A new era for the WRC games is here. Before KT Racing ended the series on a high with WRC Generations, Codemasters acquired the rights to make WRC games between 2023 and 2027. Codemasters' new WRC game is just around the corner, but what is the EA Sports WRC 23 release date?
After months of speculation, EA has revealed Codemasters' first WRC game, now confirmed to be called EA Sports WRC instead of WRC 23.
EA Sports WRC release date
We now have an official date EA Sports WRC release date. As previous leaks and rumours confirmed, EA Sports WRC will release on all available platforms on 3 November 2023.
Preload times
Players can preload EA Sports WRC from 23 October at 11:00 EST/15:00 UTC/16:00 BST. It’s a longer wait for PlayStation players, who can preload EA Sports WRC from 29 October at 00:00 EST/04:00 UTC/05:00 BST.
Luckily, that’s still enough time to download and install EA Sports WRC ready for launch day.
Platforms
Along with the release date, we also now know which platforms EA Sports WRC will release on. EA Sports WRC will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via the EA App, Epic Store, and Steam. Unfortunately, this means WRC fans who haven't upgraded to the current platforms will miss out.
This will be Codemasters' first current-gen-only game as F1 23 released on PS4 and Xbox One.
The PS4 and Xbox One still have large player bases, so it's a shame for WRC fans to miss out on these platforms. On the other hand, this means Codemasters can take full advantage of Unreal Engine on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Editions and pre-order bonuses
Players who pre-order EA Sports WRC will receive five VIP Rally Passes containing post-launch content, livery and apparel packs. Pre-ordering EA Sports WRC also provides three days of early access, meaning players can hit the dirt track on 31 October 2023.
Unusually for a modern racing title, there is no deluxe edition. The base edition is the only version available, retailing for £44.99 / $49.99. That's cheaper than most modern game releases - EA charged £69.99 / $69.99 for F1 23.
For more on EA Sports WRC, check out the car list and stage list.