“$100 to F**k Off Vibe”- NASCAR Fans in Shock as Insider Unmasks iRacing’s Wild Motorsport Games Low Ball

From Papyrus Design Group’s NASCAR Racing Series first developed in 1994 to the most recent “Ultimate Edition+” of NASCAR Heat by 704Games, fans have truly experienced the premier simulation experience in stock car racing for over three decades. Many different developers have put their own twists on the 76-year rich action courtesy of the sports premier sanctioning body. However, iRacing has made all the buzz yet again with their 6 million dollar licensing rights takeover for future racing games under the NASCAR name. 

The collective reactions reflect the “lowball” offer to have a “$100 to f**k off vibe” for the previous owners – Motorsport Games. Late last year in October, it was announced that a new deal would eventually result in iRacing beginning development for the latest NASCAR console game in 2025. The still “untitled” interactive experience is in development by Monster Games, a Minnesota-based video game development company founded in 1996 and acquired by iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations in 2022.

Mike Straw of Insider Gaming recently tweeted the numbers based on the “latest earnings report.” Straw shared, “@iracing paid Motorsport Games $5 Million at closing for the rights to the NASCAR license. They will pay MSGM another $1M in two $500K installments. So, in total, iRacing got the NASCAR license for $6M”

In their official financial press release for the final quarter of 2023, Motorsport Games reported a significant revenue decline. Revenue for Q4 2023 plunged to $1.7 million, a 53.7% decrease compared to $3.8 million in the same period of 2022. While, the gross profit margin saw a slight improvement, rising from 60.6% to 61.4%.

This disparity has left fans enraged on Twitter, and @Danny10_DotCom had a very bold and informed reply to Straw’s original post. The user wrote, “Bruh if this is not an April Fool’s joke, that license buyout is worth pennies in championship license acquisition. For comparison, EA acquired Codemasters worth 1.2 billion, and that includes two World Championship licenses. This basically “I’ll pay you $100 to f*ck off” vibe. Fans resonated deeply with this sentiment as another user laid out his own opinion stating, “Thats…really not much money.”

Nevertheless, Straw cleared the air with his insider’s perspective: “They took a loss on the deal, I’ve been told.” Despite these strong perspectives, many experts have claimed iRacing to be an ideal platform for NASCAR’s virtual endeavors. 

iRacing the Perfect Fit for NASCAR’s Virtual Future

The numbers sent shockwaves through the “racing games” community, but some weren’t surprised. Andrew Corapi, ex-founder of an iRacing Formula One team, chimed in on the Twitter post with some insider info. He claims, “Motorsport Games. They have been bleeding money for a few years now, avoiding bankruptcy on a couple occasions. iRacing would know this and lowball the offer. MSGM would have to accept because they need the cash”. This theory makes sense considering the declining popularity of story-driven “career mode” games and the surging interest in competitive online racing sims. 

Electronic Art (EA) was majorly responsible for the “declining” niche’s widespread acclaim. However, since game-makers switched their models for a more pay-to-play experience and “online leaderboards” system. Developers, like the people behind iRacing, have been the gold standard for virtual racing experiences with advanced technologies such as the LIDAR method, and vast databases of “real-life” customizable vehicles. Moreover, iRacing and NASCAR have been in various partnerships since the dawn of the last decade.

To add to all the appeal, the video game world’s self-acclaimed “Ultimate Racing Simulator” has helped develop current Cup Series stars like William Byron and Carson Hocevar, as well as upcoming NASCAR prodigies like Rajah Caruth. All-in-all, NASCAR’s partnership from 2025 onwards, has fans already asking: “Any news about the (new) game’s development?”

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