Earlier today racing game developer Codemasters announced that it was no longer developing any future dirt rally racing games, ending a 25-year run that started back in 1998.
On April 30, Codemasters—a UK studio that specializes in racing games and was bought by EA in 2021— posted an update on its official website announcing that it would no longer release new updates or expansions for 2023’s EA Sports WRC rally racing game. This game acted as a successor to the Dirt series, which itself had connections to the studio’s earlier Colin McRae Rally franchise that started all the way back on the original PlayStation. But the more disappointing news for fans is that Codemasters is done making rally games altogether.
As announced in the Wednesday update, Codemasters is “pausing” all current development on future dirt racing rally games, effectively killing the Dirt/Colin McRae rally franchise after two decades and 10+ entries. The last entry in the Dirt franchise, Dirt 5, launched in 2020. Kotaku has reached out to EA for more information.
“For now, we are pausing development plans on future rally titles,” explained Codemasters. “Our [World Rally Championship] partnership was a culmination of sorts for our Codemasters journey with off-road racing, spanning decades through titles like Colin McRae Rally, and Dirt. We’ve provided a home for every rally enthusiast, striving tirelessly to push the boundaries and deliver the exhilarating thrill of driving on the ragged edge. We’ve brought together incredibly talented racing developers, worked with some of the sport’s icons, and had the opportunity to share our love of rallying. Thank you to all the fans who have and continue to be part of our rally journey.”
The studio promised fans that EA Sports WRC will continue to be “available” to new and existing players, so thankfully it doesn’t sound like the team’s last rally game will be delisted and shut down anytime soon. Still, it’s a shame to see the studio stepping away from rally racing after nearly 30 years of excellent games in a genre that is often ignored by other studios and publishers.
Codemasters will continue to develop other racing games, like EA’s yearly F1 series and possibly (hopefully) future entries in the track racer franchise Grid.
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