The new edition of the official Formula 1 game, F1 23, will be released on June 16th – the earliest launch date since Codemasters took over the franchise.
The latest entry in the series, published by EA, will be released for PC and both the current and previous generations of consoles: PlayStation 5 and 4, plus Xbox Series S and X, and Xbox One.
Among a series of changes to the gameplay, F1 23 will see the return of the Braking Point story mode, resuming the narrative mode that debuted in F1 2021.
With the addition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix to the 2023 calendar and the return of the Qatar Grand Prix, EA Sports have confirmed that both the Las Vegas Strip Circuit and the Losail International Circuit will be playable when the game launches on June 16th.
Three additional tracks not included on this year’s calendar – Paul Ricard, Shanghai and the Autodromo do Algarve – will also be featured in the game as raceable circuits from launch.
Following criticism from players over the physics model in last year’s title, in particular a perceived deficit in traction exiting corners even in higher gears, EA Sports says the latest entry in the long-running series will offer revised physics developed in collaboration with F1’s teams to offer a more “realistic” impression of aerodynamic behaviour and mechanical grip. The publisher also boasts improved throttle control that it claims will offer players enhanced feedback to judge when their car will break traction in acceleration zones.
A new race distance option of 35% has been added to the game to offer an intermediate between 25% and 50% distance races. The 35% distance races around Monza equating to around 19 laps. The game will also reintroduce red flag interventions to the series, last seen in F1 2014.
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A new system for earning upgrades for the player’s car will be added to career mode. Online play will benefit from the introduction of a new Assetto Corsa Competitzione-style driver rating system which will track how safe at driving a player is in their online and offline races.
The return of the Braking Point story mode will resume the story of fictional drivers Aiden Jackson and Devon Butler, who will assume the role of the protagonist. An all-new fictional team, Konnersport Racing, will be introduced to the game, with the two main characters joining together at the team as team mates.
F1 2023 will be the third F1 game released under the publication of EA Sports, which introduced ‘F1 Life’ to last year’s game – a feature that added customisable apartments with unlockable furniture and driveable supercars. In this year’s edition the feature has evolved into ‘F1 World’, which will be expanded throughout the various racing modes within the game.
Codemasters’ senior creative director Lee Mather says the new game will provide a more realistic experience than F1 22.
“The return of Braking Point allows players to immerse themselves in a racing story, which provides a unique look at F1 alongside the authentic race features our players know and love,” said Mather.
“Our close relationship with the teams has allowed us to refine our handling model, adding greater realism to pad-play, and implementing a new colour encoding system used in film and TV creates a more true-to-life experience.”
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