The NASCAR 25 game is launching faster than expected, with new features aiming to win back longtime fans. Even William Byron is having a full-circle moment, being on the cover of NASCAR 25, whose career started primarily on the iRacing platform and not the traditional karts. The game has over 190 licensed drivers, more than 400 paint schemes, and a career mode that lets you climb from ARCA to the Cup Series. Yet, as the September 18 pre-order date approaches, unease is creeping in with missing venues and ARCA cards. And fans have not shied away from voicing their frustration.

NASCAR 25 was supposed to be the clean break fans have begged for, and on paper, it looks like iRacing delivered. Built on Unreal Engine 5, the game features laser-scanned tracks, the full suite of NASCAR’s top four series, and a 40-player online mode. That’s not just fan service; that’s decades of wishlist items finally crossing the finish line. Career mode, quick race, championship seasons, and multiplayer chaos—it’s all packed in. For the first time in a long time, NASCAR gamers were not just cautiously optimistic; they were flat-out giddy.

The tracklist reveals everything from superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega to short tracks such as Bristol and Martinsville  — basically the whole spectrum of what fans love. Even early gameplay hints are promising; playtests featuring real drivers and UI sneak peeks have amplified hopes that this game might actually deliver something the NASCAR gaming community has been missing. To make it even better, it promises all four national NASCAR series, including Cup, Xfinity, Truck, and ARCA, so the players can make their own way up the ladder.

But as with every big reveal, the flipside showed up fast. Once the first poster dropped, fans who were riding high on hope hit a snag. The poster showing Christopher Bell, William Byron, and Ryan Blaney raised eyebrows, not for who was on it, but how it was. Social media lit up with critiques that Bell’s face was hidden, helmet on, while Byron and Blaney’s faces were visible. What should’ve been a triumphant look at these stars’ moment felt lopsided.

And now, with the gameplay reveal trailer dropping the same day as the pre-order opening, uncertainty looms. Meanwhile, the game that is set to launch on October 14 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, fans are having second thoughts.

NASCAR fans dread the release of NASCAR 25 as pre-order dates inch closer

When the new NASCAR game was announced, fans didn’t exactly break out the champagne. The mood was more like a long, exhausted sigh, and the community didn’t hesitate to voice their opinions on Reddit. One fan summed it up in true blunt fashion, saying, “Bout damn time. I still can’t believe the track list though, disappointing. Hopefully this makes up for that.” Relieved that something new is finally here? Sure, but underneath it, there’s the kind of skepticism that only comes from years of being burned.

And burned they have been. One fan wrote, “I’m one of those miserable people. I’m just hoping for a playable game. That’s all I want.” While another piled on, saying, “We couldn’t even get a full Cup schedule in 2025. Never pre-order, just wait until launch when people have the game and judge from there.” These aren’t haters; they are loyal diehards who want to believe but know better than to get caught up in the shiny trailers and pre-order bonuses.

When iRacing finally dropped the official track list of NASCAR 25, fans were quick to notice the missing pieces. The Cup Series comes up two short of its full 29-race slate, leaving out Bowman Gray Stadium, the Clash’s new home, and Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, which was axed from the 2026 calendar. Xfinity fans took a hit too, losing Mexico City and Portland, while ARCA suffered the biggest blow, with seven short tracks gone, including Berlin, Salem, and Toledo.

To patch the gap, iRacing added legacy venues like Martinsville and North Wilkesboro, bumping ARCA’s count to 16. The Craftsman Truck Series, meanwhile, gets the gold star as the only lineup with every scheduled track intact. Still, the overall total of 30 unique tracks across all four series had fans raising eyebrows, especially after a Dev Diary teased the freedom to mix and match series on any track.

By the time the conversation shifted to platforms, the disappointment boiled over. “Damn, that is disappointing… had not heard that so was fully expecting it to be on PC to start,” complained one fan, while another admitted, “I wish I had the faith to pre-order. Been burned too many times.” And then came a comment that perfectly captured the collective heartbreak of the community: “Please just be a good game, man, I can’t do it with another cycle of bad NASCAR games.”

For longtime fans, this isn’t about nitpicking details; it’s about surviving yet another lap in the endless race of hype, hope, and heartbreak.