EA abandons rally racing as WRC partnership ends
Codemaster’s Twitter account goes dark as EA ends its Rally racing series
EA has announced that its partnership with the World Rally Championship (WRC) has ended, as has their support for EA Sports WRC 2023. Now, EA is “pausing development plans for future rally titles.” This is a gut punch to anyone who’s a fan of rally racers and Codemasters.
Codemasters, which was acquired by EA in 2021, has been creating rally games since 1998. This included the Colin McRae Rally series, the WRC Rally series, and the DiRT series. Today, we found that Codemasters’ Twitter/X account has been deleted. Now, the future of the studio seems increasingly unclear.
As of now, Codemasters appears to be another company to add to the list of studios that EA has gutted since its acquisition. Codemasters owned Slightly Mad Studios when it was acquired, and following the acquisition, EA has killed off the developer and its Project Cars series. Now, Codemaster’s rally racers are gone, and we fear for the future of Codemasters as a whole.
Every great journey eventually finds its finish line, and today, we announce that we’ve reached the end of the road working on WRC.
After releasing EA SPORTS WRC in 2023, the 2024 season, including the recently released Hard Chargers Content pack, will be our last expansion.
For now, we are pausing development plans on future rally titles. Rest assured, EA SPORTS WRC will continue to be available for existing and new players. We hope it remains a source of joy, excitement, and the thrill of rally racing. We’ve poured our hearts into making it for fans, and we know you’ll keep the passion alive.
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.
Thank you to all the fans who have and continue to be part of our rally journey.
Despite EA ending its partnership with WRC, EA Sports WRC will remain available. However, EA has revealed no plans beyond that. We don’t expect a new rally game to suddenly appear from Codemasters without WRC branding. While EA’s rally development plans are “paused”, it is unclear if or when these plans will be unpaused.
It’s sad to see what EA has done to its racing franchises. Criterion, the developer of Need for Speed Unbound, has been folded into Battlefield Studios. Slightly Mad Studios, the developer of Project Cars, is dead. As for Codemasters, their future appears uncertain. Hopefully, EA will clarify its situation soon.
You can join the discussion on EA “pausing development” for all future Rally games on the OC3D Forums.
