The FIA World Rally Championship has announced that Nacon will once again be in charge of publishing WRC video games with the official FIA World Rally Championship license after it had previously gone to Codemasters and EA. Codemasters purchased the licensing rights to make its own series of WRC games in 2020, which began with EA Sports WRC 2023, launched on November 3, 2023.
After EA acquired Codemasters, EA was supposed to have the rights to make WRC games from 2023 to 2027, but for whatever reason, either EA or the WRC decided to end the partnership after just one game. Prior to Codemasters’ purchasing the WRC licensing rights, Nacon had published the previous seven WRC games, all of which were developed by French developer Kylotonn, which Nacon acquired in 2018.
Last month, Codemasters confirmed it would be “pausing development plans on future rally titles.” With today’s announcement that the WRC license is back in Nacon’s hands, we know why.
“We are thrilled to renew our collaboration with WRC Promoter,” Nacon chief executive officer Alain Falc said in a press release.
“This iconic license provides an exceptional playground to build a highly refined driving experience that lives up to the expectations of rally fans. Between 2015 and 2023, we had the opportunity to work closely with the championship’s official teams and many drivers, allowing us to gain solid and unique expertise in translating rallying into a video game experience. This new venture marks a major milestone: a fully reimagined project driven by a passionate and specialized team, with a clear ambition to elevate rally games to new heights.”
The new deal between the FIA World Rally Championship and Nacon gives Nacon the rights to make WRC games for the 2027 to 2032 seasons, which means that Nacon will likely take the next two years to develop the new WRC series announced with this news. According to the press release, this new series is “aiming to deliver an immersive experience that faithfully reflects the reality of the championship and meets the expectations of both rally enthusiasts and new players.”
“After a comprehensive evaluation, we are delighted to have reached an agreement with Nacon,” said FIA World Rally Championship chief marketing officer Arne Dirks. “Their vision for the franchise stands out, and their expertise in delivering great rally games is unquestioned. We look forward to breaking new ground together in this collaboration, to truly turn the WRC games into epic adventures and offer gaming experiences beyond rally as we know it today.”
发表回复