If you are aware of the NASCAR 25 game, chances are you may have caught a whiff of the growing backlash as well. And here’s another thread added to it. When Monster Energy signed on to sponsor NASCAR’s premier series from 2017, NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France called it “ the most unique in all of sports and entertainment,” praising the brand’s excitement and enthusiasm as a perfect match for the high-octane world of stock car racing. And it didn’t take long for it to be woven into the sports identity. So naturally, when the branding for the same was noticed missing from NASCAR 25, the racing community was left puzzled.

Built by iRacing on the powerhouse Unreal Engine 5, NASCAR 25 doesn’t just bring tracks to life—it laser-scans them, ensuring every bump and banking feels real. With a deep roster of drivers, customizable characters, and comprehensive career modes that capture the immersive glory days of NASCAR gaming, the sport’s digital future suddenly feels very much alive. To build the buzz, iRacing recently dropped an extended gameplay video, handing the controls to professional racer Anthony Alfredo.

Switching between a controller and a racing wheel, Alfredo put the game’s settings through their paces, testing how closely they mirrored the intensity of a real race. His session offered the first real taste of what to expect for the official release on October 14, 2025, and the early verdict was promising. But amidst all this, the game lacks one of its most important sponsors of all time: Monster Energy.

Back in 2017, Monster Energy replaced Sprint as the title sponsor, slapping its bold branding on the premier series and instantly giving NASCAR a younger, edgier side. Beyond the main sponsorship, Monster backs individual drivers and teams like Tyler Reddick’s 23XI Racing car and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs. And even when NASCAR shifted to a multi-partner model in 2019, ending Monster’s reign as the sole title sponsor, the energy kept a firm grip as a key partner on the official energy drink of the series, proving that in NASCAR, Monster is not just a sponsor; it is a lifestyle. And the fans sound off on that missed lifestyle.

NASCAR 25 also marks a milestone; it is iRacing’s first standalone NASCAR console release, bringing with it decades of sim racing expertise. iRacing has worked with the same developers who gave fans cult classics like NASCAR Racing 2003, NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona, and the NASCAR Thunder titles are back at the wheel. Players can tear around superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega, grind it on short tracks like Martinsville and Bristol, and do everything in between across the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Craftsman Truck Series, and for the first time in a standalone console, the ARCA Menards Series.

And the excitement isn’t just among fans. NASCAR Cup Series ace William Byron made his feelings clear here after watching the gameplay trailer. Throwing his weight behind what is shaping up to be the most ambitious NASCAR game in decades, Byron took to X, posting, “I’m sold. Preordered this morning.” But as disappointment mounts, with NASCAR fans fuming over missed historical tracks in the race modes, this new issue of the cars not showcasing Monster Energy on the back of them has disheartened them even more.

NASCAR fans slam the NASCAR 25 game due to the loss of the main sponsor

It all started with the poster release when Christopher Bell’s hidden face drew an uproar, and since then, the NASCAR community hasn’t been looking forward to its release, especially with Monster not in the picture. The glaring absence of Monster Energy in the latest launch of the gameplay reveal caught the fans’ attention. The brand, along with the sport and its most high-profile drivers, was nowhere to be seen on the cars, and the reaction online was immediate and unfiltered. One fan summed up the disappointment with a touch of humor, saying, “Looks like it. That’s too bad. But oddly enough, it will give the field a bit more color instead of the 35 (Riley Herbst), 45 (Tyler Reddick), and 54 (Ty Gibbs) all being sponsored by Monster at the same time, lol.”

Some fans found the absence outright confusing. “Which is hilarious because they do the Monster Energy Supercross games,” pointed out one comment, highlighting the apparent inconsistency in how the brand is represented across racing titles. Others didn’t mention words about the brand itself, saying, “Monster is such a lame brand, I wouldn’t be surprised but they might be in the DLC,” wrote another, signaling that while fans notice the absence, they are willing to wait for the downloadable content fixes.

The discussion quickly expanded beyond Monster Energy to other familiar sponsors. “Red Bull doesn’t appear to be either, considering the 87 with Zilisch was in the game and removed,” one fan noted, underscoring the broad question of how licensing agreements are shaping NASCAR 25. Red Bull made a high-profile return to NASCAR by partnering with Trackhouse Racing to sponsor rising star Connor Zilisch.

The 19-year-old Trackhouse development driver since 2024 made his NASCAR series debut at the COTA, piloting the No. 87 Chevrolet Camaro with Red Bull as the primary sponsor. This marked Red Bull’s return to the series after a hiatus since 2011 and was part of a broader collaboration that also included sponsoring Shane van Gisbergen in select Cup races. Another wondered if the developers simply replaced the iconic brand, saying, “Do they just put “Gibbs” in place of Monster like they did with Earnhardt and Budweiser?”

Not every fan was outraged, however. “What did people expect? They are no fun in many areas,” one user wrote, reflecting a sentiment that while the brand’s absence stings, it’s not entirely surprising given the complexities of sponsorship and licensing. Across forums and social media, the conversation has been lively, blending disappointment, humor, and curiosity about the final release and what potential DLC might bring.