This is why Porsche cars were in basically no racing video games until 2016
Published on Mar 23, 2026 at 5:15 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Mar 23, 2026 at 8:12 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
If Porsche fans played a sim racing or video game up until 2016, they probably noticed a distinct lack of the German brand’s sports cars in games centered around supercars.
In fact, it is only since 2016 that Porsche cars have appeared in more racing games and video game titles, with the brand now in a slew of releases.
Yet rather than it being a simple oversight by all these titles, there was a very good reason why these cars were not on screen.
Want to find out why? Keep reading to find out the real answer.
Enter our competition to win a stunning 2006 Ford GT or $400,000 cash!
Why Porsche cars were absent from video games until 2016
The reason behind this is actually quite simple.
Not even Gran Turismo had the Porsche 911.
Instead, they used sports cars from the likes of RUF, with other titles taking those from Gemballa.
These were Porsche sports cars in all but name, built by tuners.
In fact, if you had any car-based video game from 2000-2016, any Porsche in it was a RUF or Gemballa.
This was down to a license deal struck with Electronic Arts (EA) in 2000.
That year, EA signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Porsche AG, starting with Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed.
That license stipulated that EA games, such as Need for Speed, would be the only place the cars appeared.
For EA, it was great, but for other game manufacturers, it felt like a kick in the teeth.
These were the consequences of the exclusive deal with EA
This deal had a massive impact on the gaming industry.
Any EA sim racing title with cars featured would likely have the German cars in it.
But studios such as Polyphony Digital, which make Gran Turismo, couldn’t touch the cars.
That is what led to the likes of RUF being used, cars that looked like a Porsche but didn’t carry the badge or name.
It was a clever way of circumventing the issue.
But it meant these games lacked contemporary cars, the latest and greatest from Stuttgart.
Some games, such as Project Gotham Racing and Forza Motorsport, were allowed to feature sports cars.
But if you wanted the full experience, you had to play an EA title until 2016.
After that, the German manufacturer relaxed the exclusivity agreement.
Now, no sim racing title is complete without a Porsche sports car in it.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
