NASCAR 25 is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious stock car games in recent memory. It’s being built on Unreal Engine 5 by iRacing Studios (via Monster Games), and promises laser-scanned tracks for better accuracy, content spanning all four of NASCAR’s national series (Cup, Xfinity, Truck, and ARCA), nearly 190 licensed drivers, and over 400 paint schemes. The release date for consoles (PS5 & Xbox Series X/S) has been set as October 14, 2025, with the PC version coming later. But the recent hype trailer and track-list reveals have stirred up concern among fans.

While 30 unique tracks across the series are confirmed, several ARCA-exclusive tracks from the 2025 season are missing, including Berlin Raceway, Elko Speedway, Salem Speedway, Toledo, and others. Also, two Cup tracks, Bowman Gray Stadium and Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, don’t appear in the list.

The Dev Diary videos have given only short glimpses of gameplay, mostly cockpit views, menu/UI screens, and track art, leading many to say we haven’t yet seen enough of what the actual racing feels like.

Being a huge upgrade from the outdated NASCAR Heat tech, the game promised laser-scanned tracks for pinpoint accuracy, authentic rosters across the Cup, Xfinity, Trucks, and ARCA series, and a deep career mode packed with “turning points” that let players make game-changing decisions on and off the track.

Despite the fascinating early impressions, NASCAR 25 may fall out of favor due to the latest fact that was unveiled. iRacing released the track list for the game for all four series: Cup, Xfinity, Trucks, and ARCA. There are 30 unique tracks, 91 total when counting duplicates, in the game, with many being available for multiple series.

Each track will be available to race in Career Mode, Quick Race, Online, and Championship Mode. There is a lack of clarity about whether different series can race on different tracks. But a NASCAR fan on Reddit noticed the glaring absence of a few tracks. They are Bowman Gray Stadium, Mexico City, Portland, and a few ARCA Menards Series tracks. Fans on Reddit were quick to share their reservations.

Fans are not happy

One user hit the nail on the head, “Seems like the original announcement was a bit of an oversell. I’m not saying a few missing tracks is a deal breaker, but I am questioning what we’re actually going to be getting vs what was first promised. Time will tell.”

The official list clocks in at 30 unique tracks, 91 total with duplicates, but skips key spots like Bowman Gray Stadium, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez (Mexico City), Portland, and ARCA gems such as Berlin Raceway, Elko Speedway, Salem Speedway, and Toledo. These omissions sting because the 2025 real-life schedule included them with early hype.

Another fan called out the marketing, “Game was announced on October 5th, 2023, pretty much 2 years ago. We are a month away from release and have not seen any meaty gameplay videos. Not sure what kind of marketing strategy that is, but it’s not overly enthralling.” The October 5, 2023, reveal kicked off a long wait, but with consoles dropping on October 14, 2025, and PC later, fans have only gotten short cockpit clips, menus, and track art in the fifth Dev Diary.

The cautionary advice flowed, “I fear people will buy it upon releasing, like they do every big game, and the company will look at those initial profits as a major success. You’re not going to go crazy if you wait a couple days to buy the game, wait for initial reviews, and potentially save yourself $60-$70.”

Pre-orders mask issues, as seen with Ignition’s 43 Metacritic score from bugs and cut content, leading to refunds and patches. With no cross-play at launch and features like the driver market missing year one, the $70 price feels risky. Fans are smart to hold off, especially after the track omissions hint at a rushed or limited launch.

One user questioned the trailers, “The fact they’re spending all this time showing screenshots instead of actual gameplay is a bit sus to me.” Screenshots of tracks like Bristol and Darlington, menu previews, and wireframes dominate, but in-race motion is scarce, only a shaky 14-second clip in August’s diary.

The hype fatigue hit hard, “I tried to remain optimistic for a while but I’m seeing a lot of red flags. They were hesitant to share much about the game for a long time, now we’re knocking on the door of the release date and they are still trickling out the least amount of content they possibly can. Do they know their game is bad and they are afraid to show too much? Because if it was good wouldn’t they want to scream it from the mountain tops?”

The two-year wait since 2023 has been light on substance, with Motorsport Games’ $36 million 2022 losses and 2023 layoffs adding doubt. Without extended gameplay, fans feel strung along, echoing Ignition’s pre-release avoidance that led to a buggy disaster.

The harshest take, “I’ve said from day 1 it’s going to be a disappointment. Graphics looks like shit, limited game play with the only ‘reviews’ being folks that dropped quotes that were clearly not made by them talking about how great it is. It’ll be another flop like they all have been since the early 2000s EA days.”

Screenshots show oversaturated textures and dated lighting in Unreal Engine 5, with early “reviews” from influencers like Noah Gragson feeling scripted. The EA 2000s era, criticized for stagnation and glitches in titles like NASCAR 07, set a bar later games couldn’t clear, and fans fear NASCAR 25 is next.