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When EA Sports WRC’s recent Hard Chargers DLC was released, it felt like a swansong. Today (30th April), Codemasters has confirmed our fears, announcing that the Hard Chargers Content pack will be the final expansion, with the studio “pausing development plans on future rally titles.”
Codemasters “pauses development plans on future rally titles”
“After releasing EA Sports WRC in 2023, the 2024 season, including the recently released Hard Chargers Content pack, will be our last expansion,” Codemasters said in a statement published online.
“For now, we are pausing development plans on future rally titles. Rest assured, EA Sports WRC will continue to be available for existing and new players. We hope it remains a source of joy, excitement, and the thrill of rally racing. We’ve poured our hearts into making it for fans, and we know you’ll keep the passion alive.”
“Our WRC partnership was a culmination of sorts for our Codemasters journey with off-road racing, spanning decades through titles like Colin McRae Rally, and DiRT. We’ve provided a home for every rally enthusiast, striving tirelessly to push the boundaries and deliver the exhilarating thrill of driving on the ragged edge.”
“We’ve brought together incredibly talented racing developers, worked with some of the sport’s icons, and had the opportunity to share our love of rallying.”
“Thank you to all the fans who have and continue to be part of our rally journey.”
The news follows a recent round of layoffs at EA, but it’s not clear if staff at Codemasters are affected.
Codemasters secured exclusive right to the WRC games in 2020 in a deal that was originally supposed to end in 2027.
Sadly, this seemingly marks the end of Codemasters’ long rallying lineage, with the studio responsible for the Colin McRae and DIRT games before acquiring the WRC license. It’s a shame, because there aren’t many other rally games to fill the void right now.
EA Sports WRC launched in 2023, combining authentic stages made in Unreal Engine 4 and a mix of classic and modern rally cars from the 2023 WRC Championship. Stages were noticeably longer than previous games, but the switch from Codemasters’ proprietary EGO engine to Unreal Engine 4 resulted in downgraded visuals.
A 2024 season update added new cars and stages across three expansions.
Meanwhile, Codemasters’ Birmingham studio will continue helming the F1 series, with F1 25 due to launch in May.
With development of future rally games paused, it means F1 could become Codemasters’ only racing franchise going forward.
WRC game series set to “go in an ambitious new direction”
But while Codemasters and EA are no longer making rally games for now, the WRC series is set to continue. Traxion understands that a deal with a different developer is in the advanced stages.
An official WRC social media post teases that the WRC gaming series will go in an “ambitious new direction”, with news on the next title expected in the “near future.”
“Over the past three years, WRC has been elevated to another level in the gaming world thanks to the dedication of EA Sports and Codemasters,” the statement reads.
“Now, our WRC gaming franchise is going in an ambitious new direction with more news coming in the near future.”
Before Codemasters and EA acquired the license, the WRC game series was developed by KT Racing and published by Nacon, with seven titles released between 2015 and 2022.
KT Racing’s tenure culminated with WRC Generations, which we ranked at number five in our best rally games list.
Are you sad to see Codemasters’ rally series reach the end of the road? Let us know in the comments below.
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