--- title: "EA Cancels Project CARS and Dirt Racing Games" description: "EA, parent company of Project CARS studio Slightly Mad Studios, is shutting the racing series down after three installments." date: "2022-11-08" modified: "2022-11-08" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/ea-cancels-project-cars-and-dirt-racing-games" categories: - "Culture" - "News" - "Video Games" --- # EA Cancels Project CARS and Dirt Racing Games ![]() *Project CARS* has been one of the most popular[ racing game]() series' among car enthusiasts since it first launched in 2015. Its blend of realism, racing variety, and fun made it an instant hit. Sadly, its time is up, though. According to *[GamesIndustry.biz]()*, EA—parent company of *Project CARS* developer, Slightly Mad Studios—is shutting the game series down after three installments. In 2019, Slightly Mad Studios was bought by Codemasters, the studio behind the *Dirt* and F1 racing games. However, in 2021, EA bought Codemasters for around $1.2 billion, putting the gaming giant in control of Slightly Mad Studios and the *Project CARS* series. The first two *Project CARS* games were well-received by fans but the most recent third installment, which came out after the Codemasters takeover, wasn't as well-liked. EA initially had the team working on a new *Project CARS* game but ultimately decided to scrap it. Additionally, according to an employee who asked not to be named, the *Dirt* franchise is also being canceled moving forward. ![]() In a statement to *GamesIndustry.biz*, an EA spokesperson said that the company is shutting down *Project CARS* to focus on more open-world, specifically licensed IP games and franchises that are more "socially-led with long-term live services." Essentially, EA wants you to play [*Need for Speed*]() instead and spend additional money on in-game purchases and micro-transactions. Thankfully, EA seems to be reassigning the *Project CARS* staff to different games in its portfolio. Slightly Mad Studios had a staff of about 150 employees when it was bought by Codemasters but it's unclear how much of that staff remain at EA today. According to EA's statement, "everyone impacted" will be put in different roles in various EA Sports and racing games. If you still want to play *Project CARS 3*, it's still available to buy on the Playstation and Xbox stores, as well as Steam on PC. There's also a mobile version, *Project CARS Go*, on the Google Play Store for Android devices. However, *Project CARS* 1 and 2 have been delisted, along with the *Dirt* series, and can no longer be bought due to official licenses expiring. *Got a tip? Send it in to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()