REIZA Studios has already announced that it is just weeks away from releasing the first major update of the year for Automobilista 2 (AMS2). Some of the insights shared make it possible to understand the current state of the project and get an idea of what may be added to the platform in 2026.
Noting that plans are always subject to change, REIZA is focused on providing an early look at the path it intends to follow with Automobilista 2 in terms of features and new content. While confident in its ability to deliver new content, the studio is aware that obstacles may arise that could delay or even prevent some of it from becoming a reality. For this reason, it advises users, when purchasing the simulator or new DLCs, to value the product’s current offering.
Thoughts on Automobilista 2 on the Road to 2026
With the simulator entering its seventh year since its launch in March 2020, its growth has been evident, and it is expected to surpass one million copies by 2026—figures that REIZA Studios acknowledges are well above initial expectations. It is therefore a fact that the simulator has found its niche, managing to gather a considerable user base and a very positive level of satisfaction. While there is still room for improvement, REIZA Studios remains focused on that goal, thanks to feedback from its users, who are mostly sim racers of two types: casual players with limited time to dedicate to the hobby—who likely race in other simulators and use AMS2 to relax—or those who do not compete at all, avoiding the stress that often comes with competition.
For REIZA Studios, the current state of AMS2 is very positive, as it has positioned itself within a very specific niche in an increasingly competitive market, providing enjoyment to those in middle age with families who have had sim racing as a hobby for many years and continue to draw pleasure and excitement from driving virtual cars in a more or less realistic way. It is therefore natural that this type of user—who, despite having limited time, enjoys a wide variety of content—is the focus of the simulator. In addition, AMS2’s pricing strategy, which remains highly competitive, ensures steady commercial success regardless of how many hours users devote to it.
Despite the strong numbers and positive feedback, REIZA Studios does not intend to “rest on its laurels.” Born from the collective passion of a small group of modders, the 16-year-old studio remains focused on creating the best simulator it can. Aware of the untapped potential within AMS2, it aims to push the platform even further in 2026, having strengthened its team and secured new licensing agreements while renewing existing ones. This has allowed the studio to define a roadmap that preserves the simulator’s strengths while expanding areas that still need improvement, with the goal of keeping the current user base engaged and hopefully attracting new players.
Always Evolving – AMS2 2026 Development Roadmap
As has been the case in recent years, AMS2 updates will continue to arrive quickly and frequently, roughly every two months. The major update in March is expected to be v1.7.0 (by the end of Q2), bringing many new cars and tracks along with some of the year’s most substantial developments. In Single Player mode, improvements to AI (Artificial Intelligence) performance in races are expected, as well as the addition of the option to save races that have already started (with inherent limitations). In Multiplayer, it will become possible to register for and participate in Scheduled Races through third-party services, such as Low Fuel Motorsport and Just Race (...already integrated and externally available with support from SimGrid on the new official portal Automobilista), this option will then be integrated directly into the in-simulator Lobby.
Over the course of the year, improvements will be introduced to the simulator, including a more organized interface that is more intuitive for filtering and sorting content, providing users with better management of the growing number of cars and tracks available.
The new HUD, which has been available as a beta option in the current version, may also be fully available and feature-complete in this update.
Other new features in AMS2 include more realistic tire wear behavior, improvements in wind simulation, and enhancements to certain tracks and dynamic weather.
There will also be new features in terms of logistical realism, including limits on tire usage, delays for car towing and repairs after incidents or breakdowns, as well as limited spare parts. These are features that REIZA Studios has been working on intensively over the past two years and may already be available in v1.7.0. Additional immersion features may also be included, such as animated track marshals, dynamic spectator reactions on the track, and support for interactions between drivers.
Over the course of the year, support for various technical and sporting regulations will also be expanded. This will include different qualifying and race formats, virtual safety cars, parc fermé rules, ballast, a wider range of pit stop restrictions, championship scoring options, as well as support for scoring and classifications by class division across series (particularly relevant for competitions such as the Ligier European Series, Porsche Cup, F3, and Lancer Cup, where two or more classes of cars with different specifications compete on track).
On the agenda is also the expansion of user customization options and improved support for mods, including the ability to modify the individual performance of cars (both as a way to better model various seasons in mod packs and to create custom BoP options for multiplayer leagues), create and share custom presets, as well as championship files. Regarding modded cars and tracks, although users should not expect AMS2 to become a full modding platform (due not only to simulator limitations but also to its core design), efforts are being made to reduce or remove certain obstacles, making it more accessible to creators of high-quality, ground-up content.
Regarding the Career Mode for Single Player, which connects all elements within the simulator, it has always been planned as the final major development for AMS2, requiring all components to be properly in place to provide the best experience. Currently, work is focused on balancing the challenge of implementing Career Mode within the planned features, which creates a significant maintenance overhead, causing career progress to be constantly disrupted across simulator updates. At the same time, the larger AMS2 grows, the more the release of Career Mode would be delayed—a feature eagerly anticipated by many users. As REIZA Studios progresses with the design and implementation of this mode, users should expect its rollout to occur in stages, with the initial launch planned for the second half of 2026.
Always Expanding – AMS2 2026 Content Roadmap
This brings us to the content planned for the near future in the simulator: AMS2 was designed to be as comprehensive as possible. The basic idea remains the same: to represent, to some degree, the most popular motorsport series of the modern era, going back at least six decades to the mid-1960s, while including some of the most exotic and exclusive classes.
To make this feasible, choices had to be made regarding the content to include. Producing everything that has existed over decades of competition would take years and would be entirely unfeasible, even commercially. For this reason, REIZA Studios has always opted to represent key competitions along the timeline, portraying the evolution of six decades of motorsport.
In terms of realism, expectations need to be managed: AMS2 will never be able to encompass complete seasons of 1960s Grand Prix, 1980s Group C, 2000s GT1, and 2020s IMSA, with full grids, alongside an entire catalog of regional series and everything else that would entail.
In this regard, REIZA Studios intends to continue the work it has been doing for over a decade, starting with AMS1, by offering a universe spanning 60 years of motorsport history. This universe, currently known as the “AMS2Verse,” mixes cars, tracks, classes, and both real and fictional drivers, and it will be expanded in 2026.
The introduction of new content will continue to be diverse, including historic formulas, touring cars, modern prototypes, classic GTs, and even karts or dirt racing. Initially, a formula pack will arrive to complete the 2000/2010 seasons, followed by the completion of the 2005 Endurance Pack with the Historical Endurance Pack content. In Part 3, the late-1960s Can-Am cars will be added, along with Le Mans prototypes from the early to late 1970s and Group 5 cars from the late 1970s, as well as several circuits from that era. Afterwards, the focus will move forward a few decades to introduce some 1990s British Touring Cars, before returning to 2005 for the German Touring Cars. Later on, the modern era will be revisited to continue expanding the current offerings.
