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A fan. A spectator. A bobble-hatter.
Whatever you call me, I’m a fan of rallying, largely thanks to a 1998 video game – Colin McRae Rally.
It spoke to me. Maybe it was the blue Subaru with gold wheels. Perhaps the laconic Scott voicing the driving academy. Or was it possibly the wobbly jelly car cheat code that resonated?
But mainly, it was an enjoyable driving experience, irrespective of its motorsport discipline.
That title’s popularity transcended the sport itself, to the point that American players thought McRae was a made-up character – the Lara Croft of virtual driving.
But in contemporary gaming and simulations, rallying is mostly absent. There is the official World Rally Championship game, EA SPORTS WRC, and that is it.
There is no other contemporary, licenced, rally game.
Richard Burns Rally, originally from 2004, is still modified by the community’s cognoscenti, including my colleague Ross McGregor. But this is not mainstream. I’d argue it brings little in the way of new fans into the genre, but rather appeals to an existing fanbase.
It’s also abandonware, with superlative physics but visuals that are hardly befitting of 2025.
Recently, a Hard Chargers DLC pack was released for EA SPORTS WRC, and as it stands, this is the last (announced, at least) notable update for the title.
With that, virtual rallying is dead.
Except… Let’s call it a hiatus.
The contract between the WRC and EA/Codemasters runs until 2027, so I’d personally like to see a new, updated, official WRC game from the Southam-based team sometime in the next 18 months. Please.
I heard a staggering rumour about an in-development platform within the same realm, too. Then, for the simulation fans, former rFactor 2 doyen Marcel Offermans is hard at work on a new rallying simulator.
In the indie scene, a new rally-themed spin-off from the popular Super Woden series is in the works, scheduled for launch before the end of the year.
Colourful independent titles, big-budget mainstream releases and a niche simulator – the future of sim rallying is bright, we just need to be a little patient.
This opinion piece was originally part of a prior Traxion email newsletter – sign up to receive these early, direct to your inbox, every week.
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