NASCAR 26 Update Available Today - Patch Notes

A new NASCAR 26 update has arrived for players with the Gold Edition, bringing a round of fixes and improvements ahead of the wider launch. The Standard Edition releases Friday, September 18 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox…

Updated driver ratings.
Improved AI pitting logic at the end of stages.
In Online Multiplayer, always provide default pit options when requesting a manual pit stop.
Moved sponsor goal HUD in cockpit so it no longer appears on the mirror in Career mode.
Fix Training Difficulty setting to immediately update to the correct value when changing overall difficulty preset.
Tuned road course cutting boundaries at San Diego.
Improved AI logic while on pit road.
Relaxed caution setting now requires greater impact forces to trigger yellow flag.
Fixed an issue with offline settings sometimes being applied online.
Fix for a potential Career Mode crash.

UPDATE: The team just released another update this evening:

Fix for wheels that would sometimes roughly shutter or vibrate.
Updated sun position at Chicagoland. Improvements to Estimated AI Rating accuracy in Peak Performance.
Fix for caution running order names not fitting in its container.
For those who preordered the GOLD version on Steam, we fixed the technical issue preventing access to the September DLC

The Gold Edition is available for $79.99 and includes the full game along with the Season Pass, which adds four monthly DLC packs through the end of the year. Those packs include new paint schemes, fire suits and Career Mode bonuses such as VIP employees, 1,000 reputation points and an extra $10,000 to use in a career.

The Standard Edition is priced at $59.99 and arrives September 18. Anyone who pre-orders either edition before launch will also receive a $5,000 Career Mode bonus, 500 reputation points and an exclusive Kyle Larson paint scheme.

Key Features

Favorite Drivers & Tracks: Race across the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and ARCA Menards Series with your favorite drivers and tracks from each series.
Improved Career Mode: Career Mode returns deeper than ever, featuring new weekly strategic planning decisions with Facility Upgrades that shape your journey from day one, along with performance coaching and tips from NASCAR greats Steve Letarte and Jamie McMurray.
New Game Modes & Features: Experience the thrill of The Chase, a new customizable standalone mode where you fight for a championship over the last 10 races of the season against the field of your choice, along with a new Peak Performance training mode to perfect your abilities on every track plus cross-platform multiplayer.
New Upgrades & Enhancements: Enjoy visual upgrades across the entire game, including improved graphics, skies, and dynamic lighting and cloud interactions, plus better replay cameras and an all new particle system for enhanced smoke, debris and additional effects. On the track, you’ll experience an all new tire and braking model for a more authentic racing experience along with dynamic track technology that changes the grip over the course of a race weekend.
And So Much More: Discover a ton of other additions, such as burnout celebrations, an all-new Ram truck, a new spotter (Freddie Kraft), new tracks (including the Qualcomm Circuit at Naval Base Coronado, Chicagoland, and St. Petersburg), a trophy room, an enhanced paint kit, and all new (fully customizable!) driver ratings for 2026.

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