Video game developer · United Kingdom · Active

Codemasters

Founded in 1986

97
games developed: 181
games published: 0
in development: 800
employees

History of Codemasters

Brothers Richard and David Darling started out making budget games for Mastertronic, in which they came to own a 50% stake. They sold it in March 1986 to go independent and in October that year, with help from their father, founded Code Masters in Banbury. Its first game was BMX Simulator. The aim was to sell budget-priced games with full-price quality, and to make more of them in less time it hired freelance developers such as the Oliver Twins.

As the 8-bit computer market faded, it moved to 16-bit consoles and full-price games; Crystal Kingdom Dizzy (1992) was the last Dizzy game. Micro Machines and Pete Sampras Tennis were major hits on the Mega Drive. Codemasters also made most of the unlicensed NES games published by Camerica and, in 1990, created the Game Genie, a cheat cartridge that the courts found did not infringe Nintendo's copyright in Galoob v. Nintendo.

Its later catalogue includes the Colin McRae Rally, Dirt, Grid, TOCA and Operation Flashpoint series, and in 2005 Develop magazine named it best independent developer. In 2008 it bought Sega Racing Studio and won the Formula One licence, first used for F1 2009, and the Darling brothers were made CBEs. It floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2018 and in 2019 bought Slightly Mad Studios, the makers of Project CARS.

Take-Two agreed to buy Codemasters in 2020, but Electronic Arts outbid it and completed the purchase on 18 February 2021. Codemasters is now an EA subsidiary managed within EA Sports and based in Southam. In 2022 its Codemasters Cheshire studio was merged into Criterion Games to work on Need for Speed, and in May 2025 it stopped developing WRC games, with further layoffs.

Milestones

1986
Richard and David Darling found Code Masters.
1990
Creates the Game Genie cheat cartridge for the NES.
2005
Develop names it best independent developer.
2008
Buys Sega Racing Studio and wins the Formula One licence.
2009
F1 2009.
2018
Floats on the London Stock Exchange.
2019
Buys Slightly Mad Studios.
2021
Electronic Arts completes its takeover.
2025
Stops developing WRC games.

Its best-known games

Dirt Rally
2015 · PS4 · Linux · PC
Colin McRae Rally 2.0
2000 · PC · PS1
Colin McRae: Dirt 2
2009 · OnLive · PS3 · PC
Dirt Rally 2.0
2019 · Oculus VR · PS4 · PC
Dirt 4
2017 · PS4 · Linux · PC
Micro Machines
1991 · NES
F1 2019
2019 · PS4 · PC · XONE
F1 2020
2020 · Stadia · PS4 · PC
F1 2018
2018 · PS4 · PC · XONE
Grid
2019 · Stadia · PS4 · PC
Onrush
2018 · PS4 · XONE
F1 2017
2017 · PS4 · PC · Mac

Every game it has developed (97)

2025

F1 25 Series X|S, PC, PS5

2024

F1 24 Series X|S, PS4, PC, PS5

2023

EA Sports WRC Series X|S, PC, PS5
F1 23 Series X|S, PS4, PC, PS5

2022

F1 22 Series X|S, PS4, PC, PS5
Grid Legends Meta Quest 2, Series X|S, PS4, Android

2021

F1 2021 Series X|S, PS4, PC, PS5

2020

F1 2020 Stadia, PS4, PC, XONE

2019

Grid Stadia, PS4, PC, XONE
F1 2019 PS4, PC, XONE
Dirt Rally 2.0 Oculus VR, PS4, PC, Steam VR

2018

F1 Mobile Racing Android, iOS
F1 2018 PS4, PC, XONE
Onrush PS4, XONE

2017

F1 2017 PS4, PC, Mac, XONE
DiRT Rally: VR Edition PSVR
Micro Machines World Series PS4, Linux, PC, Mac
Dirt 4 PS4, Linux, PC, Mac
Mystery World Dizzy NES

2015

Dirt Rally PS4, Linux, PC, Mac
Overlord: Fellowship of Evil PS4, PC, XONE

2014

Toybox Turbos PS3, PC, X360

2013

Colin McRae Rally Android, PC, iOS, Mac

2010

Race Driver: Grid Reloaded PS3, X360

2009

Colin McRae: Dirt 2 OnLive, PS3, PC, Mac

2007

Brian Lara 2007 Pressure Play PSP
Heatseeker Wii, PSP, PS2
Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 PC, X360, Mobile, PS2

2005

Colin McRae Rally 2005 Plus PSP

2004

FC Barcelona Club Football 2005 XBOX, PS2
AC Milan Club Football 2005 XBOX, PS2
IndyCar Series 2005 XBOX, PS2
MTV Music Generator 3: This is the Remix XBOX, PS2

