WRC World Champion Kalle Rovanperä's reaction to the new EA SPORTS™ WRC game!
Watch the WRC World Champion Kalle Rovanperä grab the virtual steering wheel and put EA SPORTS WRC through its paces as he gives his first impression to Codemasters’ most authentic rallying game to-date.
WRC will feature over 200 rally stages with greater realism, fidelity, and detail than ever before along with 78 real-world rally cars, covering the entire history of the sport. The Dynamic Handling System is the most authentic and dynamic handling model the Codemasters team has built to date.
EA SPORTS™ WRC lets you build the car of your dreams in the all-new official video game of the FIA World Rally Championship, the first developed by the award-winning team behind the DiRT Rally series. Design and drive your dream rally car with the debut of Builder mode, race and overcome recent events alongside real-world highlights and nostalgic throwbacks in Moments mode, or battle the elements across dirt, snow, and asphalt in the pursuit of the perfect run.
Eligible DiRT Rally 2.0 owners can pre-purchase EA SPORTS WRC and save 10%*
Pre order* WRC Standard Edition and receive: • 3-Day Early Access • Ford, Toyota and Hyundai livery & apparel packs • VIP Rally Pass for 5 in-game seasons
*Conditions and restrictions apply. See http://ea.com/games/ea-sports-wrc/wrc/disclaimers for details.
First Look at Gameplay
Watch as we take the wheel and tackle three exciting stages and show case how seasons affect more than just the background with this exlusive first look at gameplay
• Rally Estonia Route #9 | Vahessaare | Distance: 6.2km • Rally Japan Route #01 | Lake Mikawa | Distance: 19.9km • Rally Sweden Route #04 | Lauksjoen | Distance: 11km
The cars featured in the video: Hyundai i20 N Rally1 HYBRID, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, and Ford Fiesta Rally3.
Eligible DiRT Rally 2.0 owners can pre-purchase EA SPORTS WRC and save 10%*
Pre order* WRC Standard Edition and receive: • 3-Day Early Access • Ford, Toyota and Hyundai livery & apparel packs • VIP Rally Pass for 5 in-game seasons
*Conditions and restrictions apply. See http://ea.com/games/ea-sports-wrc/wrc/disclaimers for details.
Modes & Features
Learn about the exciting modes and features you’ll experience across EA SPORTS™ WRC in another Deep Dive! Get to know Career, Builder, and Moments - the headline game modes in WRC - as well as many more ways to enjoy the world of rally.
Eligible DiRT Rally 2.0 owners can pre-purchase EA SPORTS WRC and save 10%*
Pre order* WRC Standard Edition and receive: • 3-Day Early Access • Ford, Toyota and Hyundai livery & apparel packs • VIP Rally Pass for 5 in-game seasons
*Conditions and restrictions apply. See http://ea.com/games/ea-sports-wrc/wrc/disclaimers for details.
Features Unveiled
EA SPORTS™ WRC will feature over 200 rally stages with greater realism, fidelity, and detail than ever before along with over 80 rally cars, covering the entire history of the sport. The Dynamic Handling System is the most authentic and dynamic handling model the Codemasters team has built to date.
Eligible DiRT Rally 2.0 owners can pre-purchase EA SPORTS WRC and save 10%*
Pre order* WRC Standard Edition now and receive: • 3-Day Early Access • Ford, Toyota and Hyundai livery & apparel packs • VIP Rally Pass for 5 in-game seasons
*Conditions and restrictions apply. See http://ea.com/games/ea-sports-wrc/wrc/disclaimers for details.
Pre-purchase EA SPORTS™ WRC today
Build the car of your dreams in the all-new official video game of the FIA World Rally Championship. Eligible DiRT Rally 2.0 owners can pre-purchase EA SPORTS WRC and save 10%*.
EA SPORTS™ WRC is the all-new official video game of the FIA World Rally Championship, the first developed by the award-winning team behind the DiRT Rally series. Design and drive your dream rally car with the debut of Builder mode, race and overcome recent events alongside real-world highlights and nostalgic throwbacks in Moments mode or battle the elements across dirt, snow, and asphalt in pursuit of the perfect run.
Pre-purchase* EA SPORTS WRC and receive, 3 Days Early Access, all 5 VIP Rally Pass seasons, and the 3 x Team Apparel pack."
