Dakar Desert Rally launched last year, and while it’s an underrated off-road racer, several core features such as a livery editor were missing at launch. One of the most promising was a Road Book Editor allowing players to create and share custom events. Developer Saber Porto initially planned to add the Roadbook Editor in a free update last year, but this highly anticipated feature was delayed.
After months of silence, the Dakar Desert Rally Fall Update is finally here, and it’s easily the biggest update yet. Better late than never, the Roadbook Editor headlines the update, but there’s plenty more for Dakar Desert Rally players to get stuck into.
Roadbook Editor arrives in Dakar Desert Rally
It’s the feature Dakar Desert Rally players have been waiting for. The latest update adds a free Roadbook Editor, allowing you to create your own challenging off-road race events and stages and share them with other players to tackle.
Additionally, the update adds a replay mode, with the option to switch between different camera angles. When viewing replays, you can also pause the action and capture photos using the newly added Photo Mode.
To celebrate the update, players can acquire the Audi RS Q e-tron and SnowRunner Cars Pack DLC for free. The latter brings five of SnowRunner’s most powerful trucks to Dakar Desert Racing: the TUZ 166, DON 71, KHAN 39, KHAN 317, and KHAN L04F. You can enter these trucks in new rally challenge events across nine total stages in Sport and Professional game modes.
New Season Pass DLC packs
Season Pass owners can also download two new premium DLC packs: the Hybrid Vehicle Pack and Classics Vehicle Pack #2. If you don’t have the Season Pass, each pack can also be purchased separately for £8.99 on PC, £7.99 on PlayStation, and £8.39 on Xbox.
The Hybrid Vehicle Pack includes three electrified Dakar cars and trucks: the GCK Motorsport, Hino 600 Hybrid and Riwald Renault C460. Two iconic vintage cars from 1982 and 1985 feature in the Classics Vehicle Pack #2: the Lada Niva 1600 4x4 and Honda Africa Twin.
While the Fall Update is the biggest update yet, Dakar Desert Rally’s roadmap isn’t quite finished yet, with the USA Tour DLC and Team Customisation tool for creating custom liveries yet to be added. Both features were planned for 2023.
While the USA Tour DLC will be added in the next patch update, Saber Proto confirmed that the Team Customisation tool is no longer coming. This will be disappointing for players who want to customise their vehicles.
Dakar Desert Rally Fall Update Patch Notes
Alongside the new content, the Dakar Desert Rally Fall Update brings a slew of bug fixes. You can find out more in the patch notes below.
New Content
Roadbook Editor
Create your own roadbooks using the Roadbook Editor.
- In the Main Menu, now you can select the “Roadbook Editor” option to create your own custom stages and events. In this option, you will be prompted to select a map to begin stage creation.
- Once you select the starting point for a new roadbook, you will be spawned into the map and assume control, placing notes and editing them according to the guidelines set for the roadbook creation.
- Throughout the roadbook editor process, you will receive guidance through warnings and error notifications, that will help you create a precise and accurate roadbook.
- Once you finish creating your roadbook, you will need to validate and save it to be able to create an event from it.
- Having created the stages and events, you can enjoy them individually, share them within the community via the Roadbook Editor's sharing feature, or even initiate multiplayer sessions featuring these events, inviting other players to join.
Replay & Photo Mode
Replay Mode
At the conclusion of each stage, players now have the option to review their driving performance through replays. Switch between different camera angles to closely observe every detail of your race.
Photo Mode
While using the Replay feature, you can pause the reproduction of your driving and capture photos from your racing performance.
Audi RS Q e-tron
- For those who have been waiting to get the Audi RS Q e-tron, the moment has just arrived. It is now available to acquire it for free!
This offer is accompanied by the following message:
To show our appreciation for your commitment to Dakar Desert Rally and to mark the latest update, we are thrilled to present every player with the incredible Audi RS Q e-tron. Thank you for your continued support, and enjoy the ride! - The Dakar Desert Rally Team.
Hybrid Vehicle Pack
Dakar Rally embraces the gradual energy transition as a green initiative, in two main planks: the transformation of the engines powering the cars and trucks in the race and the use of renewable energy to power an innovative bivouac, what is called as “Dakar Future”.
