Assetto Corsa EVO’s open-world credentials examined

With all the hype surrounding the impending release of Assetto Corsa EVO, several key questions still remain unanswered.

The biggest question undoubtedly revolves around mods, with the Assetto Corsa community keen to see its successor tread a similar path with regard to the availability of user-made content (modding compatibility has been confirmed for after the game’s Steam Early Access period).

But another, perhaps more intriguing, question resides over whether Assetto Corsa EVO will feature open-world elements, after the game’s launch trailer seemed to suggest it contained public road elements, replete with AI traffic.

The footage showed a Morgan Super-3 driving on tree-lined asphalt B-roads (rumoured to be inspired by real roads near the Nürburgring Nordschleife), with a BMW M4 CSL seen passing in the opposite direction.

Assetto Corsa EVO: free-roaming confirmed, open-world TBC

“We can confirm that what you have seen in the trailer will come [to Assetto Corsa EVO],” stated Marco Massarutto to Traxion, the co-founder of Assetto Corsa EVO’s developer, Kunos Simulazioni, suggesting that the title will feature free-roaming to some degree.

“To allow people just to drive for the pleasure of driving road cars on actual roads. It’s going to be amazing!” he concluded enthusiastically.

Although Massarutto wouldn’t be drawn further on whether AC EVO’s free-roaming elements will progress into a full, open-world driving mode along the lines of Forza Horizon 5 or The Crew Motorfest, we can at least speculate that it’s likely Kunos has been inspired by the success of AC’s online cruise server communities.

There’s a distinct difference between free-roam (loading into an open area) and an open-world (where the only progression is through an open environment) game.

To be clear then, Assetto Corsa EVO does have at least one free-roam environment confirmed, but what you can do within it and how it is accessed is not yet confirmed.

Do you hope Assetto Corsa EVO will contain more free-roaming or open-world elements? Let us know in the comments below.