Assetto Corsa EVO: Everything you need to know

The wait is over: Assetto Corsa EVO is live in Steam Early Access, giving players a first look at the next chapter of Kunos Simulazioni’s revered racing simulation series.

Initially expected to be called Assetto Corsa 2, Assetto Corsa EVO is one of the most anticipated racing games in a long time. With state-of-the-art driving physics, dynamic weather effects and a massive open world to explore in addition to race circuits, the hotly anticipated sequel looks set to raise the bar for realistic racing simulations.  

From the Early Access release date to the car list and the latest gameplay footage, we’ve collated everything you need to know about Assetto Corsa EVO.

What is is Assetto Corsa EVO?

Developed since 2019, Assetto Corsa EVO is the third entry in the acclaimed racing simulation franchise, following 2016’s Asstto Corsa and the 2018 Assetto Corsa Competizione spin-off. The first entry in seven years, it is a realistic driving simulator with licensed cars and laser-scanned race tracks.

Like the first game, Assetto Corsa EVO is based on a new proprietary engine developed in-house, whereas Unreal Engine 4 powered the Competizione spin-off.

Release date

Assetto Corsa EVO was initially relesaed on 16th January 2025 for PC via Steam Early Access. While a release date for the final game is yet to be confirmed, version 1.0 is expected to arrive in autumn (fall) 2025 according to Kunos.

The original game’s Early Access program ran for around a year from November 2013 to December 2014.

Price

Assetto Corsa EVO’s Early Access release is priced at £32.99 / €39.99 / $39.99. An introductory offer lowers the price to £26.39 / $31.99 / €31.99 between now (16th) and 30th January, with a 20 per cent discount.

The price is expected to increase for the final version.

What does the early access release include?

The initial early access release will include 20 cars from 16 different brands, as well as five circuits across four continents.

In terms of game modes, the first early access version will feature single player practice and race modes, along with the first part of the game’s in-game economy. This will enable players to buy and rent cars, gain XP, view their driver profile, unlock rewards and earn driving licenses.

To help newcomers improve their driving skills and learn track layouts, the first early access build will also include a ‘Driving Academy’ mode. In addition, the initial early access version set to launch on 16th January will support VR and triple-screen setups.

Assetto Corsa EVO early access launch car list

• Abarth 695 Biposto
• Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm
• Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce (electric)
• Alpine A110 S
• Alpine A290B Concept (electric)
• Audi RS 3 Sportback
• BMW M2 CS Racing (race)
• BMW M4 CSL
• Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
• Ferrari 296 GTB
• Ferrari 488 Challenge EVO (race)
• Ford Escort RS Cosworth
• Honda S2000
• Hyundai i30 N Hatchback
• Lotus Emira
• Mazda MX5 ND Cup (race)
• Mercedes-Benz AMG GT2 (race)
• Porsche 911 (992) GT3 Cup (race)
• Toyota GR86
• Volkswagen Golf Mk 8 GTI Clubsport

Assetto Corsa EVO early access launch track list

• Brands Hatch
• Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola)
• Laguna Seca
• Mount Panorama (Bathurst)
• Suzuka

Assetto Corsa EVO early access launch features

• Car customisation
• 20 cars
• 5 tracks
• Single-player practice game mode
• Single-player quick race game mode
• Game economy step 1 – car rental, car purchasing, experience points, rewards, driver profile, driving licences and driving academy
• VR support
• Triple Screen support

Early Acess roadmap

The initial Early Access is just the start, with new builds set to add new cars, tracks and features over the next few months until the final release in the autumn and beyond.

Kunos has provided an Early Access roadmap detailing what to expect in upcoming builds. The first content drop is slated to be “coming soon”’” and will include new special events, two yet-to-be-announced new cars and Fuji Speedway.

Following that, the second build will add five new cars, the Circuit of the Americas track, a custom race weekend single-player game mode, more special events, replays and improvements to virtual reality and triple screen support.

