Codemasters Studios, the company behind the official Formula 1 game, announced on Thursday, 31 October that they will be extending their partnership with Formula 1 Management.
The deal will give them exclusive video game rights from 2021 to 2025, with there also being the option for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, dependant on the company achieving pre-agreed performance targets.
The British outfit has held the rights to the development of the games since 2008, and in that time, the games have won multiple awards. This year’s instalment, F1 2019, has been shortlisted across numerous categories in both 2019 TIGA Awards and The Golden Joysticks.
In addition to the main game, F1 Mobile Racing, débuted in 2018, has been installed over 12 million times, reaching number one in the Racing category in 150 countries.
Codemasters’ chief executive officer, Frank Sagnier, said: “We are delighted to be extending our long-term partnership with the pinnacle of motorsport.”
Sagnier added that the sport and game series are going from strength to strength, helped by the popularity of the F1 eSports Series.
“Both the sport and game franchise are going from strength to strength and the arrival of new platforms, business models and territories, combined with the rapid growth of the F1 eSports Series, give us a springboard to even greater success.
“I’d like to thank the team for the incredible hard work they have put into this franchise over the last ten years, and I look forward to seeing how they continue to innovate to surprise and delight our current players and bring new fans to the exciting world of Formula 1.”
Frank Arthofer, director of digital and licensing at Formula 1 said: “Since 2008, Codemasters has been an invaluable partner to the franchise, consistently creating games of the highest quality and enabling fans to get even closer to the world of F1.”
“Together we share a common vision for increasing the global appeal of F1 and the official video game of the FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP continues to be a key part of that strategy.”