Codemasters Ends Rally Game Series

Codemasters has officially announced that no additional expansions will be released for 2023’s EA Sports WRC, marking the end of development for the title. The studio also revealed it is "pausing development plans for future rally games," dealing a significant blow to rally racing enthusiasts.

The veteran British racing studio shared the announcement through EA.com, bringing closure to its legendary rally game lineage that began with Colin McRae Rally in the late 90s.

"Our WRC partnership represented the culmination of Codemasters' decades-long journey with off-road racing, from the original Colin McRae Rally to the Dirt series," read the studio’s statement. "We've created a haven for rally fans worldwide, constantly pushing technical boundaries to capture the adrenaline-fueled essence of precision driving at the limit. Throughout this journey, we've assembled brilliant racing developers, collaborated with motorsport legends, and shared our passion for rallying with millions."

The World Rally Championship organization responded to the news on social media with an ambiguous statement about the "WRC gaming franchise entering an ambitious new phase," promising future updates.

For motorsport fans, EA's decision to halt Codemasters' rally development represents a painful setback, particularly following EA's high-profile acquisition of the studio in 2020.

This development follows recent reports of massive EA layoffs affecting over 300 employees, including approximately 100 at Respawn Entertainment.

For nearly 30 years, Codemasters dominated rally gaming innovation since 1998's groundbreaking Colin McRae Rally. After the tragic death of namesake driver Colin McRae in 2007, the franchise evolved into the Dirt series. 2009's Dirt 2 (marketed as Colin McRae: Dirt 2 in Europe) signaled a new direction, culminating in the hardcore simulation approach of 2015's Dirt Rally.

2023's EA Sports WRC marked Codemasters' return to official WRC licensing since 2002's Colin McRae Rally 3. IGN's review praised how the game infused the superb driving physics of 2019's Dirt Rally 2.0 into an officially licensed WRC package, though technical issues initially held it back from greatness. Subsequent patches addressed performance concerns like screen tearing.