NASCAR 26 was released just two weeks ago, but fans have already begun dredging up the common complaints that surface every year when a new game in the series launches. While NASCAR 26 has solid reviews and is generally well received by fans, some aspects of the game still need changes.
One of those changes concerns the career mode, which has largely remained the same since NASCAR 25. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with career mode, it forces players into a role they might not want, since some simply want to drive for a team rather than own one.
NASCAR 26’s career mode doesn’t give drivers a choice
When you start a new career mode playthrough in NASCAR 26, you’re immediately prompted to start your own racing team, where you’ll be the primary driver. As the mode progresses, you spend time upgrading the team as well as your driver and vehicle. Essentially, if you’ve played other sports games, this is a mash-up of career and franchise mode: your driver is at the center of the mode, but you’re also managing a team around them.
While this is the optimal way to play through a NASCAR career mode for some players, for others it’s a confusing decision that offers no choice in the direction you take. The community often complains that players should be able to start their own team or join an existing one in NASCAR. As one Redditor asks, “Why must I create my own shop rather than be a hot shot rookie looking to take the reins of a Gibbs Toyota in a few years?”
It’s a fair question, since this wasn’t always how NASCAR game career modes worked. Many fans point to 2005’s Chase for the Cup as the glory days of the NASCAR franchise, and that game let you start at the bottom as a new driver and work your way up through smaller circuits to become eligible for the NEXTEL Cup Series. It was a rewarding progression loop that still drives player nostalgia today.
However, while some players might want NASCAR to offer a choice in career mode, it’s likely beyond the developers’ control. As many commenters on the Reddit post said, every official sponsor in NASCAR 26 must agree to licensing terms before the developers can include them in the game. It’s presumed that as part of these terms, sponsors want their real-life drivers representing them in-game rather than a player-created character. By forcing players to create their own racing team, you’re still allowed to compete in NASCAR races, but every driver you face represents their sponsor in real life, which is likely how the companies involved want it done.
Of course, none of this is officially confirmed, but it makes the most sense as to why NASCAR 26‘s career mode is structured the way it is. Unfortunately, if that’s the case, there’s not much iRacing Studios can do. To let players drive for an existing team, they would need to negotiate with every driver and sponsor before a game’s release, which doesn’t seem feasible.
If you’re looking for a racing game with career-mode choice, F1 games offer a similar structure, but you can choose whether to start your own team or join an existing one. Those games play very differently from NASCAR 26, but they’re another option in the racing genre.