Sim racers are looking forward to Kunos Simulazioni’s upcoming highlight, but Assetto Corsa 2 has a high hurdle to clear regarding its predecessor. And that hurdle was not even really created by Kunos themselves.
Likely coming in Summer of 2024, Assetto Corsa 2 captures the imagination of sim racers already. Not much is really known about the title yet, but players expectations are high – what could the next generation of AC look like? Is it going to be even more versatile than the original?
The first Assetto Corsa is undeniably a sim racing juggernaut. Even nine years after its release, it is the most-played racing sim on Steam each month, even beating out the likes of F1 23 and being almost level with Forza Horizon 5. This is due to the fact that AC can be basically anyone’s sim – thanks to the near-limitless modding capabilities.
At the same time, this means that Kunos really has to knock it out of the park with Assetto Corsa 2. Ironically, it is not even Kunos’ own work that has created this situation. Not to discredit the Italian studio, with the groundwork they laid all the way back in 2014 obviously still being the backbone of the sim. But without the modding scene, the title would likely be decisively less relevant than it actually is in 2023.
Image credit: Kunos Simulazioni
This leads to the question of what AC2’s audience may be. Are Kunos going to try and capture the Assetto Corsa crowd, or rather the ACC racers – or even both? And if so, how are they going to do that? Creating a title that satisfies both the mod-oriented AC player base as well as the competitive, super-focused ACC players would be an enormously tall order.
Matching the incredible amount of choice for cars and tracks throughout the history of racing is going to be pretty much impossible. Sure, there are the icons of any era, but if you want to drive obscure cars from the past and even today, AC is your best bet. There are over 600 car mods on RaceDepartment alone, with many more out there online.
Our own Angus Martin has given his opinion on what Assetto Corsa 2 must get right a few months ago already, and one of his points was “a reason to jump ship” – which, as this article shows, may be extremely hard to do. But we are excited to see how this is going to be tackled already!
Of course, all of this speculation at this point. Information on AC2 is hardly available, so we will have to stay put for now.
However, we are curious: What do you think AC2 has to do draw players away from its predecessors? What are you hoping for in the upcoming title? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter @OverTake_gg!
Likely coming in Summer of 2024, Assetto Corsa 2 captures the imagination of sim racers already. Not much is really known about the title yet, but players expectations are high – what could the next generation of AC look like? Is it going to be even more versatile than the original?
The first Assetto Corsa is undeniably a sim racing juggernaut. Even nine years after its release, it is the most-played racing sim on Steam each month, even beating out the likes of F1 23 and being almost level with Forza Horizon 5. This is due to the fact that AC can be basically anyone’s sim – thanks to the near-limitless modding capabilities.
Assetto Corsa 2 vs. The AC Content Variety
Modern F1, classic sports cars, and anything in between – there is simply no boredom in AC content. Since its launch in 2014, the community has not just developed cars and tracks, but also features that seemed impossible at first. All of this makes it a perfect showcase for the dedication of the sim racing community.At the same time, this means that Kunos really has to knock it out of the park with Assetto Corsa 2. Ironically, it is not even Kunos’ own work that has created this situation. Not to discredit the Italian studio, with the groundwork they laid all the way back in 2014 obviously still being the backbone of the sim. But without the modding scene, the title would likely be decisively less relevant than it actually is in 2023.
Image credit: Kunos Simulazioni
AC2 vs. Assetto Corsa Competizione’s Laser-Focus
On the other hand, there is also Assetto Corsa Competizione. The title is far from AC‘s versatility, but instead laser-focuses on mostly GT3 racing. For those that are looking for a competitive online experience, it is the go-to sim outside of iRacing. The circuit selection may be limited, but the flip side is the vast amount of current-gen GT3 cars. As the class is ever-popular in real racing, many fans flock to ACC. And it is probably going to be even more with the incoming addition of the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in 2024.This leads to the question of what AC2’s audience may be. Are Kunos going to try and capture the Assetto Corsa crowd, or rather the ACC racers – or even both? And if so, how are they going to do that? Creating a title that satisfies both the mod-oriented AC player base as well as the competitive, super-focused ACC players would be an enormously tall order.
Return To The Roots?
Rumors seem to point towards AC2 being more in line with the first Assetto Corsa entry. That means a multitude of cars and tracks, possibly combined with a new approach to creating a racing sim. Will that be enough to draw players away from the first AC, though?Matching the incredible amount of choice for cars and tracks throughout the history of racing is going to be pretty much impossible. Sure, there are the icons of any era, but if you want to drive obscure cars from the past and even today, AC is your best bet. There are over 600 car mods on RaceDepartment alone, with many more out there online.
Assetto Corsa 2: What About Mods?
With AC2 reportedly using an all-new in-house engine from Kunos, it is likely going to be a while until it becomes moddable. Unless the game is built with that capability in mind already baked in, that is. Could a function to make AC mod content compatible with AC2 be the solution? A difficult question. It is going to be interesting to find out which path Kunos is going to take as more info should become available in the coming months.Our own Angus Martin has given his opinion on what Assetto Corsa 2 must get right a few months ago already, and one of his points was “a reason to jump ship” – which, as this article shows, may be extremely hard to do. But we are excited to see how this is going to be tackled already!
Of course, all of this speculation at this point. Information on AC2 is hardly available, so we will have to stay put for now.
However, we are curious: What do you think AC2 has to do draw players away from its predecessors? What are you hoping for in the upcoming title? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter @OverTake_gg!
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