Le Mans Ultimate Release Date Set For 2024

Le Mans Ultimate releasing 20 February 2024.jpg
Despite being initially announced for December 2023, Motorsport Games finally gave an exact Le Mans Ultimate release date. The game will hit stores on 20 February 2024.

Image credit: Motorsport Games

Yesterday, tickets for the 2024 edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours hit shelves for those holding ACO membership. Those not affiliated with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest will have to wait until next week to get their tickets.

However, rumours suggest that next week may be too late, with record sales. Not to fear if you cannot attend the great race however. Last night, Studio 397 and Motorsport Games finally gave their fans a release date for the much-anticipated Le Mans Ultimate. The game will release on 20 February 2024, despite and initial announcement for December 2023.


The announcement came alongside a trailer, featuring many more cars than previously spotted in screenshots. It seems that most cars and liveries are now ready to play in the game. One can spot the Toyota GR010 alongside the race cars previously seen in the game.

Le Mans Ultimate Delays​

The news that the game will release just a few weeks before the first round of the 2024 FIA WEC season, was also confirmed in the Q3 2023 earnings report of Motorsport Games. CEO Stephen Hood states: “We are excited to confirm the updated release date of our planned Le Mans Ultimate title, as we anticipate the game on February 20, 2024.” Hood also confirmed that LMU would feature the RaceControl online system recently introduced to rFactor 2 as well.

The news comes after announcements of major redundancies across the Motorsport Games organisation. The company originally looked to produce games for Indycar and the BTCC alongside the sportscar title. But the British Touring Car Championship’s organiser, TOCA released a statement on Monday announcing the end of said gaming partnership. Furthermore, rumours emerged yesterday of the laying off of the entire Indycar game development team.


Motorsport Games Australia Closed​

These rumors proved to be true according to the earnings report. Hood listed “the recent closure of our Australian development studio, with corresponding global head count reductions, and the suspension of the development of our previously planned IndyCar game” as cost-cutting measures. Motorsport Games Australia was also behind the development of KartKraft.

While ‘suspension’ may imply development getting picked back up later on, it realistically seems more like the end of the line for the title. MSG also reported a net loss of $3.5 million in Q3 of 2023.

Despite this, Hood remains positive: “We believe the decisions needed to make this business create engaging, well-made games that fans enjoy, and that are profitable, are well underway. With renewed focus on products, production leadership and budgetary controls, we believe we are already seeing positive momentum for the company.

Financially, however, the outlook appears to be similar to the one presented in the Q2 earnings report.

Based on the available cash on hand and the Company’s average monthly net cash burn from operations of approximately $1.1 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company does not believe it has sufficient liquidity to fund its operations over the next year and that additional funding will be required in order to continue operations.
Motorsport Games Q3 Earnings Report Liquidity Slide

Le Mans Ultimate: Make Or Break For MSG​

It seems then that Motorsport Games is now solely focused on putting together Le Mans Ultimate. With that in mind, the somewhat later than expected release date is potentially more promising than one might think.

In fact, Motorsport Games is now seemingly confident it can stay afloat at least until this new release plan. Therefore, there is hopefully less chance of a rushed, unpolished title, giving the development team more time to iron out the flaws.

To learn more about the official FIA World Endurance Championship game, check out this article with all the details.

Are you excited for Le Mans Ultimate? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
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Angus Martin
Motorsport gets my blood pumping more than anything else. Be it physical or virtual, I'm down to bang doors.

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One piece of information I cannot find. Anybody knows when the LM Virtual 2024 is being held? Previous editions were in January. And a while ago I read LMU was going to be released just before the LMv'24 event (which I think is not a good plan to be honest).
 
Club Staff
Premium
Right, so it's basically an rf2 mod pack. It will be interesting to see if all the bugs from rf2 carry over to this title.

Like AMS was basically an rF mod, and well. The vast majority of sims the last 20 years have been using a version of, or parts of ISI's engine.
That's not something new.

What I "fear" (I really do enjoy rF2, so it wouldn't bug me too much), is that it's just going to be rF2 with an expanded Endurance Pack. Not rF2 with WEC-focus and improvements.
 
Right, so it's basically an rf2 mod pack. It will be interesting to see if all the bugs from rf2 carry over to this title.
Well, yes and no.

From hanging about in the Discord it's rF2++.

So, a lot of (not all) the existing bugs and annoyances in rF2 is to allow modded content to work.

There's various things I've seen the devs rtalking about saying they could fix X or Y, but it'd break various mods - so it gets left.

So this game, without modding support (as its an official licensed product), should be easier to manage and contain less bugs.

That's the theory.

I hope it lives up to the hype, don't want to see the S397 guys go down with the ship.

But, there's a lot of MSG staff on the rF2 Discord, they're just normal people, doing their jobs. rF2 has come on leaps and bounds with their help - the recent RaceControl online system was down to their devs. So, they're not all bad :)
 
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Premium
This may be MSG's swan song. Hope it's a good one though.
 
What this game contains? Only modern cars and tracks?
Since its "ultimate" will there be historic cars and historic track layouts?
 
OverTake
Premium
Premium
This is now confirmed. Kartkraft is dead.
it is a pity, but this is life.

I have it since early release, and never regret my purchasr. It remains a fantastic sim, even with limited content.
 
This is now confirmed. Kartkraft is dead.
it is a pity, but this is life.

I have it since early release, and never regret my purchasr. It remains a fantastic sim, even with limited content.
Yeah that's a massive shame.

Quite frankly, shame on MSG for buying them up then throwing them away.

Hope they can re-group and produce something else.
 
Moderator
Premium
Sad news.
A real shame that a promising dev team (who actually managed to produce something) has lost out.
As far as I can see the only good that's come out of the MSG debacle is the funding rf2 got.
 
Premium
This is now confirmed. Kartkraft is dead.
it is a pity, but this is life.

I have it since early release, and never regret my purchasr. It remains a fantastic sim, even with limited content.
Sad day indeed, but the game has been as good as dead since they got acquired. I also got the game pretty early and still occasionally launch it for bit of fun driving practice.

Where was this confirmed? On Discord or somewhere else?

Cheers.
 
So far, the game seems to include the cars and classes from the 2023 season, which was the last with GTEs and LMP2 (the latter will return for the Le Mans 24H). Next year we will have GT3 instead of GTE.
If you're making a new game, why would you start with already outdated content? The only explanation I could give myself is that probably many of the GT3s and Hypercars are brand new, so not only they need to work the license deal with the manufacturers, they also need to get their data and 3D models, which might not even be available right now.
 
So far, the game seems to include the cars and classes from the 2023 season, which was the last with GTEs and LMP2 (the latter will return for the Le Mans 24H). Next year we will have GT3 instead of GTE.
If you're making a new game, why would you start with already outdated content? The only explanation I could give myself is that probably many of the GT3s and Hypercars are brand new, so not only they need to work the license deal with the manufacturers, they also need to get their data and 3D models, which might not even be available right now.
Cause GTEs are more interesting than GT3s :D

Plus, I guess, whilst we have the cars and the data, get onto a game form, then they you can jump in them whenever you like!
 
Premium
Sad day indeed, but the game has been as good as dead since they got acquired. I also got the game pretty early and still occasionally launch it for bit of fun driving practice.

Where was this confirmed? On Discord or somewhere else?

Cheers.
They will close the MSG Australia, which was working on Karktkraft.
 
So MSG are significantly decreasing their potential sources of income to focus on one title that may be okay but I doubt will save their bacon, they are deluded. What have they done so far that has grown their revenues? What decisions have they made to this point in time that actually gives people confidence that the LMU will be their saviour?
 

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