Codemasters' development plan for future rally games

Codemasters has confirmed that no further expansion will be released for EA Sports WRC in 2023 and that the team “has reached the end of the game.” Unfortunately, with this news, there are other confirmations that Codemasters also “suspended development plans for future rally champions.”

UK senior racing studio Announcement was released via EA.com.

“Our WRC partnership is the culmination of our off-road racing trip, spanning decades through decades like Colin McRae Rally,” the studio's statement said. “We provide every rally enthusiast with a home, working tirelessly to push boundaries and bringing an exciting driving thrill. We have brought together very talented racing developers, working with some of the sporting icons and having the opportunity to share our rally love.”

The World Rally Championship itself Acknowledged the news on social mediawith a big vague comment, noting that “WRC gaming franchise is moving in a new ambitious direction with more news in the near future.”

EA pulling the pin on the Codemasters Rally game will be a pill of pain, for motorsport fans EA acquired the legendary British racing studio in 2020.

The news is due to the report EA has laid off more than 300 employees, including about 100 of Respawn Entertainment.

Codemasters have been at the rally video game for nearly three decades, dating back to the iconic Colin McRae Rally in 1998. The groundbreaking rally simulation begins a series of successful and highly respected racing races. After the death of Colin McRae in 2007, the series retired McRae’s name and continued to evolve into dirt. The 2009 Dirt 2 (known as Colin McRae: Dirt 2 in Europe and other PAL gaming territories) marks a transition point in the series, which was reshaped into a hardcore simulation again in 2015's Dirt Rally.

EA Sports WRC in 2023 is the first Codemaster Rally game held by the official WRC license from Colin Mcrae Rally 3 in 2002. IGN's comments Notes EA Sports WRC wins the class-leading feel of the 2019 Dirt Rally 2.0 and stuffs it with an officially licensed World Rally Championship experience, like Timo Rautiainen's steel-like rocker, but like a steel-like champion, but his technology is technical, but “Great racing games try to get out of unfinished games.” Subsequent updates attempted to improve its screen tear issue.

Luke is a senior editor of the IGN Review Team. You can follow him on Bluesky @mrlukereilly and ask him about things.