After a reliable leaker revealed the release date, EA has teased EA Sports WRC for the first time while also confirming the reveal date – and there’s not long to wait.
We’ll finally get our first look at the next generation of WRC games from EA and Codemasters next week.
EA Sports WRC reveal date confirmed in first teaser
In a Twitter post, EA confirmed that EA Sports WRC (previously assumed to be called WRC 23) will be revealed on 5 September at 15:58pm in a premiere on YouTube.
The brief video showcases the 2023 Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid, Hyundai i20 N Rally1, and Ford Puma Rally1 sliding around a gravel stage. Featuring newly developed hybrid powertrains delivering more power than their predecessors, these three cars compete in the Rally1 hybrid class introduced in last year's WRC season.
We then get a first look at the game logo, confirming that EA’s first official WRC game is called EA Sports WRC, not WRC 23. This suggests the official rally series may focus on live service updates instead of annual games in contrast to the F1 games, but we’ll find out more next week.
With Codemasters acquiring the license from KT Racing, the name change could also reflect a reboot for franchise like Turn 10's upcoming Forza Motorsport.
This is also our first look at the new graphics engine, which is reportedly based on the cancelled DiRT Rally 3. With development switching from KT Racing to Codemasters, the visuals and car audio appear to be a step up from last year’s WRC Generations.
Release date leaks
EA’s official teaser comes after yesterday’s release date leak. According to reliable leaker billbil-kun, EA Sports WRC is launching on 3 November 2023, with a Champions Edition offering three days of early access on 1 October 2023.
EA Sports will reportedly let you build your own rally car from scratch in the new career mode. A leaked achievements list suggests classic rally cars such as the Mini Cooper S, Lancia Stratos, Citroen Xsara WRC, and 1995 Subaru Impreza will be in the roster alongside the contemporary 2023 Rally1 cars.
Unlike F1 23, EA Sports WRC is expected to be current-gen only, releasing on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S but skipping PS4 and Xbox One.
All will be revealed when the covers come off EA Sports WRC next week.