Codemasters to Develop Official WRC Titles from 2023

MagpieRacer
Great find, this is very interesting indeed.

Honestly, wouldn't surprise me, rally is uncharted territory for EA and while Codemasters have excellent form, it is their first WRC licensed title (since CMR1 anyway). Sales on KTs WRC games will probably lead EA to be cautious with the first game. I expect an imminent announcement with launch very close after.

The achievement icons give little away, something related to tarmac, snow and gravel, the country icons show Estonia, Sardinia and Spain, there's clearly a night time one, win based ones and a distance one (1000 miles). Trying to see if there's anything that hints at the car builder that was rumoured, the gold one with 2 cars on postcards, bronze side profile and silver x5 side profile could hint at that.

I hope it does launch soon anyway, WRC Generations has been abandoned by KT with too many issues.
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And I do really hope for PSVR2 support <3 I would love to see updated Dirt Rally 1.0 from PSVR.
 
MroczMR
And I do really hope for PSVR2 support <3 I would love to see updated Dirt Rally 1.0 from PSVR.
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I'm not sure we will see VR2 support. DR3 was built upon DR2 and this game is basically DR3 so I can't see that it will support it.
 
MagpieRacer
Great find, this is very interesting indeed.

Honestly, wouldn't surprise me, rally is uncharted territory for EA and while Codemasters have excellent form, it is their first WRC licensed title (since CMR1 anyway). Sales on KTs WRC games will probably lead EA to be cautious with the first game. I expect an imminent announcement with launch very close after.

The achievement icons give little away, something related to tarmac, snow and gravel, the country icons show Estonia, Sardinia and Spain, there's clearly a night time one, win based ones and a distance one (1000 miles). Trying to see if there's anything that hints at the car builder that was rumoured, the gold one with 2 cars on postcards, bronze side profile and silver x5 side profile could hint at that.

I hope it does launch soon anyway, WRC Generations has been abandoned by KT with too many issues.
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The new WRC from Codemasters is unlikely to be a mistake like KT has been for the promotion of rally sport in recent years. KT is not reliable to support even simple 2D games in the future.
 
MagpieRacer
I'm not sure we will see VR2 support. DR3 was built upon DR2 and this game is basically DR3 so I can't see that it will support it.
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Dirt Rally 2.0 had VR support on PC.
PSVR1 wasn't supported like 1.0 beacuase PS4 was to weak for this
PS5 with PSVR2 is capable enough to support it. My only concern is that this is first WRC title by EA and they could be short of time to develop additional things like VR support.
 
MroczMR
Dirt Rally 2.0 had VR support on PC.
PSVR1 wasn't supported like 1.0 beacuase PS4 was to weak for this
PS5 with PSVR2 is capable enough to support it. My only concern is that this is first WRC title by EA and they could be short of time to develop additional things like VR support.
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It's been in development for quite a long time, it was Dirt Rally 3 originally and that was being worked on already, allegedly a long way into development before the WRC license was announced in 2020. So maybe there's a chance but I personally wouldn't expect it.
 
Pfei
The interesting thing here is that Spain is not on the 2023 calendar.
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That's a good sign for carryover content from DR2. Be nice if they keep all non-championship rallies in the game, would make the career mode a bit more varied and interesting as well if they utilise them. As WRC Generations had non-championship rallies as well, albeit not in career mode, I'm hopeful.

That would give us a pretty healthy rally list if they do.

  1. Monte-Carlo*
  2. Sweden*
  3. Mexico
  4. Croatia
  5. Portugal
  6. Sardegna
  7. Kenya
  8. Estonia
  9. Finland*
  10. Greece*
  11. Chile
  12. Central Europe
  13. Japan
  14. Argentina**
  15. Australia**
  16. New Zealand**
  17. Spain**
  18. USA**
  19. Poland**
  20. Germany**
  21. Wales**
  22. Scotland**

*Previously in DR2/DR1
**Non WRC 2023 countries from DR1/DR2.
 
MagpieRacer
Great find, this is very interesting indeed.