Four more content drops are expected to arrive before the final 1.0 release. At this point, the final version is expected to feature 100 cars, 15 circuits, free-roaming, dynamic weather, an in-game economy, driver avatar customisation, car dealerships and showrooms, car customisation, car tuning, VR and triple screen support, photo mode and a replay gallery.

Wheel settings guides

To get the experience playing Assetto Corsa EVO with a wheel, check out our settings guides for different manufacturers:

• Best Fanatec wheel settings
• Best Moza wheel settings
• Best Logitech G Pro Racing wheel settings
• Best Simagic wheel settings
• Best SimCube wheel settings

Assetto Corsa EVO PC system requirements

You can find the Assetto Corsa EVO PC system requirements below:

Minimum specs:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Processor: Intel I5 8700k / AMD 1500X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: GTX 1070, RX 580
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 100 GB available space
• Sound Card: Integrated
• VR Support: SteamVR, Oculus VR, OpenXR
• Additional Notes: SSD required

Recommended specs:

• Assetto Corsa EVO PC system requirements
• You can find the Assetto Corsa EVO PC system requirements below:
• Minimum specs:
• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Processor: Intel I5 8700k / AMD 1500X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: GTX 1070, RX 580
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 100 GB available space
• Sound Card: Integrated
• VR Support: SteamVR, Oculus VR, OpenXR
• Additional Notes: SSD required
• Recommended specs:
• OS: Windows 10 64-bit / Windows 11 64-bit
• Processor: Intel I5 10700k / AMD 2600X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: RTX 2070, Radeon RX 5600
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 100 GB available space
• Sound Card: Integrated
• VR Support: SteamVR, Oculus VR, OpenXR
• Additional Notes: SSD required

Does Assetto Corsa EVO require an online connection?

Yes, Assetto Corsa EVO requires an online connection to access its full feature suite An online connection is required to access core aspects such as the Driving Academy, dealerships, car customisation, special events and in-game economy.

Without an internet connection, players can access six starter cars in single-player quick race and practice modes, but can’t buy or customise cars.

Assetto Corsa EVO had a rocky Early Access launch, with server issues making core features inaccessible. Thankfully, these issues have since been resolved in the latest patch update.

Trailers

Our first look at Assetto Corsa EVO came on 30^th September 2024 in the announcement trailer. Voiced by Kunos Simulazioni’s co-founder and executive manager Marco Massarutto, the trailer showcases a variety of cars, circuits, and weather conditions, with shots of model cars seamlessly transitioning into in-game engine footage. The trailer also confirms the Early Access release date.

A second trailer released on Christmas Day 2024 provides more comprehensive gameplay footage and an overview of the contents in the initial early access release.

Gameplay

A public demo of Assetto Corsa EVO was shown for the first time at the ADAC SimRacing Expo 2024, allowing visitors to go hands-on with the highly anticipated driving simulator ahead of the Early Access release. You can watch our gameplay footage captured from the expo below.

Career mode will be like “an RPG of the petrolheads”

The original Assetto Corsa featured a light career mode, with curated events, cars and circuits, but the sense of progression was limited. Assetto Corsa EVO will rectify this, with Kunos hinting at a broader career mode that will introduce an in-game economy.  

“We want to reach a wider audience, and we don’t give up in terms of realism. So we are working on those aspects that maybe were lacking the first AC titles like a career mode or something like that, [and elements that] give people more reasons and more scope to play the game every day,” Massarutto told Traxion.

During a presentation at the ADAC SimRacing Expo 2024, Game Director Davide Brivio revealed that you will earn credits to buy and customise cars you own. If you want to play EVO as a sandbox like the original, you can rent cars instead. However, only cars that you own can be customised. “Owning a car is all about making it your car,” Brivio explained.

This suggests Assetto Corsa EVO will have a more traditional career mode than its predecessors, similar to Gran Turismo 7. Mercifully, the in-game economy will not have microtransactions according to Brivio.

