NASCAR 26 Review: Is It Worth Buying?

NASCAR 26 had a strong foundation to build on after iRacing Studios brought the series back in a big way with NASCAR 25. Having reviewed NASCAR 25 last year, I’ve been able to spend time comparing where NASCAR 26 actually improves and where the experience still feels familiar.

For the most part, my experience this year is somewhat similar to NASCAR 25. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The racing remains fun, Career Mode gives you plenty to work toward and the overall presentation has taken another step forward.

However, with the foundation already established, I expected NASCAR 26 to make a bigger leap in a few areas. Early community reaction has been similar.

NASCAR 26 generally feels like the better overall game, but whether the improvements are significant enough for NASCAR 25 players to upgrade is another question.

Here is the good, the bad, my NASCAR 26 review score and whether you should buy it.

NASCAR 26 Gameplay and Presentation

The actual racing remains one of NASCAR 26’s biggest strengths.

Cars are approachable without making every race feel like an arcade experience. NASCAR 26 strikes a good balance between accessibility and realism, giving casual players a game they can pick up and enjoy while still offering enough depth for more experienced racing fans.

There’s plenty of incentive to learn the tracks, experiment with setups and understand how your car reacts throughout a race.

The AI also deserves credit. Drivers aren’t afraid to use multiple grooves, race side-by-side or make you work for a position. Once you find the right difficulty settings, the AI can produce some genuinely competitive racing instead of simply following one another around the track.

Visually, NASCAR 26 takes another step forward. Lighting is noticeably improved, particularly with the sun lower over the track, while the overall presentation looks cleaner than NASCAR 25.

It’s not perfect. There are still occasional visual quirks and areas that lack the polish found in some of the biggest racing games, but NASCAR 26 can look impressive when everything comes together.

Career Mode Remains the Main Attraction

Career Mode was one of my favorite parts of NASCAR 25, and that’s still the case with NASCAR 26.

Starting at the bottom and eventually working your way toward the Cup Series creates a satisfying progression loop. You’re earning money, maintaining and improving equipment and gradually building an organization capable of competing toward the front.

That’s what makes the early stages work so well. When you don’t have a race-winning car, fighting your way into the top 20 can sometimes feel just as rewarding as eventually reaching Victory Lane.

However, Career Mode is also where I wanted NASCAR 26 to take a bigger step.

The foundation is strong, but running your organization could have considerably more depth. A dynamic driver market, deeper personnel decisions, expanded sponsor management and more control over how your organization develops would help make each season feel different.

That’s not just something I noticed. Early community discussions around NASCAR 26 have included similar requests for deeper team management and a more dynamic Career Mode.

The progression is still enjoyable, but now that iRacing Studios has established a solid foundation, this is an area I’d like to see expanded significantly moving forward.

NASCAR 26 Still Has Some Rough Edges

There are also areas where NASCAR 26 could use additional work.

AI behavior can occasionally produce strange situations, particularly when qualifying, strategy or tire wear comes into play. Tire differences can sometimes feel more dramatic than expected, while other situations don’t punish the player as much as they probably should.

There are smaller quality-of-life omissions as well. NASCAR 26 doesn’t have a photo mode or local split-screen, while some menu and replay elements could use additional polish.

None of these issues completely ruin the experience.

However, they’re more noticeable this time because NASCAR 25 already established the foundation. Last year was about bringing NASCAR gaming back. NASCAR 26 had the opportunity to build significantly on that experience, which makes some of the remaining rough edges harder to overlook.

Is NASCAR 26 Better Than NASCAR 25?

In several areas, yes.

The improved lighting and presentation are noticeable, the racing remains enjoyable and there are refinements throughout the experience. Early community reaction also generally points toward NASCAR 26 being the better overall game.

But better doesn’t automatically mean significantly better.

If you spent a lot of time with NASCAR 25, much of NASCAR 26 will immediately feel familiar. That’s where the debate surrounding this year’s game becomes less about whether NASCAR 26 is good and more about whether it has improved enough to justify another purchase.

I enjoyed NASCAR 25, so having another game built around that foundation isn’t necessarily a negative. But NASCAR 26 feels more like a refinement of that formula than a major evolution of it.

NASCAR 26 Review Score: 8.5 Out of 10

NASCAR 26 is another strong NASCAR game and continues the foundation iRacing Studios established with NASCAR 25. The improved presentation, enjoyable racing and refinements make NASCAR 26 the better overall game in several areas.

Career Mode still needs more depth, some AI and tire behavior could use additional tuning, and the overall experience needs another layer of polish.

NASCAR 26 moves the series forward, but it feels more like another step in the right direction than the big leap I’m waiting to see.

Should You Buy NASCAR 26?

If you love racing simulation games and NASCAR, there’s a lot of enjoyment to get out of NASCAR 26. The on-track racing remains the game’s biggest strength, and combining that with a lengthy Career Mode, multiple NASCAR series and cross-platform multiplayer gives NASCAR fans plenty to sink their time into.

If you skipped NASCAR 25 or have been waiting for a good modern NASCAR game, NASCAR 26 is easy to recommend. It strikes a good balance between accessibility and realism, making it approachable for casual players while still offering enough depth for those looking for a more serious racing experience.

I still enjoy what iRacing Studios is building. NASCAR 25 established the foundation, and NASCAR 26 makes it better. It may not be the significant jump I wanted after last year’s game, but for NASCAR and racing simulation fans, there’s still plenty here to enjoy.

Sports Video Game Reviews

Related: NASCAR 26 Hands-On Impressions Are In — And One Change Stands Out

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sports Video Games section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.