New Livery: SUBARU Impreza 1995 - DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series (Black)
New Livery: SUBARU Impreza 1995 - DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series (Blue)
New Livery: SUBARU Impreza 1995 - DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series (Red)
New Livery: SUBARU Impreza 1995 - DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series (Yellow)
New Livery: SUBARU Impreza 1995 - DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series (Green)
New Livery: SUBARU Impreza 1995 - DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series (Pink)
New Livery: Volkswagen Polo R Supercar - DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series (Black)
New Livery: Volkswagen Polo R Supercar - DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series (Blue)
New Livery: Volkswagen Polo R Supercar - DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series (Red)
New Livery: Volkswagen Polo R Supercar - DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series (Yellow)
New Livery: Volkswagen Polo R Supercar - DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series (Green)
New Livery: Volkswagen Polo R Supercar - DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series (Pink)
Hardware:
Added support for Logitech TRUEFORCE™ hardware (ie: Logitech G HUB G923 racing wheels).
Resolved multiple Logitech-related issues that arose from Version 1.17 update.
Cars:
Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 - Resolved issue where engine audio file reverted to older iteration (previously used in Version 1.15).
Miscellaneous:
Updated Volkswagen logo in menu screens to match new real-world version.
This is the final update for DiRT Rally 2.0.
Codemasters enters Junior WRC Championship with launch of DiRT Rally Team
Codemasters® today brings DiRT to life with the launch of the ‘Codemasters DiRT Rally Team’. Comprising of Jon Armstrong and co-driver Phil Hall, the duo will make their debut appearance this April in the 2021 Junior WRC Championship (Junior WRC). The season starts in Croatia before heading to Portugal, Estonia, Belgium, and Spain. Additional support comes from Thrustmaster and the Royal Air Force for the 2021 season.
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The Junior WRC is widely regarded as one of the most hotly contested series on the rally calendar. Open to drivers under 30, competitors compete in identical Ford Fiesta Rally4 cars, all supplied by M-Sport Poland, which allows for a highly competitive yet level playing field. Set across five European locations, the Junior WRC retains the WRC race weekend set-up with drivers tackling identical stages and routes.
Jon Armstrong, 26, turned professional in 2015 and has competed in the WRC at both Junior and WRC2 levels. Alongside working full-time at Codemasters as the rally expert, Jon is known on the esports scene, having won the 2018 Esports WRC Championship. Co-driver, Phil Hall, is an RAF reserve and ex-rally driver with several years’ experience at WRC and Junior WRC levels.
“We’re excited to launch the Codemasters DiRT Rally Team, and we have high hopes for Jon and Phil in the upcoming Junior WRC season,” said Ross Gowing, DiRT Rally Game Director at Codemasters. “Working alongside Jon, I know the skill, passion and dedication he brings. He’ll have the entire studio and DiRT Rally community behind him.”
I’m incredibly grateful to Codemasters for putting their faith in me, and I’m honoured to be the driver for the Codemasters DiRT Rally Team,” said Jon Armstrong. “Due to lockdown, my partnership with Phil has developed through training using DiRT Rally 2.0. We can’t wait for the Junior WRC to start, and we will share our experiences with the community through a series of behind the scenes videos.”
Note: The car model shown in this announcement is for illustrative purposes only and was supplied to us by our team's livery designer. It is not developed by Codemasters or intended to be used in a Codemasters game.
Compete against 20,000 rally fans in the Official DiRT Club's 2021 Season
Competition is where the spirit of rally truly shines and after our previous Club Championship ended DiRT Rally 2.0 players were hungry for more, so here we go with the 2021 Official DiRT Club's Championship Season.
The Official DiRT Club is the largest Club in DiRT Rally 2.0, with around 20,000 members. It is run by us here at Codemasters and serves as a fun place to race against your friends.
While not as ultra-serious and competitive as the DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series, the Official DiRT Club is still a place where players of all skill levels like to take each other on and improve as virtual rally drivers.
In 2020 we hosted a year-long Championship Season, taking in the many different locales of the game, and we'll do the same again for 2021, but with a few minor tweaks to the formula.
There are no prizes for this; it is a Club like any other in the game, however the challenge of such a long set of rallies and the bragging rights of a strong finish are worthy rewards in and of themselves.
The 2021 Season
For the 2021 season we'll visit 12 Locations in DiRT Rally 2.0, 6 from the base game and 6 from the Game of the Year Edition. All will be in the highly popular R5 Class, which are the same cars used near the top level of real-world rallies around the world today.
Each rally will consist of 12 Stages, with long drives between each Service Area to promote alternate tyre strategies. As with every Club you only have one attempt at each Stage, so you'll need to strike the balance between survival and raw pace.
