Codemasters Halts Future Rally Game Development

Codemasters has officially announced that no additional expansions will be released for the 2023 game, EA Sports WRC, signaling the end of their work on this title. Furthermore, the studio has decided to "pause development plans on future rally titles," marking a significant shift in their focus. This announcement was made through EA's official website, highlighting the end of an era for Codemasters in the realm of rally gaming.

The studio reflected on their journey in the statement, emphasizing their long history with off-road racing games that started with titles like Colin McRae Rally and evolved through the Dirt series. Codemasters expressed pride in creating a space for rally enthusiasts, pushing the limits of what rally games could offer, and collaborating with racing icons to bring the passion for rallying to a wide audience.

The World Rally Championship (WRC) has responded to this news on social media, hinting at an "ambitious new direction" for the WRC gaming franchise with further details to be announced soon.

This development comes as a disappointment for fans of motorsport games, especially following EA's acquisition of Codemasters in 2020. The news is also set against the backdrop of recent layoffs at EA, which affected over 300 employees, including around 100 at Respawn Entertainment.

Codemasters has been a leading force in rally video games since the release of Colin McRae Rally in 1998. The series, which transitioned from Colin McRae Rally to Dirt after McRae's passing in 2007, has seen various transformations, including the hardcore simulation approach seen in Dirt Rally in 2015.

EA Sports WRC, released in 2023, was the first Codemasters rally game to feature an official WRC license since Colin McRae Rally 3 in 2002. According to IGN's review, while EA Sports WRC successfully captured the essence of Dirt Rally 2.0 within the framework of the World Rally Championship, it struggled with technical issues like screen tearing. Despite efforts to address these problems through updates, the game was seen as a promising racing title hampered by its unfinished aspects.