update. EA says the expansion will deliver a detailed representation of the major changes coming to the sport in 2026, which include new cars, updated sporting regulations, team adjustments, and driver roster shifts.
EA wrote:
“Following on from F1 25’s commercial and critical success with praise from players, media, content creators, and F1 drivers alike the team is building on the experience through a paid expansion. The premium content update will bring players closer to the sport’s major changes for 2026 that includes new cars, sporting regulations, teams, and drivers.”
The company added that the decision is part of a broader franchise reset aimed at preparing a distinctly different F1 title for 2027:
“The decision to offer a premium content update for F1 25 is part of a strategic reset for the F1 Franchise. In 2027, a new game will be released that looks, feels, and plays differently, delivering more gameplay choices.”
🚨 ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨
— EA SPORTS F1 (@EASPORTSF1) November 18, 2025
EA SPORTS will release a paid expansion for #F125 in 2026, with the current game serving as the foundation for the 2026 season.
Additionally, 2027 will see the release of a new, reimagined EA SPORTS F1 title, that looks, feels, and plays differently.
📕 Read… pic.twitter.com/Rk8hOmT1Yw
Codemasters senior creative director Lee Mather reinforced the long term commitment:
“We are fully committed to the EA Sports F1 franchise. Our multi year plan extends this year’s excitement with the 2026 expansion and reimagines the F1 experience for 2027 to deliver even more for players at every level around the world.”
With Codemasters taking a development gap year to prepare for the next full release, the transition between F1 25 and F1 27 becomes a significant moment for the franchise. The success of 2026’s paid expansion will likely be influenced heavily by pricing and player perception of its overall value, especially as EA navigates this new approach for a series historically driven by annual releases.
What are your thoughts on EA’s decision to pause the annual F1 cycle? Do you prefer a premium expansion or a yearly full release? Share your opinion with us.
