I think a lot of it is just, the market changed. People wanted games with licensed cars, either more realistic or way more arcade-y (think kart racers), and the last few RR entries didn’t do so hot, so they packed it in.

It sucks but I can kinda see why it happened. I’d love to see them come back but I think it’s increasingly unlikely from Namco, just because the cost to make one vs the risk is likely to deter them from trying it. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more games in that style in the indie space!