F1 26 game release date: there is no F1 26, only a 2026 Season Pack for F1 25, and the next full game is 2027

F1 26 game release date: the short answer

There is no F1 26 game, so there is no F1 26 game release date. EA SPORTS chose not to release a new annual title for 2026. Instead, the 2026 Formula 1 season was added to F1 25 as a downloadable upgrade called the 2026 Season Pack, which launched worldwide on June 3, 2026 at 3PM UTC on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, according to EA and Formula 1's own site.

If you want to play the 2026 season, you have two routes. Owners of F1 25 buy the 2026 Season Pack, which builds directly on the existing game. Anyone starting fresh buys the F1 25: 2026 Season Edition, which bundles the base game with the pack. EA's next full release is not until 2027, so the Season Pack is the 2026 game.

Why EA skipped an F1 26 game

The change was announced in November 2025. The Drive reported on November 18, 2025 that EA, the publisher of the official Formula 1 game, would not release a new title the following year and would instead offer an expansion with the appropriate team and roster changes. EA called it a 'premium content upgrade' that would align with the sport's major 2026 rule changes, bringing new cars, sporting regulations, teams and drivers.

The 2026 season introduced a new generation of cars and regulations, plus new entrants, so a full new game would have been a large rebuild. Shipping an upgrade for F1 25 let EA concentrate on those changes. The Drive also reported the next full release would not arrive until 2027, framed by EA as a deeply authentic and innovative representation of the sport, reimagined into a more expansive experience.

What the 2026 Season Pack adds

The headline is the grid. EA says the F1 grid expands to eleven teams in 2026, and that the pack is the only way to drive the new entrants: Cadillac, described as the first major American car manufacturer to join F1, and Audi, listed as Audi Revolut. Driver changes include Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez at Cadillac, Arvid Lindblad alongside Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls, and Isack Hadjar partnering Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing.

The new cars are lighter, with active aerodynamics, and EA highlights Overtake Mode, a deployable boost of nearly 500 horsepower, plus real-time front and rear wing adjustments. EA also notes that some final car models would arrive in a post-launch update. Formula 1's own site adds improved assist options for controller and wheel players, which is useful if you play without a racing wheel.

The Madring circuit and the 2026 calendar

Madring is the new circuit in the pack. EA describes it as the first new F1 circuit since 2023, a hybrid street and purpose-built track in Madrid with 5.4 km and 22 corners. It is included only in the Season Pack or Season Edition, and EA states it can only be driven with the 2026 cars, because it was designed for the new season. Formula 1 reports it arrived 100 days ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.

The calendar changes too. EA says Driver Career and My Team include an updated calendar featuring the new Spanish Grand Prix. The pack covers Driver Career, My Team, Grand Prix, Time Trial, split-screen and unranked multiplayer. In My Team, your custom squad becomes the twelfth team on the grid, since the official grid has eleven teams.

Season Pack vs Season Edition: which should you buy

The decision is simple. EA's own wording: if you already own F1 25, the Season Pack builds directly onto your existing game, giving immediate access to the new season. If you are starting fresh, the Season Edition combines the base game with the 2026 content. The pack requires F1 25, all game updates, an internet connection and an EA account, per EA's footnotes.

We have not quoted prices because they vary by platform and region, and the figures we found came from secondary listings rather than a store page opened in this run. Check your platform's store before buying. One useful note: EA's footnotes say F1 25 was available to download until November 2 for PlayStation Plus members, which matches PlayStation's announcement that October's Monthly Games, including F1 25, can be added until Monday, November 2, 2026. Whether a claimed copy is accepted for the pack is for the store page to confirm.

What does not carry over

The most important caveat is saves. EA states that custom teams and career saves from the 2025 season do not transfer to the 2026 season. If you have invested hours in a long My Team or Driver Career save, the 2026 season starts as a new save with the latest teams, drivers, rules, objectives and calendar. Your old 2025 saves remain in the base game.

EA also notes that the Konnersport and APXGP teams cannot be added to the 2026 season of Driver Career or My Team. Plan for a fresh start when you switch.

What has changed since June

The pack has been updated regularly. EA's news page lists patch notes through the summer, including v1.22, v1.23 and v1.24. On September 7, 2026, EA announced a content update bringing the 2026 Formula 2 season to the game for pack and edition owners, a Sports Update including Ferrari's 'Macarena' rear wing and livery tweaks across eight teams, and seven special liveries claimable through the in-game mailbox.

EA also ran a free weekend on Steam and Xbox from September 10 to 14, with progress carrying over if players then bought the Season Edition. Those dates have passed, but they show the pack is being supported as a live product rather than left as a one-off. The v1.25 patch notes list the F2 addition and sponsor changes as highlights.

When is the next F1 game?

The Drive's November 2025 report says EA plans the next full F1 game for 2027. EA described it as reimagined, with new ways to play, and built for the global growth of F1 fandom. We have not found a confirmed release date, platform list or price for it, and EA has not, in the sources we opened, named a month.

So the honest timeline is this: the 2026 season is available now through the Season Pack; the next full game is expected in 2027 with no date set. If you search for F1 26 and see pages claiming a standalone game, be cautious. Some low-quality pages repeat old guesses. The reliable sources are EA's F1 25 news page and Formula 1's own site.