Summary

  • Nacon is taking over the development of the WRC games once more.
  • Nacon and its subsidiary Kylotonn developed the series for almost a decade prior to the era of EA and Codemasters.
  • The first game is expected in 2027.

The World Rally Championship (WRC) has announced that French video game holding company Nacon will once again publish the WRC game series.

Nacon previously published WRC for almost a decade, taking over the series in 2013 and overseeing the release of seven instalments: WRC 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and Generations, all of which were developed by one of the company's subsidiaries, Kylotonn.

Round Two for Nacon

After the expiration of WRC's licensing agreement with Nacon, the license was acquired by Codemasters, best known for Dirt Rally and Formula One games. While developing the game that would become EA Sports WRC, Codemasters was acquired by Electronic Arts.

However, Codemasters and EA Sports announced earlier this year that development on future WRC titles had ceased.

The PC version of EA Sports WRC is known to be buggy, which is why the game currently holds a "Mixed" review score on Steam.

"The agreement covers the development and publishing of the official WRC games and esports competitions, granting NACON exclusive rights for PC and consoles for six seasons, from 2027 through 2032," the announcement reads.

It's unknown if Nacon will be delegating the series to Kylotonn once more, or if another one of the publisher's studios will be given the task. The holding company owns approximately ten studios, most of which are based in Europe.

"The games will feature the official rallies, vehicles, teams, drivers and sponsors among the many anticipated content elements," the post continues. "This project represents a complete reboot of the franchise, based on an entirely fresh vision, and marks an ambitious new chapter in the brand's development."

Alain Falc, chief executive officer of Nacon, added more corporate platitudes: "This new venture marks a major milestone: a fully reimagined project driven by a passionate and specialised team, with a clear ambition to elevate rally games to new heights."

The first game in the second era of Nacon's WRC stewardship is expected in 2027.

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EA Sports WRC

Racing Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 79/100 Critics Rec: 76% Released 2023-11-31 ESRB e Developer(s) Codemasters Publisher(s) Electronic Arts
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