The 2025 Gran Turismo World Series is set to kick off with a Nations Cup Exhibition Season starting on January 22. Polyphony Digital has outlined a concise, four-race calendar reminiscent of recent Exhibition Seasons, but with notable adjustments in scheduling.
The race itinerary features familiar tracks, now adapted to the current physics model, emphasizing higher-performance vehicles. The schedule is as follows:
A significant change this season is the return to the alternating Wednesday/Saturday format, deviating from the traditional Saturday-only races. This adjustment aims to provide participants with greater flexibility and is expected to make the season progress more swiftly.
Race timings remain consistent, though players should be aware of potential discrepancies due to time zone differences. Lower leagues will have ten entry slots throughout the day, while GT1 League offers three slots from early afternoon to evening.
In terms of race mechanics, GT1 League will implement “heavy damage,” necessitating pit stops for repairs, whereas GT2 and GT3 leagues will continue with self-healing “light damage.” Additionally, GT1 will feature longer races in two of the four events, though fuel consumption, tire wear, pit stop requirements, and mandatory tires remain uniform across all leagues.
Participants can enter multiple slots per round; however, only the last race entered will count towards their score, even in cases of disconnection resulting in zero points. This season introduces a scoring system where the best three out of four round scores contribute to the final points total, allowing for one dropped round.
The Gran Turismo World Series offers a more structured competition compared to Daily Races, featuring longer races and a dedicated points system. Upon entry, players are assigned to a “League” corresponding to their Driver Rating (DR):
Notably, a player’s league placement remains fixed throughout the season, regardless of any changes in their DR.
Points awarded in each race depend on finishing position and the average DR of the lobby. With upcoming adjustments to the Driver Rating cap ahead of the 2025 season, specific point values are yet to be confirmed. Historically, GT1 League winners have earned nearly 500 points per win, while GT3 League victors have seen scores in the low double or single digits.
Participating in the GTWS presents an opportunity for players to boost their credits and Driver Rating. The 2025 season will offer increased DR points for these competitive events—though this also introduces the risk of greater losses, as it’s a zero-sum system. Players will receive bonus credits based on their overall League ranking within their primary and secondary geographical areas, country, and region.
For GT1 participants, bonuses can reach up to 9 million credits, while GT2 and GT3 players can earn a maximum of 4.5 million. Given the best-three-of-four format this season, consistent participation is key to securing substantial rewards. Even those competing in a couple of GT3 races stand to gain approximately 1.1 million credits.
As the 2025 Gran Turismo World Series approaches, drivers worldwide are gearing up for another thrilling season of virtual racing.
