Gran Turismo World Series esports competition returns for 2022, minus the FIA

The lauded Gran Turismo World Series esports competition is back, and this time within Gran Turismo 7.

Using the in-game Sport Mode competitive multiplayer system, the World Series has delivered two highly competitive competitions over four years, and this is set to continue in 2022.

The Nations Cup and Manufacturers Cup will continue. The former is more of a solo effort and the latter a team game. Ital won the Nations Cup in 2021 thanks to Valerio Gallo, while Toyota took the Manufacturer Series with the drivers Tomoaki Yamanaka, Igor Fraga and Coque López.

The same basic format remains this season as the competition transitions from GT Sport to Gran Turismo 7, with Genesis now part of the Manufacturer Series. In fact, the premium Korean car brand has become an official partner of the competition alongside Brembo.

In format this is similar to the 2021 event, all races are open to all Gran Turismo 7 players. These will be broken down into two main ‘Seasons’, with three additional ‘World Series’ rounds for top-ranked online racers, a mid-season ‘World Series Showdown’ event for existing Gran Turismo professionals vs the top-ranked drivers from Season 1.

Of course, it all culminates in the World Finals towards the end of the year.

Season 1 of the World Series consists of six races and starts on 27th May for the Manufacturer Series and 28th May for the Nations Cup. The ‘Season’ races are not events broadcast live, but rather in-game races where you can score points and hopefully move up the rankings.

One key item of note is the lack of Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile association. The FIA – licensing and sanctioning body behind Formula 1and the WRC, for example – is listed as a partner within Gran Turismo 7‘s Brand Central but looks to no longer offer its accreditation for Gran Turismo’s esports event.

We don’t expect this to change the quality of competition or racing. A new update for the game will also be released tomorrow, bringing with it at least three new cars.

To take part in the first races, simply load Gran Turismo 7 at the appropriate dates and enter one of the timed races. You will be placed into a split based upon your Sport Mode ranking.

2022 Nations Cup Calendar

2022 Manufacturers Cup Calendar