A lot of the discussion about the upcoming simulation Assetto Corsa Rally has been around its vehicle dynamics – provided by Kunos Simulazioni and modified – and graphical fidelity – Unreal Engine 5 and customised.
But what about the online multiplayer?
Certainly, single-player progression will be a talking point too, but as AC Rally is launching into early access initially, that can be for a later date, closer to Version 1.0 and console launches.
Multiplayer, however, will be rolled out in stages, starting with leaderboards and special events from day one, 13th November 2025, according to its lead, Irvin Zonca.
“So on day one of early access, we will have online leaderboards active. So this means that we will have asynchronous multiplayer where players will be able to drive in time attacks and special events, posting their times on leaderboards.”
If the special events are anything like Assetto Corsa EVO’s, these could be limited-time curated combinations, where the best times take the glory. Pretty self-explanatory, with new special events arriving with each game update.
But, this feature alone will not appease rally fans who are used to gorging on EA SPORTS WRC’s or Richard Burns Rally’s real-time online events.
Real-time online rallying on the way
“Later, we will update the game with synchronous online game modes, and you can expect everything you should expect from an Assetto Corsa game in this respect,” clarifies Zonca to Traxion.
“We will keep developing the online mode so that people will be able to compete in events, using lobbies, using servers, etc.”
It is understood that in this mode, players will see live split and stage times to rivals who are competing at the same time, but no ghosts, which some other rally games offer.
“As the game progresses [through its development], we will probably also add ghosts as an option and staggered starts,” considers Zonca.
Features such as those seen in the beloved Richard Burns Rally, whereby if Super Rally is switched off in a league, and you crash, that’s it, you’re out of the event, the development team is weighing up its options, according to the Game Director:
“We know what the community loves about Richard Burns Rally or the modded versions of Richard Burns Rally, and some of our developers enjoy playing with that too.
“So this is something that we are considering, and we don’t have an exact time frame right now. But we want to make Assetto Rally be what people really desire to spend a few hours with friends, like they currently do in other games they may have played.
“Also, for the SimRacing Expo, we just brought here visual damage only and turned off all the physics damage models. We did this because, for quick sessions, since the game is already quite complex, it is better to have the possibility to crash without damaging the car.
“But, when early access starts, physics damage is featured in the game and you can also have hardcore or terminal damage, where you break the car, and you must retire from the stage or from the rally.”
Clubs omitted, for now
One feature that isn’t so clear, as it stands, is a club system – such as that seen in DiRT Rally, EA SPORTS WRC and WRC Generations.
Here, players could form a type of league, but in rally form. A host would set up a series of events, and these can be completed within a time limit asynchronously, with an overall champion crowned using in-game results.
“This is something that is not currently on our plan at the moment, but it doesn’t mean we will not have it [eventually],” explains Zonca.
“We are currently talking with different partners to understand how we can, let’s say, evolve our multiplayer ecosystem to try to provide, through the months, through the years, the best experience possible.
“And when I speak about months and years, this is just because it takes time to develop features like that – you cannot expect to have it day one in early access.”
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