New Le Mans Game Coming December 2023

Le Mans Ultimate Header 2 Porsche 963.jpg
Image credit: Motorsport Games

We were promised a game for the 24 Hours of Le Mans back in mid 2021. It is now official, with Le Mans Ultimate set for a December 2023 release.

A couple of years ago, Motorsport Games and rFactor 2 developers Studio 397 announced they were developing an official standalone game of the World Endurance Championship and the 24 hours of Le Mans. With virtually no official word about the game since, many had reason to believe it would never come to be.

Other titles promised by Motorsport Games, such as one for the British Touring Car Championship and another for IndyCar, were delayed. This led to the community having fears about whether the game would ever see the light of day. However, those fears can now be put to rest with the announcement of Le Mans Ultimate.

What will be in Le Mans Ultimate?​

The game will immerse the player in the 2023 World Endurance Championship season. That means players can drive on all seven tracks: Monza, Spa-Francorchamps, Sebring, Bahrain, Portimão, Fuji and last but by no means least, the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans.

As for cars? Le Mans Ultimate will feature LMH and LMDh racers from Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, Cadillac, Peugeot, Glickenhaus and Vanwall along with the Oreca 07 LMP2 and also Aston Martin, Corvette, Ferrari and Porsche GTE cars.

Le Mans Ultimate Ferrari 488 GTE.jpg

Le Mans Ultimate is coming this year. Image credit: Motorsport Games

There will be a feature called RaceControl, an innovative multiplayer service. It includes the ability to complete endurance races with friends via a collaborative asynchronous mode. But gamers who don’t want to compete in the online experience will also be accounted for with single player modes.

How to Play Le Mans Ultimate​

Motorsport Games have stated that the game will be PC-only for the first year at minimum. Content updates are expected in the second half of 2024. Afterwards, the developers will evaluate when the right time will be to bring the game to console.

With December 2023 expected to be the release window, sim racers can play the game early if they’re attending the 24 hours of Le Mans from 7-11 June. At the Circuit de la Sarthe, developers will be present, along with ten racing sims for fans and spectators to turn some laps. They can drive the Ferrari 488 GTE as well as the Porsche 963 LMDh, and can also provide feedback.

Before the release of the game, Le Mans Ultimate will be the new platform of the Le Mans Virtual Series. The first two full seasons and all three renditions of the 24 hours of Le Mans Virtual all took place on rFactor 2. The season will begin later this year, most likely in September like the previous two years.
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Luca [OT]
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Comments

I am curious about the asynchronous game mode. The press release says ".. a team of players can undertake their stints at a time and date that suits them, with each member fitting in their time in the car around other commitments or time zone restraints."

Is it a live multiplayer race where if no human player is driving the car then the AI will drive it? In which case each human player commits to driving for a certain amount of time, let's say 4 people commit to driving 1 hour each in a 12h race for a total of 4 hours with the rest of the time being handled by AI. This could actually be a good idea.
Or does it mean you race against the AI as a team taking turns driving a single car? In which case each player saves the game at the end of his stint until another person loads the game, does his stint and saves the game again for the next guy.

In any case, happy that something is moving. Racing sims are rather complex to develop and have a niche market so it is not always obvious to see new titles popping up.
 
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If a major studio had announced this I'd be convinced it would get released. With these jokers I'd not be so sure.
I wouldn't call S397 a bunch of jokers. What else do you need to be convinced besides the name of a studio that brought rF2 from a limbo to a decent and nicely evolving platform that is still relevant in this niche genre over ten years after it's release? It's no small feat to develop complete graphics engine and sound engine from the ground up while driving the whole core of the sim forward. rF2 is miles ahead from where it started it's second life in 2016.

There are a few things that are kind of interesting about this announcement. I expected them to be using Unreal Engine but it seems to be an evolution of the tech in rF2 wich is kind of nice. I wouldn't have expected that and I hope that it has the same fidelity as rF2. Anyway, if they put all the WEC content into a nicely polished experience and platform, where backwards compatability isn't a limiting factor I see no reason, why this shouldn't be a great sim racing title. And finaly something else besides GT3s.

Another interesting questions: what about modding and 3rd party apps?
 
