Which Upcoming Hardcore Sim Are You Most Looking Forward to?

AssettoCorsa_Pau_gt2rs.jpg

Which Upcoming Hardcore Sim Are You Most Looking Forward to?

  • Assetto Corsa 2

    Votes: 1,003 68.4%
  • Le Mans Ultimate

    Votes: 182 12.4%
  • Rennsport

    Votes: 76 5.2%
  • GTR Revival (Working Title)

    Votes: 82 5.6%
  • PISTA Motorsport

    Votes: 21 1.4%
  • WRC 23

    Votes: 84 5.7%
  • Other (specify in comments)

    Votes: 19 1.3%

  • Total voters
    1,467
Many sim racing titles we are playing with such glee have been out for years, even a decade for some games. At this point, however, a shift might be about to occur. Many new titles are currently under development and have tried generating hype. Which one are you looking forward to most? Have your say!

Cover Image: Porsche GT2RS around Circuit de Pau-Ville on Assetto Corsa. Image credit: CrimsonSaltire

Assetto Corsa 2​

Kunos Simulazioni has been stingy with details about their upcoming sim racing title so far. Planned to first release some time in spring 2024, it is set to replace the active development of Assetto Corsa Competizione.

AssettoCorsa_Pau_gt2rs.jpg

Porsche 911 GT3R (992) at night. Image credit: Kunos Simulazioni

All we definitely know is that Assetto Corsa 2 is currently in development. Since the production of Assetto Corsa, the team has grown significantly, allowing for more programmers to divide responsibilities amongst.

Here's hoping that more information on the Italian simulator is coming soon.

Le Mans Ultimate​

More is known about the upcoming World Endurance Championship (WEC) simulator developed by American Studio 397 together with Motorsport Games. This will be the first time the current developers of rFactor 2 produce a title from start to finish.

LMU_Porsche_Monza.jpg

Proton Competition Porsche 963 action. Image credit: Le Mans Ultimate

Featuring vehicles found in the WEC series and all circuits raced in the series (not only Le Mans' Circuit de la Sarthe), this upcoming simulator will be the first dedicated software for endurance racing in a while.

Le Mans Ultimate is based on the rFactor 2 engine and is set to release towards the end of the year. If you want to talk about what it needs to be successful, check out this discussion article about what Le Mans Ultimate needs to get absolutely right.

Le Mans Ultimate is currently set to release in Q4 of 2023 according to its Steam page.

RENNSPORT​

With a focus on esports and high-level competition, the new simulator RENNSPORT is currently in closed beta. Developed by new German studio Competition Company, this sim recently completed its first ever esports competition hosted in conjunction with well-known esports organiser ESL.

rennsport_spa.jpg

Esports racers going around Spa-Francorchamps. Image credit: RENNSPORT

With a few high-class circuits already ready to race as well as options of grand touring cars to select from, RENNSPORT recently announced how its competition and rating system will work.

The release date, on which the public beta will launch, is yet to be announced.

GTR Revival (Working Title)​

Ian Bell's Straight4Studios are working on an upcoming sim racing title as well. The studio, which combines expertise in game development from titles such as GTR or Project CARS is working together with Brazilian studio Reiza on this upcoming title.

ProjectCars2_LeMans1971.jpg

Circuit de la Sarthe, 1971, as seen in Project Cars 2. Image credit: Straight4Studios

The two companies have been working together in the past, somewhat. Reiza's Automobilista 2 is using the MADNESS engine, developed by Slightly Mad Studios, which was Ian Bell's previous studio and where many key staff worked before Straight4.

The title was provisionally named "GTR Revival" in early messages by studio founder Ian Bell. It has been announced to be "the most moddable Auto platform ever".

The release date, as well as the final game title, are as yet unknown.

PISTA Motorsport​

PISTA Motorsport is the title of a new automobile simulator developed by REG Simulations together with 'Studio 56'. REG Simulations has previously developed and released karting mods for Assetto Corsa.

PISTAmotorsport_screenshot.jpg

Formula 3 Metropolitana single-seater. Image credit: REG Simulations

The game is looking to focus on the Argentinian racing scene, a region of the world which has not seen widespread digital racing releases apart from a few internationally recognised racing circuits.

The scope of the project, which seems large for a relative newcomer to the scene, can be seen in this announcement.