Honestly, wouldn't surprise me, rally is uncharted territory for EA and while Codemasters have excellent form, it is their first WRC licensed title (since CMR1 anyway). Sales on KTs WRC games will probably lead EA to be cautious with the first game. I expect an imminent announcement with launch very close after.
Click to expand...
The CMR series and WRC licences are an odd beast historically, technically CMR 1 to 3 had a WRC licence of some form, as they featured WRC cars and locations from the relevant year's championship, yet carried no WRC branding at all (I just checked my copy of CMR1 and it has no hint of the WRC on it at all), I suspect that the WRC were happy for the relevant manufacturers and countries to licence independently until the point the released an officially licenced game, and the CMR series ran into issues at that point (CMR4).

It might be something @PJTierney could clear up.
MagpieRacer
I hope it does launch soon anyway, WRC Generations has been abandoned by KT with too many issues.
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Indeed, I've uninstalled my PC copy as I've been unable to solve the micro stutter issues that utterly ruin it.
 
Scaff
The CMR series and WRC licences are an odd beast historically, technically CMR 1 to 3 had a WRC licence of some form, as they featured WRC cars and locations from the relevant year's championship, yet carried no WRC branding at all (I just checked my copy of CMR1 and it has no hint of the WRC on it at all), I suspect that the WRC were happy for the relevant manufacturers and countries to licence independently until the point the released an officially licenced game, and the CMR series ran into issues at that point (CMR4).

It might be something @PJTierney could clear up.

Indeed, I've uninstalled my PC copy as I've been unable to solve the micro stutter issues that utterly ruin it.
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I'd almost entirely forgot about the licensed content in CMR2 and 3. CMR3 famously only allowing you to drive the 2002 Focus WRC in career mode. Did CMR2 have the official driver names like CMR1 did? I seem to remember CMR1 much more vividly than 2. I think the only driver CMR1 didn't have the name for was Tommi Makinen due to his own rally game that launched on PS1 in the same year.
 
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Scaff
The CMR series and WRC licences are an odd beast historically, technically CMR 1 to 3 had a WRC licence of some form, as they featured WRC cars and locations from the relevant year's championship, yet carried no WRC branding at all (I just checked my copy of CMR1 and it has no hint of the WRC on it at all), I suspect that the WRC were happy for the relevant manufacturers and countries to licence independently until the point the released an officially licenced game, and the CMR series ran into issues at that point (CMR4).

It might be something @PJTierney could clear up.

Indeed, I've uninstalled my PC copy as I've been unable to solve the micro stutter issues that utterly ruin it.
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To the best of my knowledge, the first 3 Colin McRae Rally games had an official WRC license. It’s why they had real driver names and so-on. Maybe you’re right in that it was a bunch of little agreements vs one catch-all “here are the drivers and location names” deal, I don’t know.

After that, WRC started working with developers to produce standalone titles that more accurately reflect the brand/championship, which continues to be the case today.
 
PJTierney
To the best of my knowledge, the first 3 Colin McRae Rally games had an official WRC license. It’s why they had real driver names and so-on. Maybe you’re right in that it was a bunch of little agreements vs one catch-all “here are the drivers and location names” deal, I don’t know.

After that, WRC started working with developers to produce standalone titles that more accurately reflect the brand/championship, which continues to be the case today.
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Here's credit's page from CMR1, oddly it doesn't even mention the WRC or FIA.

20230322_122528.jpg


Edited to add, just checked V-Rally 2, which had cars and locations from the 1999 season, same story, so it seems the WRC/FIA may have been happy for countries/teams to do it alone back then.
 
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Scaff
Here's credit's page from CMR1, oddly it doesn't even mention the WRC or FIA.

View attachment 1241608

Edited to add, just checked V-Rally 2, which had cars and locations from the 1999 season, same story, so it seems the WRC/FIA may have been happy for countries/teams to do it alone back then.
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I'm sure I remember seeing a poster/advert for the game in an old PS1 magazine that had WRC branding on it. Can't for the life of me find it though.
 
Scaff
Here's credit's page from CMR1, oddly it doesn't even mention the WRC or FIA.

