Codemasters Ends Rally Gaming Series

Codemasters has officially announced that no additional expansions will be released for EA Sports WRC 2023, marking the "end of the road" for the game's development. Alongside this, the studio confirmed it is "pausing development plans for future rally titles."

The veteran UK racing studio shared the announcement on EA.com.

"Our WRC partnership represented a significant milestone in Codemasters' long history with off-road racing, spanning decades through iconic titles like Colin McRae Rally and Dirt," the studio stated. "We have created a home for rally fans everywhere, constantly pushing the envelope to deliver the intense thrill of driving on the edge. Our team brought together top racing talent, collaborated with legends of the sport, and shared our passion for rallying with the world."

The World Rally Championship has responded to the news on social media, offering a vague statement that the "WRC gaming franchise is heading in an ambitious new direction, with more updates to follow soon."

EA's decision to halt Codemasters' rally projects will be disappointing for motorsport enthusiasts, especially after EA acquired the renowned British studio in 2020.

This development follows reports of more than 300 layoffs at EA, including around 100 at Respawn Entertainment.

Codemasters has been a leader in rally video games for nearly 30 years, starting with the groundbreaking Colin McRae Rally in 1998. This pioneering simulation launched a series of highly praised racing titles. After Colin McRae's tragic death in 2007, the series continued under the Dirt name. Dirt 2 (titled Colin McRae: Dirt 2 in Europe and PAL regions) served as a turning point, later evolving into the hardcore simulation Dirt Rally in 2015.

EA Sports WRC 2023 was Codemasters' first officially licensed WRC game since Colin McRae Rally 3 in 2002. According to IGN's review, the game combined the outstanding physics of Dirt Rally 2.0 with an authentic World Rally Championship experience—intense and challenging—but was held back by technical issues that made it feel like a "brilliant racer trapped inside an unpolished package." Later updates aimed to resolve problems like screen tearing.