Late last year, Electronic Arts acquired the developer of the F1 video game series Codemasters. The two have now officially announced the latest title in the series with F1 2021. This will be EA’s first foray into the motorsport of Formula One since 2002 when it had the license to create racing games. While not heavily involved, Codemasters will still be developing these titles. F1 2021 will be launching on both current and previous generation consoles along with PC on July 16. It is the official game of the Formula One 2021 season and will include three new tracks that are on the schedule this year: Imola, Portimao and Jeddah. These will be available as free post-launch content, but a slew of new additions will be in F1 2021.
Codemasters and EA are introducing Breaking Point, which is new story mode and is a first for the F1 series. The story takes players along an epic journey from Formula 2 to Formula One and will provide a taste of the glitz and glamour of being a Formula One driver. It will re-introduce Devon Butler to fans who was first introduced in F1 2019.
“Braking Point is an exciting innovation that has been years in the making. We are proud to expand the game experience and allow players to live the highs and lows of life in Formula 1 both on and off the track,” said Lee Mather, Franchise Game Director at Codemasters. “Braking Point transforms the game and puts players centre stage in the greatest racing spectacle on the planet.”
F1 2021 will also include an expanded Career Mode that allows two players to compete online and play either cooperatively or choose separate teams. Each driver will have complete control over their assists and will also include Real-World Starts. This allows players to jump in at whatever point in the season they desire and it will feature real-time driver and constructor standings.
“We are creating more choice and new ways to play. Real-Season Start allows players to align their career to the F1 season,” said Paul Jeal, F1 Senior Franchise Director at Codemasters. “The addition of two-player Career brings new challenges to the iconic game mode. Players can now choose to play co-operatively and share in the success or compete and strive for personal glory.”
Codemasters and EA are also including My Team for the first time as a driver-manager experience. The card-based game mode makes its debut in the F1 series as EA offers this across all its sports titles. There will also be split-screen racing, shorter racing options for F1 and F2 seasons, eSports integration, and faster load times and higher graphical fidelity on next generation consoles. Players can pre-order F1 2021 and are provided access to the Breaking Point Content Pack. This includes exclusive in-game items that are directly tied to the fictional characters from the Breaking Point story and 5,000 Pit Coins.
There will also be a Digital Deluxe Edition of F1 2021. Those who pre-order this will granted 18,000 Pit Coins, seven soon-to-be unveiled iconic F1 drivers for use in My Team, customization content and also the Breaking Point Content Pack. F1 2021 will also support Xbox Smart Delivery and PS5 Free Upgrade if you purchase the previous generation version of the title. You can check out the trailer below.
