Driving game release calendar for 2020

2020 is set to be a big year for gamers, with a host of new hardware including next-generation iterations of both Xbox and Playstation consoles slated for a Q4 release, and no shortage of games that will no doubt be exploiting the new levels of power and functionality of those improved consoles (and their backwards compatibility!).

Below, we’ve compiled an extensive release calendar, featuring the significant racing and automotive titles on the horizon. We'll keep it updated throughout the year, so what you see right here probably isn't everything that we'll see in 2020. Check back often!

9

Dirt 2.0 - Colin McRae ‘Flat Out’ DLC

Release date: March 24
Platforms: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One

Those of you of a certain age will know that Codemasters’ Dirt franchise was born out of the Colin McRae Rally series, so the arrival of the new McRae-specific DLC for Dirt 2.0 will essentially see the rally sim go back to its roots. A tribute to the late Scottish rally champ, the ‘Flat Out’ DLC brings with it a brand-new Scottish rally series that’s 12 stages long, two unique cars (McRae’s Subaru Legacy and his legendary Subaru Impreza WRC S4) and a whole campaign that retraces his career. A must-have for rally aficionados.

Snowrunner

Release date: April 28
Platforms: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One

An off-shoot of the popular MudRunner off-road simulator, SnowRunner is pegged as the “ultimate” off-road simulator with stunning modern graphics, advanced physics and an expansive selection of maps and vehicles.This game isn’t about going fast, but instead focuses on precision in picking your lines, finding the grip and passing daunting obstacles either solo or with up to three-mates!

9

Trackmania Nations

Release date: May 15
Platforms: PC

A remake of the original 2006 release, TrackMania Nations returns in 2020 for Windows PC and includes an official season campaign as well as a new track-creation mode with new surfaces and special blocks. Think of it as a virtual HotWheels track, with high-rise suspended tracks and more jumps and loops than your fictional open-wheeler can poke a tierod at.

Forza Street

Release date: May 5
Platforms: Android, iOS

Forza Street has actually been around for a while, having been released in mid-2018 on the Windows platform under the name Miami Street and only being re-branded under the Forza umbrella late last year. It's not much of a racing game - you only have one control, the brake pedal, with steering and acceleration being handled automatically - and the style, presentation and story-driven nature of Forza Street makes it more reminiscent of Need For Speed Heat than any existing Forza title. Check out the video above if you don't believe us.

It's finally coming to Android and iOS, but should you even care? We don't.

9

Fast & Furious Crossroads

Release date: May 29
Platforms: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One

Coinciding with the May release of Fast & Furious 9, Fast & Furious Crossroads promises a multi-platform “team-based, vehicular-heist action game”. Featuring voice acting from Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Tyrese Gibson – and sees players delve into the “murky world of international espionage”.

9

Torque Drift PC

Release date: Mid-2020
Platforms: PC

Australian developer Greasemonkey Games is giving its popular mobile game Torque Drift a high-res makeover, and is set to port the title to the PC platform in the middle of this year. Early access gets underway this month, while the full release is penciled in for the middle of this year.

Assetto Corsa Competizione - console version

Release date: June 23
Platforms: Xbox One, Playstation 4

After bringing the GT World Challenge to the PC platform in laser-scanned ultra-high fidelity, Kunos Simulazioni will finally debut Assetto Corsa Competizione on the Playstation 4 and Xbox One in the middle of this year to broaden its reach.

A super-realistic racing sim, the learning curve for Competizione is steep - but the game boasts sumptuous visuals courtesy of the Unreal Engine 4 and in-game sounds that are widely regarded as the most realistic and true-to-life in the entire driving game genre.

9

Drift 21

Release date: Spring 2020
Platform: PC

This one was originally slated to release late last year and was called Drift 19 up until recently, but has been held over for unspecified reasons and retitled ‘Drift 21’ to suit. When it arrives, it’ll bring a bevy of drift-scene stalwarts like the Toyota AE86 Sprinter, BMW E30 and E36, NB Mazda MX-5 and more, along with the real-world driftopia of Ebisu circuit. Car customisation will be literally nut-and-bolt, with each vehicle’s mechanicals rendered in 3D and brand-name parts being featured, but will it be any good? We should find out shortly.

9

Gran Turismo 7

Release Date: Q4
Platforms: Playstation 4/Playstation 5

It’s been seven years since Gran Turismo 6, and while the online-focused GT Sport (2017) has done well to tide us over; fans of the genre can’t wait to sink their teeth in to the promising new instalment. We don’t have a release date yet, but this is a cornerstone title that promises to take full advantage of the new Playstation 5. The new GT title hasn’t actually been confirmed as ‘Gran Turismo 7’, but with a whole new console around the corner, all signs point to an all-new title to accompany the next generation hardware.

9

Forza Motorsport 8

Release Date: Q4
Platforms: Xbox One/Xbox Series X, PC

With Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox Series X console also slated for a Q4 release, we can fully expect a new Forza Motorsport instalment to launch simultaneously. Having previously followed a bi-annual launch schedule between its sister open-world Forza Horizon franchise, on paper we should have seen an FM8 on the cards last year. Development was pushed back however, with many predicting a coinciding release with the next-gen platform. The upcoming Forza title promises a “vastly different and amazing experience”, with more realistic tyre temperature models, dynamic weather and track temperature systems, simulated air-density models and more.

9

Dangerous Driving 2

Release Date: Q4
Platforms: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One

Dangerous Driving is developed by former members of Criterion Games, as a spiritual successor to the beloved Burnout series – which was put on ice by publisher EA who moved 80% of Criterion staff to Ghost Games to focus on the Need for Speed franchise. Many of the same takedown mechanics of the Burnout series returns, with players battling against AI and online players to cross the line first, by any means necessary.