Codemasters has officially announced that no additional expansions will be developed for 2023's EA Sports WRC, marking the end of their journey with the game. Furthermore, the studio has decided to "pause development plans on future rally titles." This news was shared through an announcement on EA.com.
The studio reflects on their journey, stating, “Our WRC partnership was a culmination of sorts for our Codemasters journey with off-road racing, spanning decades through titles like Colin McRae Rally, and Dirt. We’ve provided a home for every rally enthusiast, striving tirelessly to push the boundaries and deliver the exhilarating thrill of driving on the ragged edge. We’ve brought together incredibly talented racing developers, worked with some of the sport’s icons, and had the opportunity to share our love of rallying.”
The World Rally Championship has also responded to this development on social media, hinting at an "ambitious new direction" for the WRC gaming franchise, with more information to be released soon.
The cessation of Codemasters' rally game development will be a tough blow for motorsport enthusiasts, especially following EA's acquisition of the renowned British racing studio in 2020. This decision comes amidst reports of over 300 layoffs at EA, including about 100 at Respawn Entertainment.
Codemasters has been a leader in rally video games for nearly three decades, starting with the iconic 1998 title, Colin McRae Rally. This pioneering rally simulation set the stage for a series of successful and respected racing games. After the passing of Colin McRae in 2007, the series evolved, dropping McRae's name and transitioning into the Dirt series. 2009's Dirt 2, known as Colin McRae: Dirt 2 in Europe and other PAL territories, marked a significant shift for the series, which later embraced a hardcore simulation approach with 2015's Dirt Rally.
The 2023 release, EA Sports WRC, was the first Codemasters rally game to feature an official WRC license since 2002's Colin McRae Rally 3. According to IGN's review, EA Sports WRC captured the essence of 2019's Dirt Rally 2.0 and integrated it into an officially licensed World Rally Championship experience. However, the game struggled with technical issues, such as screen tearing, which subsequent updates aimed to address. The review likened the game to a "great racing game trying to fight its way out of an unfinished one."