2003

Borussia Dortmund Club Football XBOX, PS2
Real Madrid Club Football XBOX, PS2
AC Milan Club Football XBOX, PS2
World Championship Snooker 2003 XBOX, PS1, PS2
IndyCar Series XBOX, PC, PS2

2002

Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing XBOX, PS2

2001

World Championship Snooker 2002 PS2

2000

Mike Tyson Boxing PS1
Jarrett & Labonte Stock Car Racing PS1
Colin McRae Rally 2.0 PC, PS1
Micro Maniacs Racing GBC, PS1

1999

Micro Machines 64 Turbo N64

1998

Brian Lara Cricket PC, PS1

1997

Pete Sampras Tennis 97 PC, DOS
Micro Machines V3 PC, PS1

1996

Sampras Extreme Tennis PS1

1995

Pete Sampras Tennis 96 Genesis/MegaDrive

1994

Pete Sampras Tennis Game Gear
Psycho Pinball browser, Genesis/MegaDrive, DOS
Pete Sampras Tennis Genesis/MegaDrive
Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament SNES, Genesis/MegaDrive, DOS
Ernie Els Golf Game Gear

1993

Cosmic Spacehead Genesis/MegaDrive, DOS, Amiga
Cosmic Spacehead Game Gear, SMS
Micro Machines Game Gear
Super Robin Hood NES
Fantastic Dizzy Genesis/MegaDrive, Game Gear, DOS, Amiga
Micro Machines Genesis/MegaDrive

1992

The Quest of Agravain Amiga
Big Nose's American Adventure C64, ZXS
Go! Dizzy Go! C64, ZXS, Atari-ST, Game Gear
Bee 52 C64, NES
The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy NES
Stunt Buggies C64, ZXS, Atari-ST, DOS

1991

Violator Amiga
Micro Machines NES
Boomerang Kid C64, NES
FireHawk Atari-ST, Amiga, NES
Linus Spacehead's Cosmic Crusade NES

1990

Wizard Willy C64, ZXS, ACPC
Tilt C64, ZXS
Italia 1990 Atari-ST, Amiga
Kamikaze C64, Amiga
The Ultimate Stuntman NES

1989

Street Gang Football ZXS, ACPC
Blade Warrior ACPC
MiG-29 Soviet Fighter C64, ZXS, Atari-ST, Amiga
Fast Food C64, ZXS, Atari-ST, DOS
Fantasy World Dizzy C64, ZXS, Atari-ST, DOS

1988

Advanced Pinball Simulator Atari8bit, C64, ZXS, ACPC
4 Soccer Simulators ACPC
Pro Skateboard Simulator C64, ZXS, ACPC
Super Dragon Slayer C64, ZXS
The Race Against Time C64, ZXS, ACPC
Rock Star Ate My Hamster C64, ZXS, Atari-ST, Amiga

1987

Professional Ski Simulator C64, ZXS, ACPC
Grand Prix Simulator Atari8bit, C64, ZXS, ACPC
Dizzy: The Ultimate Cartoon Adventure C64, ZXS, ACPC
3D Starfighter ZXS, ACPC
Red Max Atari8bit, C64
Super Stuntman C64, ZXS, ACPC
Armourdillo C64

1986

BMX Simulator Atari8bit, C64, ZXS, Atari-ST
Super Robin Hood C64, ZXS, ACPC

Games it has published without developing them (181)

