iRacing
What to expect from Le Mans Ultimate in the next 12 months
Le Mans Ultimate has, over the past two and a half years, become one of sim racing’s preeminent platforms. It’s vastly more popular than rFactor 2 ever was, a sim title it shares its fundamental technology with, and consistently sees player numbers higher than RaceRoom, Automobilista 2 and Assetto Corsa Competizione. However, despite this success and recently surpassing half a million units sold, several key features, improvements and content additions are in development. Here are six key elements to expect from Le Mans Ultimate in the next year, and one we do not.
New netcode
With the rollout of a Version 1.4 update in July, an all-new netcode system was implemented. In simple terms, how the game measures and reacts to car proximity and contact during multiplayer races.
It was a significant backwards step, with phantom impacts, strange spins and in the worst instances, cars flying to the moon.
Switching from Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) to Reliable User Datagram Protocol (RUDP), if you must know the technicalities, has since been reversed. So, multiplayer races are now more predictable. However, this reversal didn’t solve issues in their entirety, and the Studio 397 creation team is still working on the new system.
As it was introduced with long-term improvements in mind, a series of open beta test races will take place using the new system, while the old setup is the norm. If it then progresses as expected, the RUDP-utilising system should become the basis of multiplayer.
Hosted driver swaps, 24-hour races and Le Mans Virtual Series
One of Le Mans Ultimate’s frailties has been online endurance races. Lengthy events are possible, but not without intermittent issues such as game crashes or server disconnections when it’s over six hours in length.
Consequently, 24-hour team races have been limited to ‘test’ events, with only one scheduled before the end of 2026. This will take place on 20th October, with a 10-hour race preceding it on the 6th.
During these longer races, the teams feature is implemented, allowing driver changes during pitstops. However, driver swaps have only ever been enabled for these set in-game special events. Community events using hosted servers cannot have more than one driver per car.
Eventually, we expect this to change, however, as Le Mans Ultimate goes through its background multiplayer changes.
“I think we would provide that at some point, and we’re not averse to doing those kinds of things, so yes, why not?” said the President and Chief Executive Officer of Motorsport Games to Traxion recently, when asked specifically about hosted driver swaps.
Once these changes and features are in place, the Le Mans Virtual Series is expected to return. This last ran between 2022 and 2023, with professional sim racing teams and real-world motorsport stars teaming up for broadcast virtual races.
“Our plan was always to have Le Mans Virtual back in the frame, especially when we moved away from rFactor 2 and focused on LMU,” said Hood to Traxion earlier this year.
“To not have Le Mans Virtual when we’ve got the official game now would be mad in my mind.”
New and updated cars
Setting aside structural changes to the simulation’s online systems, more content is expected to be on the way.
Simply, as the official game of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and FIA World Endurance Championship, Le Mans Ultimate can rapidly receive car data from teams.
For instance, it added the new-for-2026 Genesis GMR-001 before it had entered a race, and is the only current sim with the Toyota TR010 Hypercar. It has the entire grid recreated from the current season, even recently adding LMGT3 and LMP2 liveries.
Consequently, we can predict upcoming cars for the title based on what real-world teams are entering in 2027.
McLaren and Ford Racing will be creating all-new cars for the championship’s top class next season. Therefore, their appearance in Le Mans Ultimate is a given.
Peugeot will be making a significant update to its 9X8 competitor, and Ferrari has been spotted testing a large 499P upgrade. Alpine has confirmed its withdrawal; however, the Signatech team that runs the programme is in talks with a new car manufacturer to possibly take over the project.
Meanwhile, in LMGT3, Toyota is expected to enter its GR GT3 model, replacing the ageing Lexus RC F GT3. Mercedes-AMG is also creating a new vehicle for this category, although its release date is not yet confirmed.
US tracks
This section is straightforward. More venues are on the way as part of the US Track Pass DLC.
Daytona and Laguna Seca were first released for this set in July, and in September, they were joined by Long Beach and Road Atlanta. That leaves two remaining to complete the pack, and while the venues have not yet been confirmed, these are scheduled for a December 2026 release.