I assume it's the same
During the original Rfactor heyday we had multiple games that used their engine to create something awesome, i hope this is one of those.
Not worried about MSG, they are just the publisher, they pay for the licenses, S397 makes the game.
I'm quiet enthusiastic about this game. And it was time indeed for S397 to work on other projects. Rfactor2 will probably never be what we have been expecting all these years before a long time. And for the developpers, in must be absolutely boring and frustrating to work on a neverending project.

Taking the best of Rfactor2 and using such a long experience into a narrower scope game is a good idea. I assume it will be the same logic than Nascar Ignition, UE5 for graphics and rfactor2's physics, but with S397's experience and, I hope, the knowledge of what went wrong with Nascar Ignition with the engine. Well, I hope more competent people worked on the AI though, because what is certain is that rfactor2 is far from shining in this aspect... Wait and see!

EDIT : it may be also an evolution of the rfactor2 graphics engine (which in certain conditions can be impressive) of the UI which would benefit to rfactor2 later. Who knows? It seems to me that S397 is going to do what Simbin aimed to do with GTR3, with the exact same content.
 
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Part of me really wants this to be a great game, with great physics, lots of features, etc.

Part of me also remembers that MSG released NASCAR Ignition.

So, what to do, If not wait for December?
 
Nice! Does it say what engine is the game gonna use? I am assuming it must be the same as Rfactor2, seeing it's releasing this year.
 
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Why? Why? Sim racers want to experience all sorts of cars and tracks, why repackaging RF2 into a set of limited options... That's exactly why I never really enjoyed ACC despite being a pretty good sim.
Why? Because it's a WEC game with a WEC license.

You're welcome.
 
The physics engine comes from rF2, but the graphics? I really hope the graphic engine will be brand new...
Let's hope they won't delay it any further.
 
First few posts did me, I refuse to waste my time reading this rubbish.
More like a Tupperware party all the whining and bitching.

I have mixed feelings, makes me laugh every time but at the same time I actually feel sorry for all these types that have never been able to find the good in ISI engine.
So because of that you just keep moaning year after year ? why ? what is your purpose in life ?

I will take the flawed gmotor physics over all the other flawed driving models out there. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
Why couldn't they at least partner up with the IMSA or add some classic cars/tracks to expand the content? This seems quite limited and it's motorsport games so I think I'll pass. Lots of le mans content in AC when you add mods along with decent graphics and a low price tag (especially when on sale).
 
very glad this title is still alive. Extremely curious to read the first proper reviews around christmas then, judging by what happened so far to their other titles I will definitely NOT pre-order but rather wait for independent reactions.
 
It will be the rFactor2 engine, according to the press release.
It won't be the rF2 engine. It will be an evolution of that engine. Also regarding content, there are tons of options for future DLCs the more I think about it. Everything from historic DLCs that could go as far back as the 20s, to Ford versus Ferrari DLCs, 917s vs. 512s, Group 5, Group C, GT1 up until today where you could release Road to Le Mans DLCs with Porsche Cup cars, LMP3s and GT3 cars. And just thinking about the tracks that could go with the historic cars ...
 
very glad this title is still alive. Extremely curious to read the first proper reviews around christmas then, judging by what happened so far to their other titles I will definitely NOT pre-order but rather wait for independent reactions.
You'll get to see it in action in September with Virtual Lemans according to the article.
 
Premium
I've always considered the model of using rF2 as a base for more focused titles to be a good one so the concept to me is a good one.

Though, Like others, I have no belief this game will come out ,or if does it will be half-baked.

Time will tell.

Will be interesting to see if the September showcase is just the current build of rF2 with lemans content.
 
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Rather have these content in rf2 than a separate game.

Really underwhelming. Guess rf2 will be dead soon, considering Q1 and Q2 release has been rather thin in paid content.
 
Could be great if they apply the latest RF2 shaders. The VR in RF2 is pretty good.

Now let's just hope that it works with AI and online, I can never play RF2 because there is always "an issue".

And let's hope that the company will be able to make it, since they have a lot of financial trouble.

We'll see.
 
I wouldnt expect any WEC content in rF2
I would say completely opposite
on the screens it literally looks like rFactor 2 if it even is new game not rF2 but should be since it will be displayed this week
so probably the game itself is just modified rFactor with some options deleted like mods, some options added like better controler support and some options modified like UI
so if it will work properly, especially on consoles it's good way to get money from the market but since content is heavily limited longer lifespan is doubtful so they will be able to add all that content and other improvements to the "mother" and main game in their portfolio means rFactor 2 after some time without any bigger problems
 
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