View attachment 1241608

Edited to add, just checked V-Rally 2, which had cars and locations from the 1999 season, same story, so it seems the WRC/FIA may have been happy for countries/teams to do it alone back then.
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If they're not in the licensing credits then I guess it was all down to individuals back then. (Fuji Heavy Industries is SUBARU by the way)

Videogame licensing has evolved quite a bit since those days :)
 
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I’ve been holding off on trying Generations in the hope this would release early in the year so hopefully the leak is accurate and it is releasing in the very near future.

Would be kind of weird to release something like this with little promotional period though, than again it seems like a very small but dedicated player base so it’s probably not really needed.
 
With Tom Henderson previously mentioning 16 car classes in this and Fandom listing 19 for Dirt 2.0, is anyone able to confirm or work out which ones likely won't be in this game?

"In September 2022, Insider Gaming exclusively reported that WRC 23 would let you build your own rally car. Back then, footage provided to Insider Gaming under the condition of anonymity and at the request the footage didn’t go public showed the game in a very early state.

16 individual car classes were present, including the likes of the WRC and WRC2 to the F2 Kitcar and H1 FWD. The apparent fast turnaround in development is due to WRC 23 being built on the foundations of a canceled DiRT title. Sources told Insider Gaming in September 2022 that the adaption of turning DiRT into WRC was a means to save time and money."
 
Sounds like it’s exactly as I suspected
I.e. It’s just Dirt Rally 3 with the WRC name on top of it
 
whannel
With Tom Henderson previously mentioning 16 car classes in this and Fandom listing 19 for Dirt 2.0, is anyone able to confirm or work out which ones likely won't be in this game?

"In September 2022, Insider Gaming exclusively reported that WRC 23 would let you build your own rally car. Back then, footage provided to Insider Gaming under the condition of anonymity and at the request the footage didn’t go public showed the game in a very early state.

16 individual car classes were present, including the likes of the WRC and WRC2 to the F2 Kitcar and H1 FWD. The apparent fast turnaround in development is due to WRC 23 being built on the foundations of a canceled DiRT title. Sources told Insider Gaming in September 2022 that the adaption of turning DiRT into WRC was a means to save time and money."
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My guess is the rallycross classes, S1600, Group B RX and RX Supercars.

Edit: and probably Cross Kart, RX2 and if the fandom counts the 2 seasons of RX Supercars separately. So that would be 6 classes dropped going from 19 to 13, add Rally1, Rally2 and Rally3 and we're back to 16.
 
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Matt Stephens
Thought there was meant to be an announcement imminently? Gone back to the original Colin McRae Rally 1 and 2 on the PS1 this week and amazed at how well they hold up. Just as fun to me as they were back in the late 90s.
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The source suggested the game is allegedly ready to launch. That doesn't really mean anything other than they can go with the release when they feel like it. Don't recall seeing anything about imminent announcements otherwise.

The inside info was all pointing to a possible spring launch. I wouldn't be too surprised if something gets announced after EA Sports PGA Tour launches globally tomorrow. They wont want to take away from their other big launches going on.
 
Matt Stephens
Thought there was meant to be an announcement imminently? Gone back to the original Colin McRae Rally 1 and 2 on the PS1 this week and amazed at how well they hold up. Just as fun to me as they were back in the late 90s.
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Probably unpopular opinion incoming - I far prefer the original CMR to CMR2.0 these days. There’s something so special about it, the quarry in New Zealand, the paddy fields in Indonesia, the British stages in Kielder Forest with the snow in the trees, the gritty look of the graphics, the almost insane difficulty of some of the events (thinking Indonesia, and that stage in the dark in Wales), the way you unlock the opportunity to drive F2 Kitcars in full WRC events when you beat the main championship - it’s just brilliant. 2.0 is great, but I do think it lost a bit of character along the way.

Another old PS1 rally game I’ve grown to love is Rally Championship, which is based on the British Rally Chsmpionship from that era and pretty much shares most of the stuff that made me love CMR, except in place of the really intuitive handling model in CMR you’ve got a pretty accurate simulator - if it was intending to simulate a shopping trolley. But I still like it.
 
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m355y
Probably unpopular opinion incoming - I far prefer the original CMR to CMR2.0 these days. There’s something so special about it, the quarry in New Zealand, the paddy fields in Indonesia, the British stages in Kielder Forest with the snow in the trees, the gritty look of the graphics, the almost insane difficulty of some of the events (thinking Indonesia, and that stage in the dark in Wales), the way you unlock the opportunity to drive F2 Kitcars in full WRC events when you beat the main championship - it’s just brilliant. 2.0 is great, but I do think it lost a bit of character along the way.

