F1 23 has stolen the spotlight since it was announced last month. But Codemasters is releasing another licensed motorsport game this year: we're talking, of course, about WRC 23.
Taking over the reins from KT Racing, Codemasters’ first official WRC game is due to arrive this year as part of a multi-year licensing deal between 2023 and 2027.
WRC 23 hasn’t been announced yet, but a new datamine leak has seemingly confirmed the release date before the official reveal.
WRC 23 release date leaks
Since Codemasters announced it had acquired the WRC license back in 2020. Last year, a Gamesindustry.bz report stealthily mentioned a Spring 2023 release window for WRC 23, but this was never verified by Codemasters. With the Spring season about to end and no sign of an announcement, this looked increasingly unlikely.
With Codemasters reportedly preparing to announce its first WRC game soon, reliable leaker billbil-kun has revealed WRC 23’s release date ahead of the official announcement via a datamine.
According to the leaker, WRC 23 will launch on 28 July, 2023. Codemasters and EA haven’t confirmed this, but billbil-kun has been accurate in the past, having leaked RIDE 5 before it was officially announced and, more recently, Mortal Kombat 1.
The leaker also claims the first WRC game to be published by EA will be called WRC 23, in line with EA’s other sports titles such as F1 23. Back in March, billbil-kun also shared images of WRC 23’s achievements, claiming the rally title is “ready to launch” with an announcement coming “soon.”
If the leak is true, WRC 23 won’t meet its rumoured Spring release window. But this still means we'll be getting a new WRC game several months earlier than usual - KT Racing's WRC games launched in September at the earliest and November at the latest.
Current-gen only
Furthermore, the leaker claims WRC 23 will only launch on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, meaning it will skip last-gen consoles. This is unlike F1 23, which is launching on PS4 and Xbox One alongside current formats.
Like F1 23, WRC 23 will reportedly have a Champions Edition with five seasons of additional content along with a three-month WRC+ subscription included either as a Champions Edition or pre-order bonus.
Build your own rally car
LEGO 2K Drive apparently isn’t the only 2023 racing game where you can build your own car. Rumours have been swirling that WRC 23 will let you develop your own rally car, choosing components from the drivetrain to the engine, differential, gearbox, clutch, radiator, suspension, brakes, exhaust and more.
Since then, Insider Gaming has reportedly seen early footage of WRC 23 confirming there will be 16 car classes including WRC, WRC 2, H1 FWD, and F2 Kitcar. WRC 23 is also supposedly based on the cancelled DiRT Rally 3 originally planned for 2023, but EA can’t justify having two competing rally simulations.
Given the leak, an official WRC 23 announcement will likely drop very soon. Lately, EA has announced new games later than usual. Need for Speed Unbound, for example, was announced in early October before releasing in early December. F1 23 was revealed in early May, just six weeks before its 16 June release date.
If the July release date is true, we expect WRC 23 to be announced in early to mid-June, or possibly before the end of May. An exciting new era for the official WRC games is about to begin.
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