It’s the game the rally community has waited years for: the first official World Rally Championship game developed by Codemasters – makers of the famed Colin McRae Rally and DiRT series.
When it was announced back in 2020 that Codemasters had acquired the official license for the WRC, 2023 seemed painfully far off. Codemasters has even been taken over by Electronic Arts since then.
But the new game, EA Sports WRC, is just two months away with a release date of Friday November 3, and initial launch details have now been revealed!
The first truly next-generation rally game (available on PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X|S and PC only), EA Sports WRC promises “longer, more detailed stages” than ever before with 18 official WRC locations and over 600km [372 miles] of stages to tackle.
Although a full list is yet to emerge, 68 cars from the WRC’s long history will feature in the game – including all three Rally1 cars from 2023 and the various Rally2 and Rally3 machines eligible for the support categories, as well as World Rally Cars, Group A and B machines, Super 2000 cars and much loved front-wheel-drive cars from the Super 1600 and F2 Kit Cars classes as well.
The handling and car setup model is said to be improved too, following consultation with various drivers and of course Jon Armstrong who works for EA as a game designer.
But perhaps the biggest news is the new ‘Builder’ feature, which allows players to build their own modern rally car. Selecting a chassis, body shell and mechanical parts before customising the interior and exterior with a livery editor to boot.
The ‘Clubs’ feature from previous DiRT Rally games makes its way over to EA Sports WRC where private competitions can be staged. But there’ll be a new, daily ‘Moments’ feature in the game, giving players the chance to relive pivotal scenarios from 2023 as well as some of the WRC’s classic moments.
Ross Gowing, Codemasters senior creative director, said: “EA Sports WRC is the purest form of motorsport where every stage is a fight against the clock, the terrain, and yourself.
“This is the rally game we’ve always wanted to make, combining our studio’s deep knowledge and expertise with the power of the official WRC license representing the pinnacle of rally motorsport.
“The game’s new engine has enabled us to push rally to the edge of what’s deemed possible, and the additional features, including Builder and Moments, give players even more ways to interact with the sport they love.”
Players can get their hands on EA Sports WRC as early as Tuesday October 31 if they pre-order, and will also receive five VIP passes with post-launch content and vanity packs consisting of liveries and apparel.
https://twitter.com/EASPORTSWRC/status/1699074914928738321?s=20