PISTA Motorsports' release date is yet to be announced.

WRC 23​

So far, we have only looked at circuit racing simulators. However, we shall not forget that a rally simulator is also in development.

Since Codemasters and EA have acquired the WRC licence previously owned by Kylotonn, fans of racing have eagerly awaited the new title.

dirtrally_2_focus.jpg

Ford Focus as seen in Dirt Rally 2.0. Image credit: Codemasters

The game is expected to be a spiritual successor to Dirt Rally 2.0 in combination with the World Rally Championship license, potentially providing the ultimate digital rally experience.

Fans eagerly await the announcement of WRC 23's release date.

What are you looking forward to the most?​

The simulations listed above are expected to be considerable as "hardcore" sims known to be in development. Other titles such as Forza Motorsport are on the horizon too, while some titles might've been announced with little to no information given other than license ownage.

So, out of the titles listed above, where does your mind wonder in those day-dreaming scenarios? What sim is the one you are most excited to hear news about?

Let us know in the poll and in the comments down below!
About author
Julian Strasser
Motorsports and Maker-stuff enthusiast. Part time jack-of-all-trades. Owner of tracc.eu, a sim racing-related service provider and its racing community.

Comments

While I am very much looking forward to Assetto Corsa 2 I also have my serious doubts that it will surpass AC1 simply because the soul of AC1 is Stefano Casillo and he is no longer part of Kunos.

I really hope I'm wrong and that this next AC2 surpasses AC1 in all aspects but for now I remain somewhat skeptical. Time will tell....
 
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D
Since I am happy with AMS 2 and how it's developing.. I am most curious about WRC 23. I know its Codies/EA, but yes. Maybe it can be something. I am doubting a bit, tho. DR1 was amazing. DR2 was a disaster the few nine months and it's DLC policy was crazy. Hope WRC 23 will be better...
 
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GTR Revival for me, really want to see what Ian Bell comes up with. It doesn't mean I believe it will become my most played sim, but I'm intrigued on what will happen, specially with Reiza's partnership.

Besides that, the other upcoming title that I'm looking forward to, is Assetto Corsa 2. But I'm keeping expectations quite low on it, for many reasons. One of them being that Kunos does not have a history of nailing their releases on the first go.

Le Mans Ultimate is something I don't care about. I don't like rFactor 2, and I despise MSG, they can dissapear out of the simracing market by yesterday for all that I care, as long as they don't take S397 with them (just because I don't play their game it does not mean that it would be good for the scene)

Rennsport stenches like rotten fish, and all the NFT talk has me running away from it, besides all I've seen, read and heard about their beta is that it's not good.

PISTA Motorsport is even worse considering the group of people behind them. And their beta is laughably bad, completely looking like a gMotor ripoff (you can say that they are honouring their very roots though).

WRC 23 is something I have zero expectation of it being better than DR2.0, and that one title that has tons of scripted events disguised as physics, and therefor could never take as a simracing game in my books. With EA now involved and not a hint of talk of re-writing physics from scratch, I'm simply not interested.


I guess that, in short, there is no title in the horizon that I could count on being added to my drive permanently together with the 3 only titles that stay installed on it (AMS2, AC, and RBR). It's hard to know how a sim can end up, considering that for the last ten years, every title that has come out needed a good bit of development, upgrades and patches, for it to reach its potential. That's why I keep expectations low.
 
1. Assetto Corsa 2 for sure, i'm a modder
2. WRC 23 - because of a rally game

Le Mans Ultimate, Rennsport, GTR Revival, PISTA Motorsport ... seems like tons of the same boring GT track racing sim like ACC, AMS 2 , rf 2 etc.
 
Premium
Once we had rFactor as the sim to go for, for years. Its successor, rFactor 2, was disappointing for a number of reasons. The big hit became Assetto Corsa. As the extra add-ons made by others made rFactor to what it was, the same has happened with Assetto Corsa. rFactor 2 without the extra's did not became what the original rFactor was. I think we expect to become Assetto Corsa 2 the same as the original Assetto Corsa (including Content Manager, SOL, CSP and all the other great add-ons), only better, but it will not be so. So it will be time again for another sim for being the next big hit. This could be Renn Sport, but the future will learn.
 
