EA has ended development and investment on games in the Project CARS series, according to a report from GamesIndustry.biz.
The news comes three years on from developer Slightly Mad Studios’ acquisition by Codemasters, which was in turn acquired by EA in a $1.2bn deal in February 2021.
After being picked up by Codemasters, SMS launched Project CARS 3 to a very mixed reception, and the underwhelming Fast & Furious Crossroads.
SMS CEO, Ian Bell, subsequently left the studio in October 2021 and has since formed a new studio –Mildly Annoyed Studios (MASS) — which is working on a “follow up” racing game to GTR2, GTR Revival.
The last we heard from Slightly Mad directly was a statement from Bell in December 2020, between the two acquisitions, stating that the studio was already developing Project CARS 4, and that it would be “the most realistic simulation ever made“. That looks like it’ll no longer be the case.
GamesIndustry.biz quoted an EA spokesperson, who said: “Following an evaluation of the next Project CARS title and its longer-term growth potential, we have made the decision to stop further development and investment for the franchise”.
That may mean the end of Slightly Mad Studios too. The spokesperson added: “We are working with everyone impacted by this decision to place them into suitable roles across our EA Sports and racing portfolio, as well as other parts of EA, wherever we can”.
Courtesy of its purchase of Codemasters, EA has a very broad racing game portfolio at the moment, which ranges from F1 22 and a new official WRC series to the upcoming Need for Speed Unbound. Codemasters has merged with Criterion for future NFS titles.
