23-year-old sim Live For Speed is apparently entering ‘The Next Era’, if a blog post by developer Scawen Roberts is anything to go by.
Valtteri Bottas’s favourite sim™ is still enjoyed by a hardy bunch of virtual racers, but its pace of development can be frustratingly described as glacial, with few significant game updates occurring over the last few years (although, to be fair, the game is predominantly the work of just three people).
However, with the dawn of the game’s 0.7A update in 2021, players could create and download mods for LFS, giving it a whole new lease of life. This even contributed to the release of a fully licensed Škoda Felicia Kit Car last December.
The game’s last major licence update, S3, arrived 10 years ago, including the now-defunct Rockingham (UK) track, but it seems like fans should be anticipating something new from LFS soon…
New content?
Speculating on the contents of LFS’s ‘Next Era’ isn’t easy, given the lack of publicly available information, but what we do know is that the game’s development team has previewed two new tracks in the past: Bancroft Autodrome and Fairfield Test Centre.
The former appears to be a Top Gear Test Track-style circuit, seeing as it’s based around an aerodrome (like the real-world Dunsfold Aerodrome frequented by Clarkson, Hammond and May), but its layout shares more in common with the high-speed Thruxton circuit.
The latter, on the other hand, appears to be a Millbrook Proving Ground-esque vehicle testing facility, which is sure to provide a variety of uses for players.
New graphics?
Day-to-night transitions and improved visuals have also previously been showcased (alongside tyre model updates), and this seems to fit in with the game’s currently selected YouTube Premiere thumbnail, depicting blurred light trails and a darkening sky.
However, what has never been in question with LFS is how it feels to drive, with responsive handling and immersive physics helping sustain it for well over two decades.
Visual (and audio!) upgrades in LFS would be huge news for hardcore sim racers, perhaps providing a soothing antidote to the recent sub-standard releases of Project Motor Racing and Rennsport.
However, we’ll have to wait until 18:30 UTC tonight (8th December 2025) to find out exactly what the future holds for Live For Speed’s ‘Next Era’.
Intriguing…
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