EA has shared its decision to “stop further development and investment” in Project CARS, a racing game series developed by Slightly Mad Studios.
according to GamesIndustry.biz, EA assessed the status of the Project CARS series and decided it was best to discontinue the franchise and focus on other titles in its portfolio. The publisher confirmed its decision in a statement to the outlet, saying affected staff would be transferred to “appropriate” roles within the company whenever possible.
An EA spokesperson said, “Today, we have internally announced an update to our racing portfolio. Decided to stop.
“Decisions like these are very difficult, but we can focus on areas where we believe we have the strongest opportunity to create experiences our fans love. With IP and open-world experience, we will expand our franchise to be more socially driven with long-term live services that engage our global community.
“We are working with all those impacted by this decision to ensure they are placed in their appropriate roles across the EA Sports and Racing portfolios, as well as the rest of EA. Our priority is to provide our employees with as much support as possible through this transition.”
Slightly Mad Studios was acquired by Codemasters in 2019. EA bought Codemasters for his $1.2 billion in 2021. As part of the acquisition, EA has identified room for further growth in racing games. The acquisition will allow the publisher to increase its presence on the track and “bring the racing experience to fans on a more regular basis.”
However, the first two games in the Project CARS series were pulled from digital stores in September and October due to expired car and truck licenses.Meanwhile, the mobile game Project CARS GO shut down for 7 months After its release in March 2021. The third title was poorly received by critics, with IGN calling it “a total of 180 for the series”.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer at IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