As for further venues, every circuit in the 2027 FIA WEC calendar (even the new addition, Silverstone) is already available for Le Mans Ultimate, so publisher Motorsport Games will have to look elsewhere if it plans to expand the roster.
Career mode
An offline single-player career mode is also in development for Le Mans Ultimate. While this may not appear to those looking for competitive race practice, it could broaden the game’s audience and provide a compelling entry point.
This was originally slated for a Q1 2026 release, and screenshots of work-in-progress menus have been shared. However, since then, there’s been radio silence.
That should change before the end of the year, with Hood promising some form of single-player development update.
“We are still working hard on an improved single-player experience, and it remains a focus for our team,” said Hood during a recent presentation.
“We’ll give you an update ahead of the next [update’s] release.”
PlayStation and Xbox versions
Le Mans Ultimate is a PC-only simulation. However, over the past year, at least, there have been changes to the current game, designed to help the transition to consoles.
For example, in March, the coding language used for the user interface was changed for PC players. This switch was actually to help the PlayStation and Xbox versions, which are currently being ported by a third-party partner. These versions are said to be “progressing well” (according to Hood) and are slated for a 2027 launch.
But not safety cars, yet…
Slow zones, virtual safety cars and regular safety cars are intrinsic to 24 Hours of Le Mans strategy, often changing race outcomes.
However, all are absent from Le Mans Ultimate. Publisher Motorsport Games is keen to avoid directly answering this question, and has prioritised other features, such as the ranked racing systems.
That doesn’t mean that some form of system that replicates these processes hasn’t been ruled out.
“I think we would probably add them in the tail of LMU… It is not as simple as you think,” said Hood to Traxion.
So, perhaps not in the next 12 months, but at some point fans who have been requesting such a feature may be appeased.
What’s next for Le Mans Ultimate?
The next 12 months could be an important period for Le Mans Ultimate. New cars and circuits are on the way, while improvements to multiplayer, endurance racing, career mode and the planned console versions could significantly expand what the sim offers.
Some features, such as safety cars, may still be further away. But with Studio 397 continuing to develop both the content and underlying systems, there should be plenty for LMU players to look forward to.
Already racing in Le Mans Ultimate? Try trophi.ai to find where you're losing time. Mansell AI analyzes your driving and gives you personalized guidance to help you understand what to improve and get faster.
FAQs
What updates are coming to Le Mans Ultimate?
Le Mans Ultimate continues to receive new features, cars, tracks and improvements as Studio 397 expands the sim beyond its original FIA World Endurance Championship content. Based on announced and planned developments, players can expect LMU to continue evolving over the next 12 months.
Is Le Mans Ultimate still being updated?
Yes. Le Mans Ultimate continues to receive major updates covering new content, multiplayer features, physics improvements and quality-of-life changes. The recent V1.4 update, for example, introduced Daytona and Laguna Seca alongside Practice Servers, brake physics changes and other improvements.
Will Le Mans Ultimate get more cars and tracks?
Le Mans Ultimate has continued to expand its car and circuit roster through updates and DLC. The addition of European Le Mans Series content has also opened the door to cars and tracks outside the original WEC lineup.
Is Le Mans Ultimate available on console?
I would answer this one based specifically on whatever the finished article says about console development, since this is a high-value search query and the status can change. I wouldn't publish an evergreen “yes/no” here unless we're confident it matches the latest official information.
Does Le Mans Ultimate support VR?
Yes. Le Mans Ultimate now has native VR/OpenXR support, following continued improvements to its VR implementation.
Does Le Mans Ultimate have driver swaps?
Yes. Le Mans Ultimate supports driver swaps for applicable multiplayer events, allowing multiple drivers to share the same car during endurance races.
Is Le Mans Ultimate worth playing in 2026?
Le Mans Ultimate has expanded significantly since its initial release, with additional cars, tracks, multiplayer functionality, VR support and other features. Whether it suits you will depend largely on whether you're interested in endurance racing and WEC-style competition.
