Should You Buy Fanatec Right Now?

It is no secret that arguably the biggest brand in sim racing, Fanatec, has been facing a few issues recently. Since Black Friday 2023, there have been delays to shipping, and more recently, the parent company of Fanatec, Endor, has filed for insolvency.

However, despite these problems, Fanatec maintains that everything is business as usual. Fanatec CMO Belma Nadarevic states in a blog post on its website that “Fanatec is still operating under normal business conditions, and all your orders will be shipped as indicated in your account.“

So with everything that is currently happening, should you be buying Fanatec products? I’m going to look at all of the news surrounding Fanatec, including the current state of shipping, Fanatec stock levels, discounts, product warranties, and what could happen moving forward.

An update on Fanatec’s current situation

Before starting this guide properly, it is important to state that everything in this guide is either public knowledge via Fanatec’s blog posts or statements that Endor has released. Any speculation or advice on what will happen in the future are our own thoughts and shouldn’t be taken as fact. Our goal with this guide is to advise on the current situation to help you make a decision on whether to make a purchase.

The latest news, as of September 2024, is that on July 30th, Endor AG (Fanatec’s parent company) filed to start insolvency proceedings. This is due to the previous restructuring procedure (StaRUG) failing. On this date, Endor AG’s bank debt rose to over €95 million. You can find this full press release on the Endor.ag website.

On August 16th, Endor AG announced that it was looking for an investor to buy Endor AG. Jan-Hendrik Röver (project manager at goetzpartners Corporate Finance) stated that there has been “an excellent response to our approach from more than 30 international investors. We have already had some very promising discussions. This underlines Endor’s global reputation with the strong Fanatec brand and a superior product.” Read this press release here.

The next day, on August 17th, Fanatec shared the news that “Fanatec is still operating under normal business conditions, and all your orders will be shipped as indicated in your account (bear in mind the pre-order dates in case you have purchased something not currently in stock). Refunds are being processed as usual, and your warranty remains fully valid.” View the blog post here.

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Are Fanatec products in stock and will they be discounted?

With the official news out of the way, what does the latest Fanatec news mean for customers? The good news is that Fanatec’s stock level is currently very good. Almost all wheel bases and racing wheels are in stock in Europe, the United States and Australia.

This excludes the Podium DD1 and DD2 wheel bases, as these have been out of stock for a while in most regions, more than likely due to these being older racing wheels and seemingly being discontinued moving forward.

View Fanatec’s current product lineup and stock levels. (affiliate link)

Are there any Fanatec discounts?

Recently, Fanatec CMO Belma released a video stating that there won’t be any Fanatec discounts related to the current company situation. Fanatec normally only releases discounts around Black Friday, and depending on what happens over the next few months, we can probably expect there to be some discounts again this year.

Keep an eye on any Fanatec discounts, deals or bundles on our sim racing discount tracker.

The video from Fanatec is below answering some important questions.

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Current Fanatec shipping and delivery timeline

On Fanatec’s website, shipping times for the majority of products are stated at 4-7 days, which indicates when the product will be shipped after an order is placed. In the above video and on Fanatec’s blog, Belma states that Fanatec shipping times have improved dramatically, and there is no warehouse backlog. It is also said that in some instances, Fanatec orders can arrive earlier than expected due to improvements that have been made.

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Are Fanatec warranties still valid?

Another issue that Belma briefly addressed in the above video concerns Fanatec warranties and what will happen to them. It is said that there is no change to anyone’s Fanatec warranty and that warranty issues should be dealt with as normal.

Customers on the subreddit are stating that the RMA procedure is normal, with Reddit user Fraamus recently stating that, “BTW, my experience with orders and returns while Endor has been in bankruptcy has been fantastic. Quick (but expensive) shipments and one day response for RMA’s. Thanks for all the help!!“

Big thanks to the group!
byu/Fraamus inFanatec

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What could happen moving forward with Corsair or other investors?

While everything seems to be running as normal for Fanatec customers, there is a lot of work happening behind the scenes to resolve the current issues. Endor AG is still proceeding with the insolvency process and has announced lawyer Dr. Hubert Ampferl from the law firm Dr. Beck & Partner as the provisional insolvency administrator.

Endor AG has stated that the ongoing negotiations with CORSAIR could not be finalised. Still, the board is confident that an investor will take over the company during the insolvency proceedings. Endor AG’s press release also states that they believe CORSAIR is still interested in acquiring Endor AG and has had a positive response from 30 interested investors.

What are our thoughts on what could happen to Fanatec?

Speculating about the future of Fanatec, we believe that the company will be acquired at some point moving forward. This isn’t fact, but we believe that the popularity of Fanatec and its products will lead to them continuing in one form or another throughout 2024, 2025 and beyond.

Would I still buy from Fanatec?

I have personally purchased multiple products from Fanatec over the years from wheel bases to steering wheels, pedals and more. My current sim racing setup consists of the latest Fanatec Clubport DD+ and Formula V2.5X steering wheel, which I love.

If a good discount became available during Black Friday for a product I need (or have convinced myself that I need!), such as an additional wheel rim or accessory, I would probably still purchase it. That obviously depends on any future news that is released.

This is only my opinion; however, buying from Fanatec currently does come with an element of risk. Therefore, I’d highly recommend reading all of the current press releases and news from both Fanatec and Endor AG before making a decision.

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What are the best alternatives to Fanatec, and should you choose them?

There has been no better time to buy sim racing hardware. In 2024, many new products, including racing wheels, new pedals, and more, were released. Over the past few years, more and more sim racing brands have popped up, offering hardware across a wide range of prices.

Some of the best alternatives to Fanatec include;

MOZA Racing	Wide range of excellent products across all budgets	View MOZA products
Simucube	Premium sim racing wheel bases, pedals	View Simucube products
Asetek	Premium lineup of hardware across a few budget ranges	View Asetek products
Thrustmaster	Large sim racing ecosystem, lots of budget options	View Thrustmaster products
Logitech G	Excellent budget racing wheels, but less variety	View Logitech G products

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