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Premium
Looking forward to the new Forza Motorsport ahead of any of these. I am not banking on the new FM to be good but, if it is then that is a welcome surprise. If it falls in line with FM7, then that is what I am expecting, and I'll move on to the next big thing with hardcore simulation titles. I don't have any expectations out of any of them.
 
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Premium
In addition to many of the titles already listed in the article, another simulation that I am looking forward to enjoying--well before all the others--is AMS2 V1.5. Actually, thanks to the Beta, why wait? In any event, AMS2 V1.5 ought to justify a second look.
 
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What is hardcore? Is hardcore when a sim' is so hard to play it's not actually realistic anymore.

There're so many vintage car mods that are too difficult to drive.
To see whether a car is realistic, the first step is drive a full distance race to see if you can concentrate that long without crashing. vintage drivers, even if they were Borodino, Caraciolo, Fangio or Clark, were not superman. they were even less physically fit than today's drivers and in the past, races lasted much longer. so vintage cars shouldn't be difficult to drive.
 
I'm intrigued by all of them, but not really "excited" about any. In particular because we know so little about what they will look like, and how well they will work as a final product.

Except perhaps PISTA Motorsport, because it's nice to see a brand-new player in the space offering unique (Argentinian) content we've not seen before (or in a long time) officially in a game. Like a new Automobilista or Game Stock Car, hopefully.
 
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Given modern games are generally a huge disappointment due to being a bug ridden mess on launch and only get fixed 2-3 years after that, I can honestly say, "none of the above".

What I am interested in seeing is how AC1 holds up after AC2 is launched. Will Illya and Peter keep developing CSP and Sol / Pure? Will modding teams keep releasing AC1 mods? Will leagues still run AC1 based events? I guess a lot of that depends on how AC2 is once its out and has settled, but I think the old king is going to take a lot of dethroning even from its offspring, simply because of 10 years of indy content that exists for it. Unless AC2 has backward compatibility for mods, AC1 is going to remain strong for a good while yet imo.
 
PISTA Motorsport is even worse considering the group of people behind them. And their beta is laughably bad, completely looking like a gMotor ripoff (you can say that they are honouring their very roots though).
PISTA has another big problem, we’re I think AMS2 still suffers from. A region that most of the potential races sim buyers have no knowledge about or simply do not care.
 
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Premium
1. Assetto Corsa 2 for sure, i'm a modder
2. WRC 23 - because of a rally game

Le Mans Ultimate, Rennsport, GTR Revival, PISTA Motorsport ... seems like tons of the same boring GT track racing sim like ACC, AMS 2 , rf 2 etc.
Not fair to include AMS2 in that list. It's GT content is a very minor part of it, there is a ton of other fun stuff you don't see in other sims. Plus RX content in the 1.5 patch in a few weeks.
 
Just a Q; What is the definition of a "hardcore sim"?

Sorry for exploding the bomb.

*edit*
As usual I'll probably invest in all new titles as my curious nature typically tends to, being one of those oddball simmers having used about 10 times more on sim software than sim hardware.
 
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"This will be the first time the current developers of rFactor 2 produce a title from start to finish."
Truer words have never been spoken
 
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GTR Revival - this has the capacity to be an excellent game for sure.

AC2 - Hard to see how this will improve on my extended AC game, the effort to get that many cars and tracks in the new game, not sure I'm down for it.

Le Mans - Yah, nope. I'll get the AMS2 DLC when it comes out, negating my being too excited about this.

Rennsport - I'll let the marketing hype die down first.

PISTA - vapourware for me at the moment, and very niche, maybe v2.

WEC 23 - Meh.

Other... Rev to Vertex - if they get it right, maybe, I do like a good hillclimb!
 
They said hardcore sim, not 10% sim, 90% joke.
If WRC made the list, then Forza Motorsport belongs to it. Did you play it to make such statements? Tire model in iRacing is a joke and people still see it as simulator. Probably Forza won't be in realism on top of this list, but I expect it won't be last either. I think you are the joke here.
 

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Julian Strasser
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How are you going to watch 24 hours of Le Mans

  • On national tv

    Votes: 301 34.8%
  • Eurosport app/website

    Votes: 243 28.1%
  • WEC app/website

    Votes: 161 18.6%
  • Watch party

    Votes: 67 7.7%
  • At a friends house

    Votes: 23 2.7%
  • At Le Mans

    Votes: 71 8.2%
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