A month after Electronic Arts mashed the brakes, WRC rally racing games are coming back with a 'complete reboot' under a new publisher

WRC 10 FIA World Rally Championship screenshot — (Image credit: Nacon)

Less than a month after the end of its licensing deal with Electronic Arts racing studio Codemasters, the FIA has announced a new deal to bring WRC racing games back in 2027 with an "all-new WRC games series" being developed by Nacon.

"After a comprehensive evaluation, we are delighted to have reached an agreement with Nacon," FIA World Rally Championship chief marketing officer Arne Dirks said in the announcement (via Wario64).

WRC x NACON - This is not an evolution. It's a revolution. WRC Promoter and Nacon are joining forces to take WRC's game series in a whole new direction from 2027 to 2032. Nacon and WRC aim to deliver an immersive experience that stays faithful to the reality of the WRC, meeting the expectations of both rally enthusiasts and new players. Join us on the all-new WRC gaming journey, coming 2027. — (Image credit: FIA WRC)

That's led to something of a mixed reaction from fans about this new partnership, which is a little joke based on Kylotonn's recent history: WRC Generations, the studio's final WRC game (as KT Racing) prior to this new deal, has a "mixed" rating on Steam, as does its most recent release, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown. Other games in the series have been more well received, though: WRC 7, released in 2017, has a "very positive" rating, while the more recent WRC 10 is "mostly positive."

All that said, there's no guarantee Kylotonn will handle development of the new WRC games, and while some fans are unhappy about the loss of Codemasters, probably the best-known developer of racing games in existence, others think Kylotonn—if it does end up back behind the wheel—deserves a shot. "Their games were getting quite good," redditor Adaax wrote. "The only thing you don't get is the full AAA polish that Codemasters could provide. But it's good to have something given how EA is giving up on rally racing."

Redditor Mront, while not especially thrilled about Nacon's involvement, added that "Kylotonn's WRC games were okay-to-good and getting better with every new release, and it's cool to see them back in action."

Nacon said in its announcement that it has the exclusive rights to make WRC games for PC and consoles for "six seasons," with the first set to begin in 2027.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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