Would it really be all that surprising to learn that Sony is planning Gran Turismo 7, the next numbered entry in PlayStation’s long-running racing sim franchise? After all, we know that the “next Gran Turismo” is coming. Polyphony Digital has already commented on the game, notably mentioning that they are trying to reach 240fps with it. Of course, it hadn’t actually been specifically named Gran Turismo 7 just yet, at least until Next Level Racing outed it (kind of).
That story begins with an Instagram post from Next Level Racing, a racing cockpit manufacturer that makes officially licensed PlayStation products. The Sixth Axis reported that the now-deleted post (screenshot below) showed a Gran Turismo 7 logo (among other confirmed titles), asking what racing game people are looking forward to in 2020.
People were quick to call the company on the unrevealed game, after which Next Level Racing deleted the post and hastily responded with a rather confusing bit of damage control.
Our team has recognized that a recent post by us using a logo has been misinterpreted by media and it does not reflect any information from our end, and we deny knowing any information regarding the launch of GT7. There have been assumptions made in the media that are quite simply untrue. Due to this, we have decided to take down our previous social post. Our Graphic Design Department used the mock logo that is circulated on the internet.
We do apologize for any confusion that this might have caused.
Yes, Next Level Racing used a supposed mock logo for a game that they allegedly know nothing about in a social post about racing games coming this year and somehow the blame is on the media for “misinterpret[ing].” Questions begin to arise. Why would their graphic design department use a “mock logo that is circulated on the internet” at all if they “deny knowing any information regarding the launch of GT7?” Somebody was obviously under the impression that Gran Turismo 7 is launching this year and this response to the post feels quite a bit like a red-faced “Whoops, we really broke embargo on that one.”
And that’s still not the end of the saga. Just after that big fiasco, PlayStation Brazil tweeted out a poll, asking players “which of these games do you prefer playing on the living room sofa with someone?” Among the possible replies was, you guessed it, Gran Turismo 7. That post has since been deleted too, but thanks to the internet, screenshots exist (see below).
It’s entirely possible that with all the changing plans due to COVID-19, there could have been some embargo dates that shifted and not everyone got the memo. That or these were just honest slipups (though the Next Level Racing leak seems particularly egregious and suspect). At best guess, Gran Turismo 7—the next expected entry in a series that has followed PlayStation since the beginning—will once again be a benchmark title, launching with the PlayStation 5 in holiday 2020, and it will probably be part of the PS5 reveal showcase, now reportedly set for sometime in early June.
