Endurance Motorsport Series first look – uncovering a unique experience

All images here are pre-alpha, work-in-progress and not direct capture. They do not represent the final product.

So often in motorsport, the driver receives the plaudits for a great drive, but if something goes wrong, it’s the team lumbered with the critique.

Yet, racing is intrinsically a team sport. With the sport a meritocracy, a driver cannot stand atop the rostrum without support. Apart from an unfortunate, or lucky, set of circumstances, beating rivals with a slower car and a worse strategy is not the norm.

Victory is a combination of factors, but mostly a group of people working harmoniously towards the same goal.

By focusing on the team game, Endurance Motorsport Series is set to deliver a distinct virtual experience – and having briefly tested a very early, pre-alpha, version, we can safely say the concept is a winner.

What is Endurance Motorsport Series?

Endurance Motorsport Series is a new, upcoming, racing video game created by French outfit Kylotonn under Nacon’s stewardship. Using the KT Engine, you will race real-world sportscars and prototypes, but also oversee the teams running.

Imagine being able to switch from EA SPORTS F1 24 to F1 Manager 2024, but instead of quitting one game and loading the other, in the midst of a race with one simple button press.

Two games in one – how does that work?

Like many other driving video games presently, the car roster includes ubiquitous GT3 and LMDh/GTP category cars. 

You race these around a circuit like a traditional driving game, except, you are not controlling just one car in the race, but all entries by your team.

Starting a multi-class event, at any time you can swap from the driving seat, a Porsche 911 GT3 R in this instance, and onto the pitwall to take the role of a engineer, overseeing race strategy.

Outside of the cockpit, you have access to a management-sim style interface. Here you can view a track map, with dots moving around representing the drivers, or switch to a TV-style broadcast view. While outside of your car, the AI takes over driving duties.

Here, channelling your inner Hugues de Chaunac, you will decide when to visit the pitlane, which tyres to switch to, select an engine map, choose how aggressively your computer-controlled counterpart should drive and keep tabs on a dynamic weather system.

Once again, at any time, one button press will take you back behind the wheel of your Porsche.

Can you switch car class mid-race?

When we say ‘your Porsche’, we really mean ‘one of your team’s Porsches’.

Endurance Motorsport Series allows you to race in the GT3 class, but also oversee an LMDh entry simultaneously, or vice versa. Your team can have up to three cars in each event.

If you spot one of your multi-class entries flagging and feel like jettisoning the AI partway through like Jacques Villeneuve at Vanwall, you can.

Much like a real-world race in competitions such as SRO or FIA WEC, there are multiple drivers per car – three in this instance.

Even if the race is compacted down to a shorter distance, 15 minutes in our test, each must still run a minimum time behind the wheel. It’s your task to make sure they hit those requirements by hopping into the management area and selecting which driver to place into the car at the next pitstop.

Throw in changeable conditions and unpredictable AI-controlled rivals causing full-course yellows, and plate-spinning a requisite skill to finish on the podium. That’s even before the possible mini-game to diagnose car problems.

Sounds like it could be fun online?

Agreed. It’s one area that could be a trump card for Endurance Motorsport Series.

In a multiplayer scenario, the plan is to have multi-class races with teams of up to four people contracted by the internet – three will be drivers, and one will be a team principal.

Your team will compete against other teams, with over 20 cars on track. It should feel like a truly collaborative effort, with the potential for some of your cars helping one to victory.

What about the cars and tracks?

All we’ve seen so far is the Porsche 911 GT3 R and Porsche 963 LMDh. More are expected at launch.

Confirmed tracks so far are:

• Circuit Paul Ricard
• Fuji Speedway
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Monza
• Spa-Francorchamps
• Plus a selection of fictional venues

It looks slick, is that Unreal Engine?

Nope, it uses the venerable and proprietary KT Engine. But, we must say, it looks smoother than freshly laid asphalt. Again, this is a work-in-progress build on Nacon’s ideal PC setup, but there is a significant visual fidelity improvement compared to games that used this platform, such as prior WRC titles.

When can I play it?

2025, all being well on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

What we played was very early, with no direct video footage capture possible or in-game images. Opponent behaviour was far, far, from final, and the same was true of the vehicle handling.

It felt as if the driving was not an extremely serious simulation, but an accessible mix, friendly for wheels and gamepads alike.

The concept is captivating, let’s see next year if the execution can match.