The news follows statements made during developer Motorsport Games’ Q1 2023 earnings call.
“We have been deploying resources towards well-regarded legacy platforms such as the NASCAR Heat franchise, progressively bringing it closer to season currency,” said new Chief Executive Officer Stephen Hood.
“In the coming days, we will update the product for the 2022 season, complete with next-gen cars for fans to enjoy.”
Heat 5’s downloadable content pack story is longer than the Daytona 500. It stems from the poor performance of the company’s NASCAR 21: Ignition game, which was initially intended to be a new platform, replacing the Heat series.
“[My] focus extends across all of our activities, and as such I am instilling a culture of togetherness and optimism from the top down,” said Hood.
“I’ve seen from afar how our team has been hurt by the inevitable consumer reaction to products like NASCAR 21: Ignition – a title that does not reveal the capability of those who remain with us on this journey.
“Indeed, I believe we are going to turn a corner and with the right products, win over those who understandably questioned our delivery.”
Following the reception, Motorsport Games confirmed it was going back to the older Heat 5 title to work on a paid DLC pack for the 2022 real-world season.
This was initially unveiled with a $12.34 price tag and a 21st October 2022 date. Just seven days later, the price was reduced to $9.99 and a delay was announced, but with no firm schedule. Since then there’s been silence until yesterday’s (11th May) earnings call.
While that will hopefully deliver something soon for NASCAR fans to play, question marks remain about where the virtual gaming series goes from here.
“We are also working on a review of plans to maintain further support for existing franchise titles while progressing with development around future NASCAR games,” continued Hood.
“I’ve seen enough since my return to understand that our primary opportunities revolve around our plans for long-tail franchise games like British Touring Car Championship, IndyCar, innovative opportunities with the [24 Hours of] Le Mans – which includes the World Endurance Championship – and service amplifiers like our evolving competition system which we intended to eventually become an important piece of our strategy in the future.”
In related news, the Miami-headquartered company has shuttered its “micro studios” in both Tbilisi, Georgia and Orlando, USA with a “minor headcount” loss. It now has two main development outposts: Northamptonshire, UK to work across Europe and Melbourne, Australia, where the 2024 IndyCar game is being produced.
“It allows us to architect and manage our development resources in a more effective manner,” explained Hood.
“We have this concept of just trying to centre development operations so that it’s much easier to monitor development progress and ensure we get the right calibre of individuals attached to those known locations.
“That is perhaps a rather large departure from how we started at the beginning of Motorsport Games’ journey, and one I think will pay dividends in the long run. So really, [development] is across Europe right now and Australia.”
The company reported a net loss of $5.3 million in the opening quarter of this financial year, compared to $16 million during the same time period in 2022.
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