To celebrate this initiative, we proudly invite you to drive with:
Car:
- GCK Motorsport
Trucks:
- Hino 600 Hybrid
- Riwald Renault C460
SnowRunner Cars Pack
SnowRunner has returned to Dakar Desert Rally!
- Get ready to extend your off-road rally experience with the SnowRunner Cars!
Drive five of the most powerful Cars from SnowRunner and overcome extreme open-world environments with the addition of 9 new stages.
Check out the iconic cars capable of overcoming any danger and the new stages that can be experienced either in Free-Roam mode or in Rally Raid competition:
SnowRunner Cars:
- TUZ 166
- DON 71
- KHAN 39
- KHAN 317
- KHAN L04F
SnowRunner Rally Events:
Sport Game Mode
- SnowRunner Challenge (6x Stages)
Professional Game Mode
- SnowRunner Challenge (3x Stages)
Classics Vehicle Pack #2
Paris-Dakar classics have arrived to Dakar Desert Rally!
- Get ready for new off-road rally experience with the legendary vintage vehicles from 1982 and 1985, respectively:
- Lada Niva 1600 4x4 (1982)
Drive the renowned Lada 1600 4x4 with Denis Grabowski and Philippe Chéron.
- Honda Africa Twin (1985)
Experience one of the most well-known safarian bikes, the Honda NXR 750 NT5A, from 1985, with Cyril Neuve.
Resolved Issues
- Fixed an issue in which Saudi Arabia Extended Map Events were not available for PlayStation users.
- Fixed a softlock that occurred when a host restarted a private race on PlayStation.
- Fixed an issue in which the client could not join the lobby created at Dakar Qualifications event on PS5.
- Fixed Xbox One crash issues in multiplayer.
- Fixed a crash issue after the Xbox console woke up from connected standby.
- Fixed the "Monster Claw" achievement that could not be obtained on Xbox.
Known Issues
General Issues
- Players may experience crashes after finishing the custom stage creation in the Roadbook Editor.
- Rejoining the active session is unavailable after a network disconnect.
- The game will crash if the internet disconnects while downloading 5+ events from the Community Browser simultaneously.
- Music and sound effects disappear in the main menu after naming a stage created in Roadbook Editor.
- Path snap does not follow off-road tracks on sand in several locations of the Saudi Arabia Map.
- Path snap in Roadbook Editor cannot be applied to crossroads.
- Vehicles may fall under the terrain while validating the path in the Roadbook Editor.
- Players’ profile picture is missing from the community browser and custom events screens.
- There is no steering wheel peripheral support for Replay Mode and Roadbook Editor.
- Dashboard and roadbook flickers while in the cockpit camera.
- Reflections in the rearview mirror for the SnowRunner cars appear blurry.
- Reflections in the rearview mirror of the Peugeot Grand-Raid cars appear blurry.
- The camera clips under the terrain during the start race cinematic of Neom 2021 Stage 07 (Sport) and Al Artawiyah Tour Stage 02 (Pro).
- NPC models have t-pose when pausing the game while in replay mode.
- YAR 87 driver's hand does not come in contact with gear stick while in the clutch animation.
- Vehicle appears to remain damaged at the start of the next stage after the repair in bivouac.
Lighting and Shadows General Issues
- Damaged lights stop working after repositioning.
- Quads’ front light assets do not turn when toggled.
- There are lighting flickers at Ha'il Excursion - Stage 01 (Sport) on PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
- Flickering shadows observed at SnowRunner Challenge - Stage 03 (Sport) and Stage 01 (Pro).
- Shadows appear and disappear during the intro cinematic and at the beginning of the race of Dakar Rally 2021 - Stage 07. Additionally, there are shadows from floating vegetation occurring during this stage.
- Shadows flicker at Neom 2020 - Stage 03 (Sport).
- Shadows appear and disappear at Yanbu 2021 - Stage 01 (Pro).
- Shadows become black after changing effects settings to medium or low on PC.
- Unnecessary shadows move during the start race cinematic at Dakar Rally 2020 Stage 01 (DLC Simulation) on PlayStation and PC.
PC Issues
- Players may experience crashes during crossplay multiplayer on PC.
Vegetation textures disappear at Haradh Twist - Stage 02 (Sport) on PC.