“We want to create not just a career, but something that is the RPG of the petrolheads,” Massarutto added.

In an interview with Italian publication Multiplayer.it, Brivo confirmed that customisation options won’t be as extensive as Need for Speed, but there will be options to add parts such as skirts, spoilers, air intakes, along with paint and liveries.

Dealership options will also be authentic, meaning configurations will be true-to-life for every car, from engine options to wheel sizes. “For each car, all the configurations and engines that you would find in any dealership will be available. If your favourite car is sold both in petrol and diesel, for example, or in a version that mounts 17-inch wheels with a sunroof, then it will also be the case in our game,” Brivio explained to Multiplayer.it.

Although buying and driving more powerful cars will be restricted to required licenses, players will have the freedom to choose how they want to progress in Assetto Corsa EVO’s career mode. “We didn’t want to force the player to do something they don’t want to do,” Brivio told Multiplayer.it.

“If you want to buy fifty Alpines, in every available colour, you can do it. If instead, you want to save, event after event won, to make a hypercar yours as soon as possible, you will be allowed to. It’s up to you to set goals and decide how to enjoy Assetto Corsa EVO.”

Driving Academy

Outside of the career mode, Assetto Corsa EVO will feature a new ‘Driving Academy’ mode. Similar to Gran Turismo’s ‘Circuit Experience’ mode, this new “A-to-B time attack game mode” will allow players to learn sections of track while driving a wide range of cars and classes.

As you hone your skills, earning licenses in the Driving Academy will let you access higher car classes.

Online multiplayer: Will Assetto Corsa EVO have ranked races?

At the ADAC SimRaacing Expo 2024, Kunos confirmed that Assetto Corsa EVO will feature a multiplayer “companion portal” powered by The SimGrid as part of an outsourcing partnership with Speed Capital Ltd.  

This will include a driver profile, race stats and “Daily Racing,” which sounds like Gran Turismo 7’s weekly Daily Race playlists.

Kunos Simulazioni confirmed that Assetto Corsa EVO won’t have multiplayer in the initial early access launch, with online races expected to arrive in the “second or third” early access build.

Will Assetto Corsa EVO come to consoles?

While Early Access version will be PC-only, Assetto Corsa EVO will eventually come to consoles, most likely the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

A September 2023 financial report by Digital Bros, the parent company of Kunos, confirms that a console release for Assetto Corsa EVO is part of its “long-term publishing plans.”

Console versions of previous Assetto Corsa games arrived around a year after the initial PC release. The original Assetto Corsa was ported to consoles in August 2016, 20 months after the PC release, while Competizione launched on PS4 and Xbox One in June 2020, following the PC version in May 2019. Competizione was later ported to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in February 2022.

If this trend continues, PlayStation and Xbox owners may have to wait a year or two after the final PC version to play Assetto Corsa EVO on consoles, but a timeframe has yet to be confirmed.  

With the PS4 and Xbox One making up 40% of the original game’s sales, a console release of Assetto Corsa EVO is essential. Whether the console port will be handled in-house like the original game or by an external company like Competizione remains to be seen.

Assetto Corsa Competizione was ported to PS4 and Xbox One by d3t studios, with Untold Games handling the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions.

Assetto Corsa EVO car list

A complete car list is yet to be confirmed, but the trailer and screenshots suggest we can expect a mix of road and race cars like the original. Production cars were predominately shown in the announcement trailer, showcasing different facets of car culture.

From the Hyundai i20 N hot hatch and the iconic Ferrari F40 Competizione supercar to the classic Rover Mini Cooper and a Morgan three-wheeler, Assetto Corsa EVO’s car list will be eclectic.

Electric cars, including the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N hot hatch and Alpine A290 concept, will also debut in an Assetto Corsa game for the first time. 

