The unanswered questions Assetto Corsa EVO’s walk mode presents

Wait, you can walk around?

Unlike something like Forza Horizon 6, yes, yes you can.

We knew that Assetto Corsa EVO’s free roam mode, set in the German countryside, was ambitious. And then neutered somewhat with the economy reversal.

But, laser-scanning 1,600km2 of the Nürburgring’s surrounding area is still intriguing. While it seemingly lacks a sense of progression many were looking for, the recent keynote did at least showcase time attack challenges, points of interest and a brief glimpse of a world map.

Tyre replacement, fuel stations and places to repair damage are also included, minus… sigh… the money to go with them.

Deep with the presentation, there was also a surprise feature announcement:

“If you want to get out of the car for a walk, yeh, you can do that in walk mode,” said Kunos Simulazioni Co-Founder and Executive Manager, Marco Massarutto.

That was it. Hey, you can walk, and here’s seven seconds of gameplay walking up a grassy mound.

But hang on a minute, what about…

Can I walk inside buildings?

If I can walk up a roadside verge, what do you think, will players be able to also walk inside buildings?

My initial reaction is no, of course not.

But… the brief shot of the world map has a legend for points of interest. Perhaps notably, restaurants are separate. I know the Pistenklause is a tourist attraction in the area, so it makes sense to model and highlight on a map.

But why delineate between other areas of interest and restaurants specifically?

It’s likely just a menu design option, but with the aforementioned steak and pizza house decorated with Nürburgring memorabilia, I’d quite like to visit its inside in virtual form too.

Virtual Reality

Which leads me to virtual reality support, which is already present within the early access version of EVO for on-track driving.

The gameplay footage of walk mode is exclusively in the first-person perspective, which in turn lends itself to VR. Viewing in a third dimension, if possible, could add an extra sense of immersion to the free roam experience.

Third person too?

Having just said that, it’s not clear if walk mode is in that perspective alone.

Interestingly, Assetto Corsa EVO isn’t the only explorable driving game that allows you to control not just the car, but a person too.

Clutch is a much more accessible game with a larger development team and a narrative. Set for launch in spring 2027, you drive around the south of France. But, there are moments where you walk around too, and in this instance, it’s from a third-person perspective, where you can see the character.

Now, I wouldn’t expect this to also be an option in EVO, except…

Character customisation

Past trailers for EVO have clearly shown your driver avatar. And not just behind the wheel of a race car on track, or even on the road in the open-top Morgan.

But, there have been deliberate shots of feet, wearing not racing shoes, but trainers. Then there have been leather jackets seen during a shot of a steering wheel. Non-racing apparel. Consequently, driver customisation has been previously hinted at.

If that’s a feature, then part of this dressing up could be so you can see your selections during walk mode…

In multiplayer, can you see other people?

… Alternatively, if not for a third-person mode, then perhaps when you walk up to other people.

That is, if walk mode is supported in online multiplayer, a feature that is confirmed for the first phase of free-roam, expected to be released soon.

Could it really be like what Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown was trying? There, you could technically meet someone you knew’s online avatar in real time, say inside a car dealership or nightclub, but it was thwarted by a lack of cross-region servers and unstable performance in its opening year.

Speaking of dealerships, this could be a place to have a stroll around, perhaps more appropriately than our restaurant idea.

Can I walk around the Nordschleife?

No idea why I’d want to, but hey, if you can walk around the countryside, maybe you could enjoy a really, really, slow lap of the Nordschleife? Or simply view it from the spectator locations?

Yes, that’s another unanswered question. So, I put this to you. Let us know your walk mode questions below, and we’ll endeavour to answer them at the SimRacing Expo.

The Frankfurt event runs between 16th and 18th October 2026, with tickets on sale now, and Traixon will be there testing the free roam ahead of its launch.