It’s sadly not uncommon for racing games to disappear from sale due to expiring licenses. Next for the scrapheap are Project CARS 1 and 2, the simulation racing games from Slightly Mad Studios, which will disappear from sale on October 3rd and September 21st respectively.
Slightly Mad made the announcement on Twitter:
An update from the Slightly Mad Team on #ProjectCARS and #ProjectCARS2. pic.twitter.com/VtWEow5jao
— Project CARS (@projectcarsgame) August 22, 2022
“Due to expiring car & track licenses, both Project CARS and Project CARS 2 will be delisted from sale in the coming months,” starts the message. “The games remain fully playable, and our players will still be able to enjoy all the game features, including multiplayer.”
CARS 1 was released in 2015 and CARS 2 in 2017, making it somewhat interesting that both games are being delisted at the same time. The more recent Project CARS 3, released in 2020, will remain on sale.
There’s also a nod to the future in the message, with Slightly Mad saying they “remain focused on making the best sim racing titles” and “look forward to sharing more on the next Slightly Mad project when the time is right.” The UK studio have undergone a lot of changes in recent years, with Codemasters buying them in 2019 and Electronic Arts buying Codemasters in 2021. At the time of the Codemasters acquisition, it was said that Slightly Mad were working on Project CARS 3 and an as-yet unannounced game.
It’s always a shame when games disappear from sale, but at least Project CARS 1 and 2 will remain available to those who bought it. The greatest shame is still that OutRun 2006: Coast To Coast has been unavailable to purchase since being delisted from Steam in 2013 due to an expired Ferrari license.