You will have around 3-4 weeks to complete each Event, and you don't need to complete a full Event in one sitting. This is a Cross-Platform Championship so whether you're on PlayStation, Xbox, Steam or Oculus you'll be racing against an enormous community of rally fans.
New for 2021 is the addition of Hardcore Damage to the Official Club. Many of our active players are now veterans who desire a stronger challenge, and with Hardcore Damage it's easier to get punctures and other issues from your mishaps. Spare tyres will be crucial to your success here, though brave players may forego them to save weight.
As always, the Official DiRT Club is open to everyone, simply hit the link here and it'll appear in-game right away. All assists are allowed, as are all camera angles, and no cars are blacklisted or forbidden; if you can pick it in-game, you can drive it.
Route & Weather Information
For those looking to find out exactly what lies ahead of them on the road, here is the full breakdown of every Stage, as well as the road surface, weather condition and Service Area time.
As you can see, this will be a highly challenging set of Events where getting to the finish safely is as important as getting to the end quickly. Hardcore Damage is also enabled.
This Club Championship will end at midnight on January 1, 2022 and is sure to be another exciting set of rallies for you all to enjoy. Good luck out there on the road and remember the famous phrase: "If in doubt, FLAT OUT"
Lukas Mateja and Quentin Dall'olmo become DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series Champions
Back in August tens of thousands of players began a quest to prove who was the strongest driver of them all, and on February 27 we had our answer. Here’s a look back at the 2020 DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series season.
August-November: Qualifiers
The DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series' second season kicked off in August of 2020 with in-game Qualifiers running for three months. Competitors could aim for a spot in the Rally Playoffs, Rallycross or both, with the top drivers on Xbox, PlayStation and Steam progressing to the next stage.
Already battle-hardened by Time Trials and Daily Challenges since the release of the game in February, DiRT Rally 2.0’s top drivers came out in force and threw down new records every week. The fastest drivers from each Round would take part in one of three Playoff broadcasts, with the winners from those making it to the Semi-Finals in December.
Everybody that took part in the Qualifiers earned themselves a new car for participating, the Ford Fiesta R5 MKII.
December: Semi-Finals
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In mid December the competition heated up as the Quarter and Semi-Finals got underway. These events were streamed live to a global audience with our commentators Andrew Coley and Jon Armstrong calling the shots live from Silverstone.
First up were the Rally competitors, who would have to tackle classic rally machines like the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI and the Porsche 911 SC RS. The Stages were tricky as well, with big drama all the way to the end as some positions were decided on the final corner after an hour of rallying.
In Rallycross the World RX Supercars provided their usual mix of drama and intensity, along with plenty of high-precision racing from the game's best players. In the end there were no major surprises as the top competitors from the 2019 World Series retained their form with many qualifying for the 2020 finals.
February: Grand Finals
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Qualifying done, Playoffs done, it was time to crown our champions in the Grand Finals.
Originally set to take place in-person at the Autosport International Show in the UK, the Grand Finals were ultimately pushed back to February and held virtually, with commentary live from Motorsport Network's Silverstone studio.
All of our competitors would be well-equipped for the Grand Finals, with identical hardware being shipped around the world including the latest gear from Thrustmaster, the series' official partner. They would also be driving two significant cars in Rally and Rallycross history, Colin McRae's 1995 SUBARU Impreza and Johan Kristoffersson's Volkswagen Polo R Supercar.
After all of our finalists showed tremendous skill and bravery in the opening five Stages, the top three were then sent off to Wales for the final showdown on the iconic Sweet Lamb route. They would run one at a time with the full onboards shown live.
Reigning champion Joona Pankkonen was up first and was fully committed, producing some of the most exciting moments in World Series history with a true rollercoaster of emotions, culminating in a tense rollover comparable to Colin McRae's famous moment at the 2006 X-Games.
Kazuho Iwata would follow Pankkonen and had a much smoother run until he reached the same point that Pankkonen rolled the Impreza. Like his rival, Iwata was also fully-committed, however the landing was less fortunate as he sent his SUBARU end-over-end, ensuring he's finish no higher than third overall.
That left it up to Lukas Mateja to challenge Pankkonen for the title with the final run of the series. His run was a true blend of Pankkonen's dramatics and Iwata's calmness, with no major incidents. Although Pankkonen had more raw pace in some sections, the time lost through some of the bigger jumps was ultimately the deciding factor, as Lukas Mateja secured the rally title with two seconds to spare.
In Rallycross the action was less intense but dramatic all the same. Mateja, fresh off his rally title, was now hoping to do the double however the Dall'olmo brothers are a force to be reckoned with and dominated the qualifying heats.
