Racing game developer Motorsport Games has secured a multi-year license to create the official video game and associated esport for the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC).
The BTCC is a well-known racing championship and it will receive a brand new video game scheduled to arrive in 2022.
The new BTCC game will be developed by the team at Motorsport Games for new generation consoles as well as PC, with a mobile version also possible (but not yet confirmed).
Alan Gow, BTCC chief executive, said: “Finally, I’m proud to say that the huge demand from the BTCC and TOCA game fans is being answered.
“Just like the original BTCC/TOCA game, this will be a dedicated BTCC game featuring all the cars, all the teams, all the drivers and all the circuits – not merely some elements partially incorporated into an existing game.
“It is hugely important to me, our teams, drivers and fans that any new BTCC game reflected exactly what everyone loves about our championship; the incredibly close non-stop action, intense competition and great enjoyment. I’ve no doubt that Motorsport Games will deliver exactly that.”
“The opportunity is clear for all to see and we look forward to deploying the significant and proven capabilities of our esports, game development and media teams to return this series back to the forefront of gaming.”
Stephen Hood, Motorsport Games
Stephen Hood, president of Motorsport Games, commented: “This partnership is a clear signal of the enormous trust that the BTCC has placed in Motorsport Games. Our team demonstrated real enthusiasm for the project from day one, and our ambitions were immediately aligned.
“The opportunity is clear for all to see and we look forward to deploying the significant and proven capabilities of our esports, game development and media teams to return this series back to the forefront of gaming.”
The British Touring Car Championship joins Motorsport Games’ roster of products which also includes the NASCAR Heat video game franchises and esports, such as 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, eNASCAR Heat Pro League, World Rallycross Esports Series, ABB Formula E Race at Home Challenge, #NotTheGP series and the Le Mans Esports Series.
Sim racing has seen an uplift during lockdown, with the aforementioned tournaments and also others like the F1 Virtual Grand Prix Series pulling in viewers online.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
