The Formula One season is in doubt, and now there are question marks about the F1 2020 game thanks to the cancellation of the Monaco Grand Prix.
While the first several races have officially been postponed, the decision not to hold the Monaco Grand Prix at the scheduled date has led the race to be outright cancelled.
The crown jewel of the Formula One season has happened every year since 1954. It may not lead to the best racing these days, but it is arguably the most iconic track in all motorsport.
But what does this mean for Codemasters' F1 2020 game?
No Monaco Grand Prix in F1 2020?
It's safe to say not many gamers enjoy their career mode race around Monaco.
It is nearly impossible to overtake, while looking after your tyres is tricky due to the heavy braking and acceleration zones.
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However, as a time trial track and a sheer spectacle there is nothing quite like Monaco for F1 fans.
Flying through the swimming pool section is like a rollercoaster ride you are in charge of.
The F1 games that Codemasters produce are official representations of the F1 season, which means no Monaco Grand Prix in real life, no Monaco Grand Prix in the F1 game.
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We have seen this before with the German Grand Prix coming in and out of the calendar.
However, there is no doubt that dropping Monaco would be far more impactful than not sending us to Hockenheim.
What will Codemasters do?
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There is little doubt that at this point the F1 2020 game will be mostly done, with Monaco included in it.
While an honest representation of this year would be to drop the race out of the game, a truly reproduced first season in career mode would see the first chunk of the season postponed and that would be awful.
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A good compromise for Codemasters would simply be to continue as if nothing had happened.
The coronavirus issues are entirely out of their hands and unpredictable.
F1 needs the game to come out as expected to keep fans engaged and thinking about F1. That means the game coming out with the F1 2020 season as intended and with the Monaco Grand Prix.
Release date
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While there is no official news about the release date for F1 2020, the expectation is that it will mirror last year's game and be released in June.
Obviously coronavirus could mess with that, but right now the only bright spot for F1 fans is the release of the new game so we hope Codemasters can work some magic and get it out on time and to standard.