Mr. Angry 1985
Phantomas 2 1986
Phantomas 1986
Terra Cognita 1986
By Fair Means or Foul 1986
Ghost Hunters 1987
Lazer Force 1987
Cosmonut 1987
Transmuter 1987
ATV Simulator 1987
Fruit Machine Simulator 1987
Super G-Man 1987
ThunderBolt 1987
Jet Bike Simulator 1988
Treasure Island Dizzy 1988
Professional BMX Simulator 1988
Moto X Simulator 1989
BMX Simulator II: Dirt Biking 1989
SAS Combat Simulator 1989
Rallycross Simulator 1989
Ninja Massacre 1989
Advanced Ski Simulator 1989
The Bounty Hunter 1989
Death Stalker 1989
Arcade Flight Simulator 1989
Pro Powerboat Simulator 1989
Pro Tennis Simulator 1989
BMX Freestyle 1989
Little Puff in Dragonland 1989
Monte Carlo Casino 1989
Dizzy Panic 1990
Bubble Dizzy 1990
Magicland Dizzy 1990
Super Tank 1990
Prince Clumsy 1990
Miami Chase 1990
Dizzy Down the Rapids 1991
Dizzy 3 and a Half: Into Magicland 1991
Advanced Fruit Machine Simulator 1991
Spellbound Dizzy 1991
CJ's Elephant Antics 1991
Wacky Darts 1991
Big Nose the Caveman 1991
Sky High Stuntman 1991
Tarzan Goes Ape! 1991
Slightly Magic 1991
Spike in Transylvania 1991
Seymour Goes to Hollywood 1991
Dizzy the Adventurer 1992
Super Seymour Saves the Planet 1992
Wild West Seymour 1992
Captain Dynamo 1992
1st Division Manager 1992
Stryker in the Crypts of Trogan 1992
F-16 Renegade 1992
Crystal Kingdom Dizzy 1992
Steg the Slug 1992
Murray Mouse: Supercop 1992
Sergeant Seymour RobotCop 1992
Stuntman Seymour 1992
Robin Hood: Legend Quest 1992
Soccer Pinball 1992
DJ Puff 1992
Cannon Fodder 1993
High Seas Havoc 1993
Championship Soccer '94 1993
Wrestling Superstars 1993
Allan Border's Cricket 1993
Cannon Fodder 2 1994
Man Overboard! 1994
Man Overboard! 1994
Dropzone 1994
Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament 1995
Micro Machines: Turbo Tournament 96 1995
Super Skidmarks 1995
Sensible World of Soccer '96/'97 1996
Micro Machines Military 1996
Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail! 1996
Brian Lara Cricket '96 1996
Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament 1996
Jonah Lomu Rugby 1997
TOCA Championship Racing 1997
Colin McRae Rally 1998
Music: Music Creation for the PlayStation 1998
TOCA 2: Touring Car Challenge 1998
MTV Music Generator 1999
No Fear Downhill Mountain Biking 1999
Soldier of Fortune 2000
World Championship Snooker 2000
TOCA World Touring Cars 2000
Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force 2000
Pro Pool 2000
1nsane 2000
Cannon Fodder 2000
TOCA Touring Car Championship 2001
Severance: Blade of Darkness 2001
MTV Music Generator 2 2001
Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis 2001
Prince Naseem Boxing 2001
Pro Race Driver 2002
Colin McRae Rally 3 2002
Prisoner of War 2002
I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike 2003
DTM Race Driver: Director's Cut 2003
Pop Idol: The Official Video Game 2003
Downhill Domination 2003
Colin McRae Rally 04 2003
American Idol 2003
American Idol 2003
TOCA Race Driver 2 2004
Perimeter 2004
Soldiers: Heroes of World War II 2004
Second Sight 2004
Colin McRae Rally 2005 2004
England International Football 2004
Brian Lara International Cricket 2005 2005
Worms 4: Mayhem 2005
Heroes of the Pacific 2005
Colin McRae Rally 2005 2005
Bubble Bobble Revolution 2005
Operation Flashpoint: Elite 2005
TOCA Race Driver 3 2006
Sensible Soccer Skillz 2006
Race Driver 2006 2006
Sensible Soccer 2006 2006
Micro Machines V4 2006
Bullet Witch 2006
Bubble Bobble Evolution 2006
Rainbow Islands Revolution 2006
TOCA Race Driver 3 Challenge 2007
Maelstrom: The Battle for Earth Begins 2007
Powerplay Tennis 2007
The Lord of the Rings Online 2007
Colin McRae: Dirt 2007
Overlord 2007
Rafa Nadal Tennis 2007
Clive Barker's Jericho 2007
Sensible World of Soccer 2007
Power Play Tennis 2008
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty 2008
Emergency Mayhem 2008
Race Driver: Grid 2008
Race Driver: Grid 2008
Race Driver: Create & Race 2008
You're in the Movies 2008
Rise of the Argonauts 2008
Hospital Tycoon 2009
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust 2009
Damnation 2009
Fuel 2009
Overlord: Minions 2009
Overlord: Dark Legend 2009
Overlord II 2009
Superstars V8 Racing 2009
Ashes Cricket 2009 2009
Colin McRae: Dirt 2 2009
Colin McRae: Dirt 2 2009
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising 2009
Dragonology 2009
F1 2009 2009
International Cricket 2010 2010
F1 2010 2010
Operation Flashpoint: Red River 2011
Dirt 3 2011
Bodycount 2011
F1 2011 2011
Dizzy: Prince of the Yolkfolk 2011
Dirt Showdown 2012
F1 2012 2012
F1 Race Stars 2012
Grid 2 2013
Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded 2013
F1 2013 2013
F1 Race Stars: Powered Up Edition 2014
Grid 2: Reloaded Edition 2014
Grid: Autosport 2014
F1 2014 2014
F1 2015 2015
Micro Machines Mobile 2016
F1 2016 2016
Dirt 5 2020