F1 24 Creative Director Confronts Challenges - 'We Want to Keep It Fresh and Exciting'

The F1 24 team evolves game development strategies to stay ahead.

EA Sports

In an industry where innovation is key to keeping fans engaged, F1 24's development team faces the formidable challenge of refreshing their franchise annually. With the latest instalment set to release on May 31 - or May 28 if you go for the Champions Edition - Creative Director Lee Mather delves into the complexities and strategies behind maintaining the excitement in the F1 series of video games.

The F1 game series has seen its development process evolve significantly since 2019 when they adopted a dual-team structure. This change allowed one larger group to focus on the upcoming release while a smaller team geared their efforts towards future innovations and the following year. This approach facilitated the introduction of new game modes and features at a pace that kept up with the fast-evolving world of Formula 1 racing. Features such as the introduction of F2 and narrative elements in 2019, and more interactive game modes like ‘My Team’ and ‘Braking Point’ stories in subsequent years, have marked significant milestones in the game's evolution.

Lee Mather talked about the structure of the team with an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated.

"Yeah. So if you look back in 2019, we decided to split the team so that we'd have a better chance of delivering a bigger title annually, because it's challenging to create a title of the scale of F1 annually. There's a huge amount of work that goes into just creating the official season, the drivers, the cars, the tracks.

"And as you say, we want to keep it fresh and interesting and exciting every year. So if you look back to '19, when we split the team, that was the year when we brought in the introduction to F2 with a little bit of story, which built into '21 where we did Full Braking Point - '23 had Braking Point '20, had My Team, you know, '24, now we've got the new Driver Career and that's possible because we split the team to give ourselves more of a chance to get a head start.

"So we have the bulk of the team working on the game that's about to be released. And then we have a smaller team working ahead, on the next title. So the challenges are something that we've learned to work around really effectively by structuring the team in that way. And that allows us to deliver the scale of title that we do annually with the scale of the updates and the game modes that we actually add."

The upcoming F1 24 game promises significant updates, especially with the introduction of the ‘EA Sports Dynamic Handling’ model which enhances the virtual driving experience by dynamically adjusting various performance factors like cornering and brake responsiveness according to the track conditions. Moreover, visual upgrades have been made to mirror the latest season’s cars and provide more detailed driver depictions.

On top of this, F1 24 introduces new features such as the 'Driver Career' mode, where players can rise from Formula 2 or start as any current F1 driver, incorporating a complex reputation system that impacts gameplay significantly. This includes influence on contract offerings and the team’s research and development priorities.

With pre-order incentives like the Champions Edition and loyalty discounts for returning players, EA Sports aims to not only attract new players but also retain the current fanbase by offering tangible benefits that enhance the gameplay experience significantly

As F1 24 approaches its launch, the anticipation among gaming and racing fans builds, promising another year of intense racing and strategic management in the virtual world of Formula 1.

Read the full interview here.