With 6 strong races and plenty of fair, but fast racing behind them, the finalists headed to Silverstone for a winner-takes-all showdown. Mateja would start in fifth with the Dall'olmo brothers on the front row, however the opening lap shuffle saw Mateja quickly climb to second, where he was chasing down Quentin Dall'olmo's red Volkswagen Polo.
It was not a solitary chase as double-champion Killian Dall'olmo was right alongside, and the two briefly tangled on the final lap. Meanwhile up front it was Quentin who would put in a textbook lights-to-flag performance and take his maiden World Series title.
Congratulations to our champions, podium-winners and everybody else on rising to the challenge this season, and many thanks to all of you for competing, tuning in and supporting the World Series.
Join us for the DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series Grand Finals on February 27
It all comes down to this.
Join us on February 27 as we crown our champions in the DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series.
Please see below for stream links, competitor, car and route information, and more about the Grand Finals.
Grand Finals - Rally - DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series
You can also watch the action unfold right here from the embeds below, or catch up on the 2019 Grand Finals:
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Competitor Information
Tens of thousands of competitors took part in World Series Qualifiers in late 2020, with the best drivers being invited to eight live-streamed events. From those events we narrowed down our list of players further; here are the final 11 with more info on their past DiRT successes.
Rally - Joona Pankkonen
2019 DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series Champion (Rally)
2019 DiRT Rally 2.0 AOR Rally Season 1 Champion
2019 DiRT Rally 2.0 WERC Race of Champions Winner (Steam)
2019 DiRT Rally 2.0 AOR Rallycross Season 1 Champion
Qualified via Steam
Rallycross - Killian Dall'olmo
2019 DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series Champion (Rallycross)
2020 DiRT Rally 2.0 World RX Esports Invitational Series Champion
Qualified via Steam
Rallycross - Quentin Dall'Olmo
2019 DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series Finalist
2019 DiRT Rally 2.0 WERC Race of Champions Winner (PlayStation)
2018 DiRT 4 World Championship Finalist
Qualified via PlayStation
Rallycross - Alexandre Hus
2019 DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series Finalist
Qualified via PlayStation
Rallycross - Dorian Baptiste
2019 DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series Finalist
Qualified via Xbox
Rallycross - Jeffrey Page
Qualified via Xbox
Car & Route Information
The DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series Grand Finals will see our competitors tour several locations in identical machinery. Rally competitors will be retracing the steps of Colin McRae's 1995 season with the iconic SUBARU Impreza, and our Rallycross finalists will be driving the most dominant World RX car of all time, the Volkswagen Polo R Supercar.
Rally:
Stage 1: Monte Carlo • Route de Turini Montee
Stage 2: Sweden • Hamra
Stage 3: New Zealand • Elsthorpe Sprint Reverse
Stage 4: Spain • Ascenso bosque Montverd
Final Stage: Wales • Sweet Lamb
After Stage 4 the bottom 3 drivers will be eliminated, and the Final Stage will be a single-Stage shootout.
Hardcore Damage is enabled on all Stages.
Rallycross:
Q1: Montalegre, Portugal
Q2: Montalegre, Portugal
Q3: Höljes, Sweden
Q4: Höljes, Sweden
Q5: Biķernieku Kompleksā Sporta Bāze, Latvia
Q6: Biķernieku Kompleksā Sporta Bāze, Latvia
Final Race: Silverstone, England
The grid for the Final Race will be set based on the results of the 6 Qualifying Races
Thrustmaster: Official Series Partner & Hardware Supplier
In addition to the $20,000 prize pool for the Grand Finals, Thrustmaster will be awarding the top three drivers in both Rally and Rallycross with high-end gear.
Rally & Rallycross Winners:
Thrustmaster TS-XW Servo Base
Thrustmaster Rally Wheel Add-On Sparco® R383 Mod
Thrustmaster T-LCM Pedals
Thrustmaster Y-350CPX 7.1 Powered Headset
Rally & Rallycross 2nd Place Drivers
Thrustmaster T-LCM Pedals
Thrustmaster Y-350CPX 7.1 Powered Headset
Rally & Rallycross 3rd Place Drivers
Thrustmaster Y-350CPX 7.1 Powered Headset
All 11 competitors will be using identical Thrustmaster setups during the DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series Grand Finals, so that everybody is on an even playing field.
DiRT Rally 2.0 Game of the Year Edition
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DiRT Rally 2.0 Game of the Year Edition is your all-in-one rally and rallycross experience, featuring 82 cars and 26 locations. It is the official game of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, and the ultimate tribute to rallying legend Colin McRae.
