There was a degree of cynicism among the racing game community last year, with YouTube algorithms favouring videos bemoaning the genre’s decline.
To be fair, 2025 was hardly a standout year for the genre, with the disastrous launches of Project Motor Racing and Rennsport making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Racing games are often relegated as a niche genre, but this wasn’t always the case. In the 2000s, titles like Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport and Need for Speed achieved mainstream attention. For many, these seminal titles were a gateway into sim racing.
In recent years, however, the genre has arguably stagnated. But this year feels different.
Take last month’s release of Forza Horizon 6. In its first week, the open-world racer surpassed six million players. For a modern racing game, these numbers are staggering, putting the genre back into the limelight.
This momentum looks set to continue, too. Beyond Forza Horizon 6, the annual Summer Game Fest show saw a deluge of new driving game announcements aimed at a broader audience than serious racing simulations.
Clutch
Developed by Maverick Studios, a developer made up of ex-Forza Horizon developers, Clutch was a clear standout.
Following its initial unveiling, the studio’s debut driving game was showcased in a bombastic, cinematic trailer during Summer Game Fest, introducing the central characters. It follows Theo Martia (Tosin Cole), who lives a double life competing in sanctioned circuit events and illegal underground street races alongside his sister, Cass Martial (Little Simz).
Dubbed as an AAA narrative-driven open-world driving game, Clutch’s production values are undeniably impressive, with its star-studded cast, slick presentation and deep vehicle customisation.
With its gritty tone, underground racing and cop chases, Clutch looks like it will scratch that Need for Speed itch and give Forza Horizon some stiff competition.
Hot Wheels Infinite Rush
Clutch wasn’t the only new open-world racer announced at Summer Game Fest, either.
After a three-year hiatus, Milestone is returning to the Hot Wheels series with Infinite Rush. Launching in September, it promises to build on Unleashed’s arcade-style racing on a grander scale, with four explorable, themed islands contrasting its predecessor’s linear racetracks.
Notably, it also marks Ferrari’s franchise debut, with an SF90 hypercar spotted in the announcement trailer.
Effectively, the open-world toy racer will fill the void left by Lego 2K Drive’s recent delisting. Judging by Milestone’s track record with the Unleashed games, this could be a huge hit, particularly for younger players.
Stuntman: Hollywood
For action-driving fans, one of the most surprising announcements was the return of Stuntman.
The first new entry since 2007, Stuntman: Hollywood once again sees you take the role of a Hollywood stunt driver, performing drifts, jumps and near-misses in action-packed driving sequences before time runs out.
In a first for the series, the new entry features real-world film franchises from Universal, with scenes inspired from Back to the Future, The Fast and the Furious, Death Race and Miami Vice.
While you can drive K.I.T.T. and Back to the Future’s DeLorean, not every car is officially licensed, with the trailer featuring fake versions of the orange Toyota Supra from The Fast and the Furious and Miami Vice’s white Ferrari Testarossa.
Long-time fans will have fond memories of the first two games’ fictional movie parodies, such as the Dukes of Hazzard-inspired A Whoopin’ and a Hollerin’. However, adopting real-world film licenses seems like a natural progression and should broaden the series’ appeal.
Stuntman Hollywood is a surprising diversion for Saber Interactive. The developer is best known for slower, simulation-focused titles like SnowRunner and Expeditions, so it remains to be seen how this will translate to a fast-paced, action-focused driving game. Let’s just hope it’s not as infuriatingly difficult as the first instalment.
Crazy Taxi: World Tour
Another series making a surprise return is Crazy Taxi.
First teased in 2023 at The Game Awards and shown off during the Xbox Games Showcase, Crazy Taxi: World Tour marks the first mainline entry in the chaotic taxi-driving series since 2003’s Xbox exclusive, Crazy Taxi High Roller.
The 2027 series reboot looks like a modern remake of the original arcade classic, from the sunny, San Francisco-inspired setting to the return of the lead character, Axel, and his Cadillac-inspired cab.
Once again, the game revolves around you picking up passengers and dropping them off as quickly as possible.
We’ll have to wait and see if this simple premise will resonate with new players, but the new entry is set to expand the series with five cities, vehicle customisation and a story revolving around you hunting down car thieves who stole Axel’s taxi.
Super Yooka-Laylee Kart
After tackling 2D and 3D platforming, Yooka-Laylee is set to star in their own kart racing spin-off.
Initially launching for PC, Super Yooka-Laylee Kart features a retro visual style reminiscent of Mario Kart Super Circuit for the Gameboy Advance, alongside a story campaign and eight-player multiplayer.
While it may seem like a gratuitous mascot kart racer on the surface, its developer, Playtonic Games formed by ex-Rare staff, has a pedigree in this genre, having originally helmed the N64-exclusive Diddy Kong Racing.
Released in 1997, it’s considered Mario Kart’s first true challenger thanks to its story mode, free roaming and multiple vehicle types, including boats and planes.
While Super Yooka-Laylee Kart probably won’t dethrone Mario Kart World or Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, its charming, retro-style visuals, race customisation and revenge mechanic should help it stand out from the crowd.
Best of the rest
Speaking of kart racers, Sega also announced that Sonic: Racing CrossWorlds will receive a second year of DLC, including tie-ins for Godzilla and the Japanese anime Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Elsewhere, Star Wars: Galactic Racer received a new story-focused trailer. Several new indie racers were also spotlighted, including the anti-gravity racer AGX GP, the co-op driving game WheelMates and the space-based Exo Rally Championship.
While the genre seemed to be stalling in recent years, Summer Game Fest proved that arcade and accessible racing games are finally having a resurgence. At long last, it feels like driving games are about to make a mainstream comeback.