Following its launch earlier this month, Dakar Desert Rally’s free Saudi Arabia Extended Map is now available to download.
This allows players to compete in a real-world Dakar format across the past three seasons – 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Up to date, there’s the in-game format is a series of events placed on a map, unlocking new races as you progress through each subsequent task akin to an open-world adventure game. It’s fun, but not representative of the actual event.
Now, this new addition provides the realistic format in addition to the main career. There are 12 set stages for each rally, and your overall position is based on the total time of your progress, with one ultimate victor after all sections are completed.
To access the new content, enter Free Mode, then Custom Play, select a vehicle and game mode and then on the map you’ll be able to select all three events. Of note, you can use the simulation settings here, even if you haven’t reached level 25 in your career.
There’s also a general game update that adds further steering wheel support, the five new devices are listed below with more expected in the next update, and implements several multiplayer fixes.
However, this is only available for PC players at present. While the team plans to release it on console ‘soon’, there’s no public date currently.
In addition, the prior hotfix to prevent save losses only recently went live on Xbox, following PC and PlayStation, but several users are reporting that it’s still not functioning correctly.
The Saber Support team has been open and responsive – let’s hope further changes are enacted across all devices soon rather than later.
Dakar Desert Rally 1.4 added steering wheel support
- Thrustmaster T-GT2
- Thrustmaster T300
- Thrustmaster F430
- Fanatec CSL Elite
- Fanatec CSL Elite (WRC)
Dakar Desert Rally 1.4 update changelog
New Content
- Saudi Arabia Extended Map DLC simulation events (Dakar Rally 2020, Dakar Rally 2021, Dakar Rally 2022), see the full list of events below.
New Features
- Added “Free Custom Play”, also known as “Quickplay” in the Free mode menu
- Implemented “Note Passed” message in the HUD for better navigation
General
- Improved AI to help bots overtake players and their driving behavior
- Improvements with Bike handling to have better counter steering
- Improvements with Quad handling for more stability and counter steering
- In Pro or Simulation mode, implemented the “Note Passed” message in the HUD
- Fix for country flags in profiles
Wheel Support
- Thrustmaster T248
- Thrustmaster T-GT
- Thrustmaster T-GT2
- Thrustmaster TMX
- Thrustmaster TS-XW
- Thrustmaster T80
- Thrustmaster T150
- Thrustmaster T300
- Thrustmaster T300RS
- Thrustmaster TX
- Thrustmaster F430
- Thrustmaster F458
- Logitech G27
- Logitech G29
- Logitech G920
- Logitech G923
- Fanatec CSL Elite
- Fanatec CSL Elite (WRC)
- Support for Steering Wheel H-Pattern and Steering Wheel Hand Brakes with supported brands
- Force Feedback Support was added to all supported wheels
Multiplayer
- Fixed issues with vehicle lights not being on or off
- Fixed trying to spectate your team when the car was already destroyed
- Fixed that the spectator camera is placed under the textures and doesn’t switch between users after finishing the race
- Fixed penalties not being added to clients when far from the host
- Fixed vehicle velocity not being updated when the client vehicle is far from the host
- Fixed the helicopter behind the client when starting
- Fixed when spectator joins race and music was not playing
- Fixed “Racing Music Playlist” not starting when a spectator joins a race
Source: Saber
