CEO & CTOFirst, I want to acknowledge the time and energy many of you have invested over the years in building leagues and communities around the game. That commitment matters. I understand why changes to long-standing systems naturally raise questions and concern, and there have been calls for greater transparency. That’s what I want to provide here. I can’t share every internal detail, but I can offer a clearer and more grounded picture than has been available so far.
There have been periods in recent years, where keeping iGP moving forward required personal backing from me, and I chose to do that because I care deeply about the project and the community around it. Long term, however, the game needs a structure that can stand on its own, properly support development, and grow without relying on temporary fixes. The recent changes are about putting that foundation in place. We explored other approaches in the past, but this is the direction that finally aligns sustainability with the depth and quality the game deserves.
Right now, my focus is on making sure this update settles properly. I’m working continuously to improve stability, expand features, and build out the systems introduced here so their value becomes clearer over time. I fully understand the frustration that not enough visible features landed immediately to offset changes like league boosts, and I want to explain why this step still mattered and is the right one.
Why leagues had to evolve
For a long time, iGP supported an unusually high level of free league customisation. That flexibility allowed small groups of managers to create highly tailored experiences for 10, 20, or 50 people, and that helped many micro-communities thrive.
Over time, however, that same flexibility began to work against the wider ecosystem. Each additional rule, exception, and configuration added complexity behind the scenes and made the game harder to move forward as a unified platform. Development effort became fragmented, and the community gradually separated into many smaller, self-contained pockets. While those leagues often functioned well in isolation, the overall structure became increasingly fragile. Without intervening to stabilise that direction and invest in a more sustainable model, the long-term viability of the game would have been at risk.
We explored several ways to address this over the years. Changes like the Rookie sprint tier were introduced to improve retention, and Tokens were expanded to help support development. Consistently, though, the feedback pointed in the same direction: less emphasis on side systems, and more emphasis on depth, precision, and control within leagues.
That brought us back to a fundamental question: how do we make depth sustainable, rather than something that limits the game to a collection of small, disconnected groups with no room to grow?
The new flat league model, with optional boosts for additional depth, is the answer we arrived at. Core participation remains free, while deeper customisation is treated as a shared service. Any cost can be covered by one person or split across a league as needed. No one is required to pay to race or compete. Boosts are also available through normal gameplay, including new areas such as the Daily Donut.
This structure allows development in the areas the community values most to be properly supported over the long term.
At the same time, we are deliberately scaling back monetisation elsewhere. Tokens have already been removed from team colours and logos, and the upcoming Chassis Supplier system will not resemble the Engine Supplier model. The shift in direction will become increasingly clear as these changes roll out.
What this unlocks going forward
This is where I want to look ahead.
With a more sustainable foundation in place, the focus can move decisively toward building. That means better league hosting tools, more flexibility where it genuinely adds value, continued refinement of racing systems, and features that have been requested for years but were difficult to justify previously.
It also allows us to keep reducing reliance on performance-based monetisation and invest instead in gameplay depth, stability, and long-term growth. The goal is to give the community room to expand without breaking under complexity. We now have a simpler, unified system that works well for most players, and even in the first days since launch it has already led to fuller grids and more active racing. Sprint races too, are more enjoyable in my experience during the day. These dynamics will only improve once we start marketing.
Clearing up the “pay-to-win” angle
The term pay-to-win is being used very broadly at the moment, often to describe anything that can be purchased, regardless of whether it affects performance.
Adjusting league rules, hosting more races, or racing daily does not create a competitive advantage within a league. Outcomes on track are still determined by management decisions, strategy, and execution.
If anything, the game has moved firmly in the opposite direction. Drivers and staff now operate on a unified level scale, systems such as ERS and DRS have been equalised across levels, and long-standing level-based or purchasable performance gaps have been greatly reduced.
One additional point worth addressing is that the research formula appears to have reverted during the update. We’re perfectly open to reversing that change, and this is exactly the kind of constructive feedback that helps improve the system.
What happens next
In the near term, priorities are clear:
- Fixing stability and visibility issues
- Improving league hosting options and defaults, e.g. offline leagues, hardcore / realistic car setups and other long requested features will be among the first additions
- Rolling out Chassis Supplier and other new features in a way that adds gameplay depth
- Iterating and refining everything based on the feedback you’re providing now
- Treating this as a new foundation for an evolving platform
Moving forward together
Feedback matters, and disagreement is part of a healthy community. What helps most is keeping that feedback focused and constructive, so it can directly inform what comes next.
The foundation has changed, but the purpose has not. iGP remains about thoughtful management, competitive racing, and communities that care enough to engage deeply with the game. From here, the focus is on delivering on the potential many of you already see, and that we are committed to building.
