Straight4 Studios announced heartbreaking workforce reductions on December 8, 2025, less than two weeks after their highly anticipated racing simulator Project Motor Racing launched to widespread criticism. The studio, founded by legendary racing game designer Ian Bell after his departure from Slightly Mad Studios, confirmed laying off an undisclosed number of developers after exploring every possible alternative. The layoffs follow a disastrous launch that saw the game receive overwhelmingly negative reviews from players and critics citing numerous bugs, broken features, and an overall unfinished state.
In a statement posted to social media, Straight4 wrote: “Today, Straight4 is sharing news we had hoped never to deliver. After exploring every possible alternative, late last week, we reached the heartbreaking conclusion that we had to reduce the size of our team.” The studio thanked departing employees for their talent and effort shaping the studio, adding that they leave with respect, gratitude, and support. Despite the cuts, Straight4 affirmed they remain fully committed to improving and supporting Project Motor Racing moving forward.
What Went Wrong with Project Motor Racing
Project Motor Racing launched on November 25, 2025, for PC and consoles as a spiritual successor to both the revered GTR simulations from the 2000s and Ian Bell’s own Project CARS series. The game promised meticulously recreated motorsport featuring over 70 cars across 10 iconic classes and 27 global track layouts. Instead, players encountered a product that felt months away from being ready for public release despite carrying a full retail price and day-one DLC.
Steam reviews currently sit at approximately 21 percent positive, an abysmal rating that places Project Motor Racing among 2025’s worst-reviewed releases. Reddit users who gave the game a legitimate shot described it as horrible and only 30 percent complete. Technical analyses revealed rampant UI bugs, options that flat out don’t work, inability to reset settings to default after changing them, lacking controller navigation, and inconsistent AI behavior between races.
Broken Promises and Missing Features
What particularly angered the sim racing community wasn’t just the buggy state but broken promises about key features. Straight4 marketed Project Motor Racing with claims about having the best AI ever, the most accurate physics engine, an amazing damage model, and incredible track dynamics. They also promised no day-one DLC, yet the game launched with paid content available immediately, creating accusations of false advertising.
Triple monitor and VR support, essential features for hardcore sim racers who represent the game’s core audience, were either absent or severely broken at launch. The studio had actively shut down criticism in the week before release through bans and blocks on social media, attempting to control the narrative. When the embargo lifted and players got their hands on the actual product, the reality was far different from marketing promises.
The Force Feedback Disaster
Perhaps the most damning issue for a racing simulator is force feedback, the tactile sensation through a steering wheel that communicates what the car is doing. Multiple reviews reported force feedback being essentially non-existent in Project Motor Racing. Players using high-end racing wheels described feeling nothing, to the point some thought their equipment was faulty. It felt the same to be on grass as on tarmac, making the game effectively unplayable with proper sim racing hardware.
For casual players using controllers, the situation wasn’t much better. The driving assists operated on a binary on or off system without nuance. Even with traction control, ABS, and stability assists enabled, cars remained extremely challenging to control coming out of slow corners. This made the game inaccessible to newcomers while simultaneously failing to satisfy hardcore sim racers with proper equipment.
Catastrophic AI Problems
The AI, which Straight4 had boasted about as revolutionary, turned out to be fundamentally broken. Opponents consistently had perfect starts regardless of conditions or player performance. They ignored grip levels and physics in ways that made them feel like they were playing a different game with different rules. Most egregiously, AI drivers operated on an “if you’re in my line, I will bump you out” philosophy, making clean racing impossible.
The day-one patch that deployed as the game launched contained zero improvements to AI behavior despite it being one of the most complained about issues during pre-release testing. This suggested either the developers didn’t consider it a problem or lacked the time and resources to address fundamental flaws before release. Either scenario reflected poorly on the studio’s priorities and preparation.
Ian Bell’s Troubled Track Record
Ian Bell previously led development of the Project CARS series under Slightly Mad Studios, which Electronic Arts acquired when it bought Codemasters in early 2021. EA subsequently shut down Project CARS development in 2022, deciding the series didn’t fit with their racing portfolio focused on titles like F1 and Need for Speed. Bell had already departed EA by then, having negotiated a timed non-compete clause.
When that clause expired, Bell founded Straight4 Studios rather than retiring. The studio initially branded itself as Mildly Annoyed Studios before settling on Straight4. They announced a sim racing game originally called GTR Revival or GT Revival to be published by PLAION, though the name eventually changed to Project Motor Racing with publisher GIANTS Software handling distribution.
The Project CARS Legacy
While the original Project CARS games had their own issues with bugs and inconsistency, many fans still considered them superior to Project Motor Racing despite being years older. Reddit comments noted that Project CARS 1 and 2, even with their glitches, were far better and significantly more polished than the new title. This comparison stung particularly hard because Project Motor Racing was supposed to represent Bell and his team’s return to form without corporate interference.
