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Loeb missing from EA SPORTS WRC due to “individual driver agreements”

The most successful rally driver in terms of WRC titles is missing from EA SPORTS WRC’s latest DLC, despite it featuring matching cars and liveries.

Loeb missing from EA SPORTS WRC due to individual driver agreements

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You’d think that being the official World Rally Championship game would automatically entitle Electric Arts and Codemasters to all drivers and co-drivers from series history.

As it transpires, not true. While the British development studio, now under the stewardship of EA, signed a licensing agreement with the championship, its latest EA SPORTS WRC Le Maestros DLC, which charts the history of leading French rally drivers, is missing arguably the greatest driver of all – Sébastien Loeb.

Watch our hands-on with the latest, French-themed, EA SPORTS WRC DLC embedded above.

The new content pack includes several of Loeb’s cars and liveries, including designs from 2005 and 2006 on the Citroën Xsara, the DS 3 and 2018-spec C3. Fellow French champion, Sébastien Ogier, is present and correct.

However, in-game, the name of the nine-time title-winner is notable only by its absence, although co-driver Daniel Elena is proudly displayed on the car’s rear windows.

Sebastien Loeb Citroen Xsara 2006 EA SPORTS WRC
This is Loeb’s WRC 2006-winning Xsara. Spot the orange ‘1’ on the rear window and the co-driver name on the front wing, but lack of Loeb’s name.

“As the official game of the FIA World Rally Championship, we have signed agreements with the manufacturers, teams, and third-party sponsors to include them in our game,” stated EA to Traxion.

“The inclusion of drivers is dependent on individual agreements.”

Loeb is no stranger to the video game industry, with Italian studio Milestone releasing an eponymous Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo title in 2016.

Sebastien Loeb WRC 10 game
Loeb promoting a different WRC game in 2021.

Then, for the 2021 platform WRC 10, created by KT Racing, the 80-time WRC round winner was employed as a promotional ambassador. Both games are still on sale via digital stores.

This is not the first time a driver has been missing from an official WRC game. 1995 champion Colin McRae was not present in five between 2001 and 2005 by dint of having his own rival games – somewhat ironically, they were created by Codemasters.