Rally fans are eager to see Codemasters’ take on WRC since the company took over the license from KT Racing in a multi-year deal from 2023-2027. Rumours have suggested WRC 23 will be revealed immanently with Codemasters planning a July release shortly after F1 23.
However, it’s now July and we’ve heard nothing from Codemasters or EA, leaving fans to wonder what is going on with WRC 23.
Although it’s yet to be officially announced, a reliable leaker claims that WRC 23 has suffered an internal delay. It seems, then, that rally fans will have to wait a little longer for WRC 23 to slide onto consoles and PC.
WRC 23 reportedly delayed until late 2023
Rumours of WRC 23 releasing earlier this year emerged last year after a report by GamesIndustry.bz wrote that Codemasters is aiming for a spring 2023 release window for the next instalment of the official rally game.
Then in March, reliable leaker billbil-kun claimed that WRC 23 is “ready to launch” and to “expect an announcement very soon.” After that, the same leaker revealed the release date early, claiming that WRC 23 is set to launch on 28 July. But now it seems that WRC 23 has suffered an internal delay.
In a post on Dealabs translated from French, billbil-kun claims WRC 23 will no longer arrive in July but will launch before 1 November 2023.
If this rumour is true, WRC 23 will launch in a similar period as KT Racing’s WRC games, which were normally released between September and November.
The leaker also reaffirms that WRC 23 will release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC only, skipping the last-generation PS4 and Xbox One platforms.
Current-gen only?
As developers start moving away from the older platforms, WRC 23 will be Codemasters’ first current-gen-only title after F1 23 recently launched on PS4 and Xbox One.
While this means WRC 23 will reach a smaller player base, it also means Codemasters can fully utilise the power of PS5 and Xbox Series X|S without compromises.
This should result in better graphics and driving physics, though it remains to be seen if WRC 23 will run on Codemasters’ EGO engine or a brand-new in-house engine.
According to the leaker, WRC 23 will be sold in two editions: the Standard and Champions Edition. The latter will reportedly include five seasons worth of DLC, likely adding new cars and stages. Let’s hope this doesn’t mean WRC 23 will feel incomplete at launch like DiRT Rally 2.0.
Achievements list leak reveals new details
As well as claiming the game is delayed, the dataminer has leaked the entire WRC 23 achievements list, revealing new details such as game modes and cars.
As rumours have suggested, one achievement refers to the ability to build your own rally car from scratch in a mode called the Vehicle Builder.
Other achievements reference Career, Championship, Time Trial, and Moments game modes. Moments could be a scenario mode offering challenges based on the 2023 or classic WRC seasons.
The achievements list also shows the Monte Carlo Rally, Italy Sardinia Rally, Vodafone Rally of Portugal, Rally Sweden, Iberian Rally, Mexico Rally, and Rally Estonia.
As for cars, the MINI Cooper S, Lancia Stratos, Citroen Xsara WRC, and the 1995 SUBARU Impreza are mentioned in other achievements. This seemingly confirms that classic rally cars will return in WRC 23 alongside the 2023 competition cars.
Delays are always disappointing, but Codemasters and EA have a lot to prove with their first WRC title. This will give Codemasters more time to iron out any bugs ahead of launch.
It’s not known when EA will announce WRC 23, but the rumoured delay suggests the reveal will happen later this year. Sit tight, rally game fans.