April 30th, we got the announcement online via social channels, “What a ride it’s been! Over the past three years, WRC has been elevated to another level in the gaming world thanks to the dedication of EA SPORTS and Codemasters. Now, our WRC gaming franchise is going in an ambitious new direction with more news coming in the near future. Until that time, gaming fans can continue to experience the pinnacle of rallying on EA SPORTS WRC.” That was the comment that broke the connection between the WRC and EA SPORTS’ multi-year deal that was set to expire sometime next year, if the timelines are correct.

Well, a little under a month on from then, we got the announcement detailing that next partnership, coming in 2027 and beyond. Noted once again on social platforms with the tagline “This is not an evolution. It’s a revolution,” I think a lot of people understand the first part as the WRC and its promoter in particular has once again partnered with NACON until 2032. Revealed yesterday at 09:00 PDT or 5 PM UTC, the press release sent out by NACON said the following:

“NACON is pleased to announce the signing of a new agreement with [the] WRC Promoter for the publishing of games based on the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). 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.

As part of this strategic partnership, NACON will begin [the] development of an all-new WRC game series, 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. The games will feature the official rallies, vehicles, teams, drivers, and sponsors among the many anticipated content elements. 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.“

This sets many high expectations for a series and publisher that, I won’t say is bad, because I know stepping back, that both NACON and its development partners are in, the intention is not to make something bad. However, I will say that people had gripes with the series by the time NACON and Kylotonn were wrapping up the previous partnership following WRC 9, WRC 10, and generally took an upward swing with Generations. Many fans hold in particular the Evolution Studios titles like WRC II Extreme in high regard, many years on.

Nonetheless, CEO of NACON, Alain Falc, said: “We are thrilled to renew our collaboration with [the] WRC Promoter. 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 FIA World Rally Championship’s Chief Marketing Officer, Arne Dirks, went on to say: “After a comprehensive evaluation, we are delighted to have reached an agreement with NACON[.] 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.”

Of course, at the time of writing NACON hasn’t confirmed which developer it will task with the development of the future WRC titles. The obvious one is Kylotonn, now it is done with Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, but Big Ant Studios has a focus on sports titles too, like Cricket (hardly a sport), Rugby, AFL (not the American one), and most recently, Tennis with TIEBREAK+. Or there is Tour de France, Rugby, and Blood Bowl developer Cyanide SA. Though if there weren’t enough Rugby-focused developers, Eko Software did that and several Handball games. I guess we’ll find out in time.

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