NASCAR 25

NASCAR 25 is a much-needed shot in the arm for NASCAR video games, bringing an authentic and fun experience to a new generation.

75%Game Brain Score

graphics, gameplay

optimization, stability

73% User Score Based on 1,324 reviews

Critic Score 76%Based on 15 reviews

Platforms

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About

NASCAR 25 is a single player and multiplayer arcade racing game. It was developed by iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations, LLC and was released on October 14, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

iRacing is proud to present NASCAR 25, the official game of NASCAR featuring ALL FOUR National Series, the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and NASCAR Cup Series. NASCAR 25 will feature all the action you've come to expect from the developers of the most authentic racing experience and simulation ever created. In addition, iRacing has brought laser scanne…

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73%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,324 reviews

graphics69 positive mentions

optimization15 negative mentions

Driving physics and handling are improved over previous NASCAR games, providing a fun and accessible simcade experience.
AI opponents race competitively with customizable difficulty and behavior, making races engaging and challenging.
Career mode offers meaningful progression and team management elements, with an immersive atmosphere enhanced by good graphics, sound design, and soundtrack.

Wheel and controller support can be difficult to set up on PC, with weak or inconsistent force feedback and lack of plug-and-play functionality for many peripherals.
Game suffers from technical issues such as crashes, poor online multiplayer experience with griefing and lack of private lobbies, and lack of features like DNFs, realistic damage, and caution replays.
Career mode and customization are shallow and repetitive, with limited paint booth options, no driver transfers or retirements, harsh and immersion-breaking track limit penalties, and AI/restart behaviors that are often unfair or unrealistic.