Don’t expect hundreds of cars at launch. The initial Early Access release will include 20 cars from several classes, with the car count increasing to 100 in the final 1.0 release expected to launch in autumn 2025.

Assetto Corsa EVO track list

Assetto Corsa EVO will let you race on real-world circuits, with the Nürburgring Nordschleife, Imola, Brands Hatch, Fuji and Mount Panorama shown in screenshots and trailers. Once again, every track is accurately recreated with laser-scanning technology.

Unlike the first game, every location will feature dynamic times of day and weather effects, with rainwater accumulating on the track and forming dry lines as cars drive on the surface in real-time.

At launch, the first Early Access build will feature five circuits in four continents: Laguna Seca, Brands Hatch, Imola, Mount Panorama and Suzuka. This will increase to “at least 15 officially licensed circuits” in the final 1.0 build expected in autumn 2025, with more to follow in free updates.

A 1,600km² open world

Despite its age, the original Assetto Corsa remains one of the most popular racing simulations thanks to its active modding community.

Mod support has kept players returning to Assetto Corsa over the last decade , with fan-made mods adding new cars, liveries and tracks. This has led to fans wondering if the sequel will support mods like the original. 

Thankfully, Kunos has confirmed that Assetto Corsa EVO will have mod support – but not until it leaves Early Access. “Modding will arrive at the end of the Early Access Program,” Massarutto told Traxion. “We think the modders will be happy because they will have a powerful editor.”

However, modding is rife with licensing issues, with some creators lifting licensed cars from other games without permission.

To avoid this, Massarutto hinted that modders will work directly with car manufacturers and track licensors, suggesting that mods will be curated and approved by Kunos.   

“We want to give visibility to the talented modders and artists that create amazing content – both in real life and fictional – where the only limit will be the creativity, working on a platform that can give them all the credit they deserve and the chance to work directly with the car manufacturer,” Massarutto explained.

Does Assetto Corsa EVO support VR?

Yes, Assetto Corsa EVO supports VR and has done since day one. This isn’t surprising as the previous title, Assetto Corsa Competizione, is also playable in VR.

However, despite Kunos working closely with Epic Games and Nvidia, Competizione, which runs on Unreal Engine, doesn’t perofrm well in VR.

Unfortunately, Assetto Corsa EVO also has issues in VR. While it technically will work in VR, graphical glitches make it practically unplayable presently. Kunos hopes to resolves these issues in future builds.

Assetto Corsa EVO supports PC VR headsets like the SteamVR, Oculus VR and OpenXR. However, PSVR2 support is not yet confirmed.

Triple-screen setups will also be supported from day one.

Will Assetto Corsa EVO have free roaming?

Arguably the most exciting new addition is the much-talked-about open-world area. First teased in the announcement trailer, players can explore public roads in the Eifel region surrounding the Nurburgring accurately reproduced with LiDAR technology, providing a more casual driving experience.

“We confirm that what you have seen in the trailer will come, to allow people just to drive for the pleasure of driving road cars on actual roads,” Massarutto confirmed to Traxion, teasing that “it’s going to be amazing.”

This is unprecedented. While cruising on open roads in Assetto Corsa is popular, it’s only possible through mods, which have seemingly inspired Kunos to create a free-roaming game mode.

Assetto Corsa EVO’s open-world map will be released “by summer 2025.” During the Early Access period, it will be released in stages and continually expand until it eventually covers a whopping 1,600km2 (617 square miles).

While cruising around the open world, players can interact with local businesses, rent cars, and upgrade vehicles with aftermarket parts. Local businesses such as auto parts shops and car rental companies are even invited to feature their brand in the game. Kunos sees the open world as a “plus, not a mandatory feature to enjoy Assetto Corsa EVO.”

Available in Early Access from Summer 2025, this expansive area will progressively expand, eventually covering 1600 square kilometres. You will also be able to refuel and recharge cars your car in the open world.

Are you looking forward to Assetto Corsa EVO? Let us know in the comments below.