WRC 23 Release Date: When is Codemasters’ new rally racer coming out?

A new era for the WRC games is about to begin. Before KT Racing ended the series on a high with WRC Generations, Codemasters acquired the rights to make WRC games between 2023 and 2027. EA’s first official WRC game is due to arrive this year, but what is the WRC 23 release date?

EA hasn’t officially announced WRC 23 yet, but a datamine leak has seemingly confirmed the release date early.

WRC 23 release date

In the past, KT Racing’s WRC games would usually come out in September at the earliest and November at the latest. WRC Generations, for example, launched in November 2022. This year, however, Codemasters appears to be bucking this trend.

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Last year, Gamesindustry.bz said WRC 23 is set to arrive in Spring 2023. With Spring nearly over and F1 23 releasing in June, this is no longer likely to happen.

Rumours have been swirling that Codemasters is preparing to announce WRC 23 very soon. Now, a datamine leak by billbil-kun has seemingly confirmed the WRC 23 release date ahead of an official announcement.

According to the reliable leaker, WRC 23 will release on 28 July, 2023. If the leak is true, it means WRC 23 will arrive around six weeks after F1 23 launches.

This is not confirmed by Codemasters or EA yet, so we’ll have to wait until WRC 23 is officially unveiled to find out the official release date.

However, billbil-kun has a reliable track record when it comes to leaks, having correctly leaked RIDE 5 and Mortal Kombat 1 before they were officially revealed.

Platforms

Platforms are yet to be confirmed, but the datamine leak suggests WRC 23 will only launch on the current-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X|S platforms alongside PC. Unfortunately, this means WRC fans who haven't upgraded to the current platforms will miss out.

F1 23, on the other hand, will also arrive on PS4 and Xbox One.

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F1 23 isn’t abandoning the last-gen platforms, so it’s certainly possible that WRC 23 won’t either. The PS4 and Xbox One still have large playerbases, so it would be a shame for WRC fans to miss out on these platforms. On the other hand, a last-gen release could hamper the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions.

Editions and pre-order bonuses

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.

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WRC 23 rumours

Rumours suggest Codemasters’ first WRC game will debut with a bang. WRC 23 will reportedly let you develop your own rally car from scratch.

Insider Gaming reports that players can buy and install components from the drivetrain to the engine, differential, gearbox, clutch, radiator, suspension, brakes, and exhaust. This level of car customisation has never been seen before in a rally game.

This is still a rumour for now, but we may not have to wait long to find out if it's true. If the release date is penned for July, WRC 23 will likely be announced in early to mid-June, or possibly before the end of May.