graphics
135 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
41%
8%
The graphics in the game are generally praised for being good to great, with sharp visuals, realistic track and car models, and immersive lighting effects, though some users note it feels dated compared to modern standards and lacks fine-tuning options like DLSS or detailed mirror views. Performance and optimization issues on PC are common complaints, as well as limited graphics settings and occasional texture popping or pixelation. Overall, while not groundbreaking, the graphics are considered a strong point that enhances the NASCAR racing experience, especially compared to previous titles.
- “The graphics are probably the best part of the game, but they still have noticeable issues.”
- “Graphically looks great and adds immersion with the realistic looks.”
- “The visuals are sharp, the tracks feel alive, and the overall handling model gives each race a real sense of speed and consequence.”
- “For £70 I expect a game that is actually fun. I'm a fan of F1 but this game frankly sucks. Graphics are not good, UI looks straight out of 2008, sound does not use my surround sound well at all, and quite frankly it's not fun, it's just stressful.”
- “The graphics or this game look like they're from the PS4 era, which is fine, but it runs terribly for what it looks like.”
- “The graphics are still awful, looks like they are using 256x256 for car textures on max settings.”
gameplay
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
62%
8%
Gameplay in this NASCAR title is generally solid and enjoyable, offering a fun and immersive racing experience with well-crafted core mechanics and accurately modeled tracks. However, it lacks realistic features such as mechanical failures, detailed car damage, and strategic depth in career mode, alongside issues like questionable AI behavior, limited strategy elements, and clunky pit stop mechanics. While improvements over previous iterations are noted, many players find it falls short of full simulation expectations, with some bugs and design choices detracting from overall realism and engagement.
- “Hands down the best NASCAR game I have ever played, looks gorgeous, gameplay is awesome, took some time to get everything working well. Definitely have to mess with settings to dial it in and yes, force feedback is great. I highly recommend this game.”
- “That said, the core racing mechanics are exceptional, complemented by laser-scanned tracks that deliver an immersive experience—you can genuinely feel the bumps along the apron in turns 1 and 2 at Las Vegas, which is remarkably authentic.”
- “Credit where credit is due, though, NASCAR 25 lays a very nice foundation for the future, with very good gameplay (be it on controller or a wheel, if you are lucky enough to get yours working properly), a very in-depth roster with all the four main series, astonishingly well recreated tracks, making for what is definitely the most solid NASCAR game in years.”
- “It is missing some important aspects of NASCAR like DNFs, mechanical failures, and weather effects that affect track conditions.”
- “Tracks are missing, car damage is questionable/visually limited, and gameplay/physics/AI seem worse than expected compared to iRacing standards.”
- “The entire game's mechanics look and feel like they were copied and pasted from the Heat series; the AI are by far the worst I've ever seen across any game I've ever played.”
music
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The game's soundtrack is widely praised for its energetic mix of genres including rock, country, and rap, often enhancing immersion and evoking nostalgia for earlier NASCAR titles. However, some players dislike certain tracks, particularly rap music, and request options to disable or customize the music due to its eclectic and sometimes repetitive nature. Overall, the music is considered one of the game's strong points, despite the lack of advanced music controls.
- “The soundtrack is amazing, there's immersive details in-game, and in general you get the sense the team cares about NASCAR.”
- “The overall vibes with the menu music, pre-race cutscenes, game presentation, and even the Dale Jr download segments are a great touch and really immerse you in the world of NASCAR like no other games have even come close.”
- “The soundtrack is also a banger and includes a lot of genres of music, such as rock, country, indie alternative and even rap.”
- “With the exception of maybe two songs, the soundtrack is absolutely bad to the bone.”
- “The music is pretty awful; some of the content is just poor taste.”
- “I'd also like a wider soundtrack; it looks long at first but it gets old with so many weak songs real quick.”
optimization
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
60%
24%
Optimization in the game is widely criticized for poor performance, frequent stuttering, and inconsistent frame rates, even on high-end PCs, particularly on certain tracks and under specific conditions. While some users report smooth gameplay, many highlight issues like lack of scalable settings, limited input device support, and poor PC optimization compared to consoles. Overall, the game requires significant optimization improvements to enhance stability, performance consistency, and broader hardware compatibility.
- “The handling is amazing, the AI is pretty smart, I like the progression system (the best I've seen from any NASCAR game I've played), I love the car leveling (a bit too easy to get max tier equipment but still okay), the optimization is really good but I will be upgrading soon so that won't be a problem.”
- “It's very well optimized, in comparison to most UE5 games, and should run fine on most PCs.”
- “Performance is (mostly) quite good.”
- “Major stuttering issues during races and there seems to be no fix.”
- “While the pros are stellar and there is a good foundation to be had, terrible optimization, inconsistent AI, and the worst career I've ever played in a NASCAR game render any pluses moot.”
- “Badly optimized, most notably with 20 FPS drops at Watkins Glen, with regular struggles to hold 60 FPS.”
stability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's stability is inconsistent, with early patches addressing some glitches but many bugs—especially with AI behavior, wheel and controller support—persisting. While some players experience smooth performance and minimal issues, others report frequent freezes, input problems, and race-restoring glitches, making the overall stability feel unreliable.
- “It looks nice and drives great while also being bug free as far as I noticed.”
- “This game is very fun to play, with no bugs or glitches (sometimes), and it's great for playing online with friends.”
- “After getting everything set up, it runs great on my PC.”
- “However, after the first 2-3 months of the game releasing, patches for glitches virtually stopped coming out and there is still a ton of those (restarts, AI pit road speed, etc.).”
- “Game is buggy, incompatible and generally unplayable in its current state.”
- “Wheel support is there, but not fully; the control menu is difficult to navigate, and if your wheel glitches out in the middle of a race, you have to restart your entire race, including practice sessions.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The story aspect of the game receives mixed feedback, with praise for having a career mode but criticism for lacking an immersive, purpose-driven storyline and organic rivalries. Some players find the story mode fun but repetitive and scripted, while technical issues like audio problems during podcast segments and uninfluential driver ratings also detract from the experience. Overall, there is a desire for a deeper, more engaging narrative beyond standard racing progression.
- “In conclusion, yes, this is a good racing game, but that's not the only reason why people buy these games - we want a storyline beyond 'you win an ARCA contest and got a ride, now move up the series.'”
- “Best NASCAR game we have had in years. Story mode is really fun.”
- “In conclusion, yes, this is a good racing game, but that's not the only reason why people buy these games - we want a storyline beyond winning an ARCA contest and getting a ride, then just moving up the series.”
- “We want a game that has a career mode with immersion, a storyline, and a purpose.”
- “Instead of organic rivalries and surprising storylines, you often get a repetitive leaderboard that feels more scripted than simulated.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
Grinding in the game is a double-edged sword: while some players enjoy the lengthy, immersive progression and find it rewarding, others find the repetitive tasks and certain tedious mechanics, like decal placement, diminishing the overall experience. Despite this, the core enjoyment keeps many motivated to continue grinding through career mode.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The above creates an extremely tedious and repetitive progression that manages to feel completely exhausting.”
- “You're also not able to copy and paste decals you've already moved and resized, and that along with not being able to hold the directional button to scroll the decal to the desired spot makes for an extremely tedious process that takes way longer than it realistically should.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The atmosphere in the game is generally praised for its authentic sounds, music, graphics, and career mode details, including tributes that add depth. However, some users note a lack of immersive atmosphere expected for a NASCAR title and suggest enhancements like a day-night cycle to further elevate the race day experience.
- “We got the atmosphere, the sounds, the music, the graphics, the tracks, the cars.”
- “From career progression to the atmosphere of race day, it’s clear a lot of passion went into bringing this game to life.”
- “The atmosphere and overall feel of the game along with a small tribute to Dale Jr. in the career mode opening and his podcast sections throughout career mode.”
- “For a game carrying the NASCAR license, that lack of atmosphere is noticeable.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The game's humor, particularly in multiplayer and certain career mode moments, is appreciated for producing genuinely funny and memorable experiences. However, some users feel the humor has declined in recent updates, with career mode being the primary source of laughs rather than the broader gameplay. Overall, humor still shines most during unexpected or random interactions.
- “Don't let this review fool you into your decision on getting the game; it's really fun and multiplayer produces some moments where it may have you on the floor laughing, mainly in the career mode.”
- “It was funny to see Amber Balcean mad at my driving one race and then saying 'it was refreshing to see Rob Lowe driving clean today!' the next race when I raced her a little cleaner.”
- “Random lobbies are crazy and a little funny.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game’s emotional engagement is minimal, offering a linear career progression without meaningful scenes, voice acting, or genuine cooperation with teams, crews, or sponsors. This lack of narrative and character interaction results in a less immersive and emotionally impactful experience.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers some elements to keep career mode fresh, but overall its replayability is limited, lacking depth beyond basic features. It falls short of delivering the ultimate NASCAR gaming experience in terms of long-term engagement.
- “Something to keep the career mode fresh and add replay value.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the game is closely tied to iRacing as the publisher, with branding visible in ads. The developers emphasized creating the best NASCAR game, suggesting a focus on quality potentially linked to their promotional efforts.