The newest installment in 704 Games‘ NASCAR Heat series is coming in the summer. On Tuesday, IGN revealed NASCAR Heat 5 is set for July releases. Tony Stewart will appear on the cover for the Gold Edition, set for a 7 July release, while Chase Elliott graces the standard version planned for three days after.
“The latest NASCAR Heat features Chase Elliott on the cover and includes a career mode that lets you progress through the Xtreme Dirt, Gander Trucks, and Xfinity Series before reaching the NASCAR Cup Series,” IGN preview executive editor Ryan McCaffrey wrote. “It includes 34 officially licensed race tracks, esports support, a new track-testing mode that lets you learn each course, and more.”
The NASCAR Heat Twitter account added onto the hype with a promotional video on Wednesday, featuring the tagline “Refuse to Lose”.
Returning features include the Career Mode with progression from dirt to the premier series, the latter of which was introduced in NASCAR Heat 3. Multiplayer will allow for forty-player online lobbies in addition to splitscreen.
It is the second time that Elliott has appeared on the NASCAR Heat cover; the two-time reigning Most Popular Driver was featured on the Heat 3 cover alongside his Hendrick Motorsports team-mates. Stewart appeared on the previous year’s cover with his Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick. Prior to the Heat series, the NASCAR Hall of Famer was on the covers of EA Sports‘ NASCAR 2001, NASCAR Thunder 2004, and NASCAR 08; he also starred in Eutechnyx‘s NASCAR ’14 box art.
Specific details of Heat 5‘s Gold Edition have not been released, but if it follows the pattern set by Heat 4‘s Gold version, it will include special perks like a season pass and a different case. Heats 3 and 4 have also included ticket vouchers that can be used at various tracks on the NASCAR schedule, including all Speedway Motorsports, Inc. circuits.
With the standard edition planned for a 10 July release, that day will see the arrival of two major racing games as Codemasters will also début F1 2020.