Another old PS1 rally game I’ve grown to love is Rally Championship, which is based on the British Rally Chsmpionship from that era and pretty much shares most of the stuff that made me love CMR, except in place of the really intuitive handling model in CMR you’ve got a pretty accurate simulator - if it was intending to simulate a shopping trolley. But I still like it.
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I’m right there with you on that one. The original Colin McRae Rally is the better game to me too. 2.0 may look arguably better, but there’s definitely something about the first game that ticks all the right boxes.

Some of the later locations are indeed pretty tough - and needing to finish in the top 6 to progress can be brutal when you don’t quite make the cut.

That’s really cool. Is that the same developers that did Tommi Makinen Rally on the PS1 as well? Definitely remember having that game years ago but no idea what happened to it. Pretty sure it came with a wheel and pedal set as well.
 
Rally Championship is a port of Mobil Rally Championship on the PC, I can’t remember who developed it. It’s not a patch on the PC version, from what I’ve read (was never a PC gamer), but for a PS game the graphics are lovely, it really captures all the British locations, the car list is really good and the stages are good - narrow, realistic-ish, quite long. The handling is the only thing they got wrong, but you get used to it. Although you can see clearly from this video what I mean about the shopping trolley simulation.



I remember Tommi Makinen rally vaguely too though.
 
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m355y
Probably unpopular opinion incoming - I far prefer the original CMR to CMR2.0 these days. There’s something so special about it, the quarry in New Zealand, the paddy fields in Indonesia, the British stages in Kielder Forest with the snow in the trees, the gritty look of the graphics, the almost insane difficulty of some of the events (thinking Indonesia, and that stage in the dark in Wales), the way you unlock the opportunity to drive F2 Kitcars in full WRC events when you beat the main championship - it’s just brilliant. 2.0 is great, but I do think it lost a bit of character along the way.

Another old PS1 rally game I’ve grown to love is Rally Championship, which is based on the British Rally Chsmpionship from that era and pretty much shares most of the stuff that made me love CMR, except in place of the really intuitive handling model in CMR you’ve got a pretty accurate simulator - if it was intending to simulate a shopping trolley. But I still like it.
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Both CMR 1&2 were class but I think I'm with you in the opinion that I prefer CMR1. I remember loving the Indonesian round, I can remember it being brutally difficult ! I remember the Quarry now you mention it. I remember it mentioning a new feature during loading, 'Mud Splatter', great times. The Imprezza sounded ace too.

I remember feeling that the both CMR games handling and realism and sound were a class above GT1/2, which I was playing at the same time. Special games that paved the way for sure.

I also played the Mobil 1 rally game on PC, quite liked it. Never played it on PS1 or the TMR game, (heard it wasn't very good-in those days I listened to reviews).
 
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m355y
Rally Championship is a port of Mobil Rally Championship on the PC, I can’t remember who developed it. It’s not a patch on the PC version, from what I’ve read (was never a PC gamer), but for a PS game the graphics are lovely, it really captures all the British locations, the car list is really good and the stages are good - narrow, realistic-ish, quite long. The handling is the only thing they got wrong, but you get used to it. Although you can see clearly from this video what I mean about the shopping trolley simulation.



I remember Tommi Makinen rally vaguely too though.
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One of my favourite rally games ever. Tommi Makinen Rally was actually just International Rally Championship rebranded for the UK/PS1, was a sequel to Network Q Rally and Mobil 1 Rally Championship was the next in the series.
 
MagpieRacer
I'm sure I remember seeing a poster/advert for the game in an old PS1 magazine that had WRC branding on it. Can't for the life of me find it though.
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Late and off-topic reply, but it was probably WRC Arcade.

51FTB9M333L._AC_SX466_.jpg


Was a strangely late PS1 release (2002!), basically akin to something like Sega Rally or the first V-Rally, but with the works teams cars and point-to-point courses based off of the locations for the 2002 season. Actually quite good fun, if a bit barebones.
 

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