The irony is that EA shutting down Project CARS 4 might have been the correct business decision. If Project Motor Racing represents what Bell’s team produces with complete creative freedom and no publisher oversight, perhaps the quality control and resources that AAA publishers provide are more valuable than indie developers sometimes want to admit.
The Early Access That Wasn’t
Multiple reviewers and Reddit users pointed out that if Project Motor Racing had launched in Early Access, 90 percent of the issues would have been justified and expected. Early Access explicitly sets expectations that games are works in progress with bugs needing fixing and features requiring polish. Players who purchase Early Access titles understand they’re essentially beta testing in exchange for lower prices and being part of the development process.
Instead, Straight4 charged full retail price for what felt like an alpha build while simultaneously releasing day-one DLC. This combination generated accusations of cash grab tactics and betrayal of the sim racing community that had supported Bell through his entire career. The pricing made the unfinished state unforgivable rather than understandable.
The Community Reaction
The sim racing subreddit and Steam forums filled with disappointed players sharing their experiences trying to enjoy Project Motor Racing. One particularly telling comment came from a player who made an effort to hold onto hope but couldn’t deceive themselves that this was a polished game. They estimated it might improve after several months or even a year of updates, but it didn’t justify the current asking price.
Online player counts remained staggeringly low even days after launch. For a racing sim banking on multiplayer competition and online events, the empty servers represented a death sentence. Bad reviews created a vicious cycle where potential customers saw the negative feedback and stayed away, further reducing the player base and making online features even more worthless.
Rebuilding Trust and Moving Forward
Straight4’s statement emphasized that while this is an undeniably difficult chapter, they remain committed to moving forward, rebuilding, and delivering something worthy of the trust placed in them by partners and players. The studio acknowledged the launch didn’t meet community expectations or the standards they set for themselves. Those remaining after the layoffs will continue working on patches and improvements.
Whether the game can be salvaged remains uncertain. Some titles like No Man’s Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 managed remarkable comebacks after disastrous launches through years of dedicated post-release support. Others like Babylon’s Fall and Anthem never recovered from initial negative impressions and eventually shut down entirely. Project Motor Racing’s fate depends on whether Straight4 has the resources and time to fix fundamental problems or if the damage is irreparable.
FAQs
When did Project Motor Racing release?
Project Motor Racing launched on November 25, 2025, for PC and consoles. The game is developed by Straight4 Studios and published by GIANTS Software.
Why is Project Motor Racing getting bad reviews?
Reviews cite numerous bugs, broken features including non-functional force feedback, terrible AI behavior, missing promised features like proper VR and triple monitor support, day-one DLC despite promises otherwise, and an overall unfinished state despite full retail pricing.
How bad are Project Motor Racing’s Steam reviews?
Steam reviews currently sit at approximately 21 percent positive, placing it among 2025’s worst-reviewed games. Players describe it as feeling only 30 percent complete and unplayable in its current state.
Who founded Straight4 Studios?
Ian Bell founded Straight4 Studios after leaving Electronic Arts following their acquisition of Codemasters and Slightly Mad Studios. Bell previously created the Project CARS series and worked on various racing games throughout his career.
How many people were laid off at Straight4 Studios?
The exact number hasn’t been disclosed. Straight4 confirmed workforce reductions affecting an undisclosed percentage of the development team on December 8, 2025, less than two weeks after Project Motor Racing’s launch.
Will Straight4 Studios continue supporting Project Motor Racing?
Yes, Straight4 stated they remain fully committed to improving and supporting Project Motor Racing. The remaining team will continue working on patches and updates to address the many issues plaguing the game.
Is Project Motor Racing better than Project CARS?
No, community consensus is that Project CARS 1 and 2, despite their own bugs and issues, are significantly better and more polished than Project Motor Racing in its current state.
Should I buy Project Motor Racing now?
Most reviewers and players strongly recommend waiting. The game needs months of patches and improvements before it’s worth the current asking price. Consider waiting for substantial updates or deep sales before purchasing.
Conclusion
Project Motor Racing’s troubled launch and subsequent layoffs represent another cautionary tale about ambition exceeding execution in game development. Ian Bell’s reputation for creating influential racing simulators couldn’t overcome the fundamental problems with releasing an unfinished product at full price. The workforce reductions less than two weeks after launch suggest severe financial and operational problems at Straight4 Studios. Whether the remaining team can salvage the game through aggressive patching and feature additions remains to be seen. For now, Project Motor Racing stands as one of 2025’s biggest disappointments, a stark reminder that pedigree and promises mean nothing if the actual product doesn’t deliver. The sim racing community that supported Bell throughout his career feels betrayed, and rebuilding that trust will require more than apologies and vague commitments to improvement. It will require a functional game that delivers on the promises made during marketing, something Project Motor Racing fundamentally failed to do at launch.