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

AC2 definately, but I know it will need one year of updates, to be usable and run better than AC1.5 wich we use now... but said that i will definately try all of them and drive all of them!
 
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.
Sounds like you are making excuses. Those cars drove vastly different than today's cars, yet many people think it was just a matter of hitting brake markers ah la GT3. It was not, and it has nothing to do with "fitness".
 
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Sounds like you are making excuses. Those cars drove vastly different than today's cars, yet many people think it was just a matter of hitting brake markers ah la GT3. It was not, and it has nothing to do with "fitness".
I challenge you to take the Mercedes W125 of the 1937 mod for Rfactor 1 (It's freeware), and let's see how many laps of even Monza you can drive without crash. I confess I can't even made it to curva grande and sure enough you'll think it's very realistic. There's no excuse to release such undriveable monstrosity
 
I challenge you to take the Mercedes W125 of the 1937 mod for Rfactor 1 (It's freeware), and let's see how many laps of even Monza you can drive without crash. I confess I can't even made it to curva grande and sure enough you'll think it's very realistic. There's no excuse to release such undriveable monstrosity
Lets not confuse a badly done mod with an unrealistic one. But i know that mod well, we did races with them.
 
D
Ghost of Kiev is alive. :roflmao:
 
vintage cars shouldn't be difficult to drive
'Vintage' encompasses a pretty huge variety of cars, all with varying degrees of drivability, so that's a bit of a blanket statement. Older cars are generally more difficult to drive on the edge compared to modern cars, but again it totally depends on the car, so... :D
 
I am not looking forward to any of them.

My take is wait for release (no early access or beta stuff), wait for reviews made by the common folk (no critics or 'famous' YT's unless they have a good track record in my book) and then form an opinion if I should give it a try or not. If yes than I look forward to it.
It can take a while from release of the game till I form my decision, I have alot of patience and have learned to skip the hype train, marketing mumbo-jumbo, nft b*llsh*t and overpriced DLC content or other money making schemes which don't respect the customer fairly.
I hope they all turn out to be great games but we all know we would be fooling ourselves. Only time will tell...
 
AC2 definitely, and least is anything Ian Bell is involved in. He never keeps his promises.
 
Lets not confuse a badly done mod with an unrealistic one. But i know that mod well, we did races with them.
What nonsense! a badly done mod can be realistic or a good mod can be unrealistic?
why race with that mod? have you seen how herman lang drove a W125 on nordschleife? there's an onboard video. you can't drive that 37 mod stably even at low speed.
 
I'm looking forward to AC2. I am definitely gonna get Le Mans Ultimate, but I honestly feel that they should have made it a content pack for Rfactor 2 and any improvements to gameplay are brought to Rfactor 2.
 

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Author
Julian Strasser
Article read time
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Last update

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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