The F1 season has already started in real life, but in F1 24 the cars have yet to take to the grid. Until then, EA SPORTS presents the changes that will be made – including to the career mode
It’s “the biggest career innovation since 2016”, announced Lee Mather, Senior Creative Director at Codemasters. Words that are likely to be received positively by the community at first, as there has been some criticism of the career mode recently. In a deep dive, the developer presented what Codemasters wants to do to convince the fans
New icons only for an extra charge
There are a total of three chapters to write: One with your own character, the other with real-life F2 or F1 drivers such as Max Verstappen or alternatively an icon. Two new additions to the roster of legends have therefore also been presented: James Hunt and Juan Pablo Montoya. The catch: only purchasers of the Champions Edition have the opportunity to start a new career with both drivers. The regular version costs around 20 euros more (99.99 euros) than the Standard Edition.
Although trophies and records are incentive enough to start a career, there are also goals outside of racing. If you want to participate in the development of a car, you have to increase your reputation in the paddock, which you can achieve by completing various tasks.
However, reputation also has other effects. The higher it is, the greater the support you will receive from your team. Basically, you receive research points, which you can then invest in individual innovations or distribute for more balanced progress
Secret meetings for lucrative contracts
If your reputation is high, this will naturally have an impact on your future. More doors open, big racing teams vie for you. A new feature in career mode is that you can meet with potential new employers
Unless you bring back an icon, it is also up to you whether you start in Formula 2 and then work your way up bit by bit. However, the longer route should also be rewarded. After all, good performances would enable you to take up better positions in negotiations. But beware: it may well become public knowledge that you were in secret talks, which would ultimately lead to a loss of reputation.
As Codemasters announced, the career can also be played in co-op – either together in a team or as rivals. The characters would pursue individual driver goals.
Coop and Challenger career
In addition to the driver career, there is also a Challenger career in F1 24, in which you can choose an F1 driver and take part in a series of mini seasons. The conditions and tracks are influenced by the community in a vote.
With Easy, Normal, Challenging and Hard, there are four AI difficulty levels for these races. Once you have completed these, you can compare your results with those of other drivers and collect rewards.
The starting signal for the latest installment is May 28 for purchasers of the Champions Edition, with a worldwide release on May 31. The racing game will be available for both current and old-gen consoles as well as for PC. There is no version for the Nintendo Switch
