The wait is almost over for fans of one of the most iconic rally racing game series of all time. With the return of the Dirt Rally franchise, now under the name EA Sports WRC, after over four years since the last iteration, the anticipation is huge.
Who better to give us an inside look at this highly anticipated comeback than the man himself, Ross Gowing, Senior Producer at EA Sports WRC? In an interview with Eurogamer Portugal, Ross shares insights on how the series has evolved since its inception in 1998 with the first Colin McRae Rally, to what we can expect from this new game.
Codemasters, part of EA Sports, has a rich and exciting history with the Dirt Rally and Colin McRae Rally series. With each new iteration, they have perfected the formula, delivering updated graphics, realistic driving physics, and a diverse range of cars and tracks.
Now, with the new game set to be released on November 3rd this year, we are all eager to find out what Codemasters has prepared for this new addition to the series. With a rich history in rally racing and a commitment to excellence in the genre, expectations are high for EA Sports WRC.
**Ross Gowing on the Excitement:**
Ross Gowing: Honestly, we can’t wait for the game to be released and for players to get their hands on it! Everyone in the studio has worked hard for a long time, and we feel that this is our best work to date – we’ve created more content than ever before and raised the bar even higher in terms of quality.
**Ross Gowing on Working with WRC:**
Ross Gowing: Combining the quality of our studio’s rally games with the WRC license and being able to represent the pinnacle of this sport has been a perfect match. Working with the WRC has given us access to an incredible amount of research and reference material, as well as access to all the teams, which has helped us further enhance our authentic approach to rally racing and build an amazing game.
**Ross Gowing on Realism and Content:**
Ross Gowing: The game features over 600 km of unique stages in 17 locations, meticulously created by the team. We have a wide range of vehicles, including current and historical models, spanning 60 years of rally history.
In terms of casual players, we have plenty of content for them to enjoy and stay close to the sport they love. In Moments, for example, fans can experience the most iconic moments from the 50-year history of the FIA World Rally Championship, with new challenges added daily for a fresh experience every time!
Ross Gowing: We’ve added some extra options for new and casual players, including our Acceleration Assistance System, which tests have shown really helps keep the cars under control. There are also 10 lessons for each of the three different surfaces in our Rally Schools to help players learn everything they need to know from the start. The assists are fully scalable and optional, so if you’re an experienced simulator player, you can turn them all off and play the game as a simulator, and new players can adjust them as they become more confident in their driving.
Eurogamer Portugal: Specifically regarding the PlayStation 5’s DualSense, can we expect the exclusive features of the controller to be used?
Ross Gowing: The work the gameplay team did to utilize the haptic feedback features of the PS5 controller is amazing; it allows you to feel exactly what the car is doing as you drive over surfaces full of grooves, bumps, depressions, and protrusions. We know that many people will play with a controller alongside those playing with a wheel and pedals, so we focused on both during development to ensure that everyone gets the most out of the game, regardless of what they use to play.
Eurogamer Portugal: Can we expect more impressive and larger visuals now that you’ve switched to the Unreal Engine? And by the way, what was the reason for the change in game engine?
Ross Gowing: We reached a point where the EGO engine was not capable of supporting what we wanted to do, especially much longer stages than we had done before. The Unreal Engine allowed us to extract all the handling and physics from the DiRT Rally series, put it into the new engine, and then start working on reshaping how the cars behave on asphalt and further perfecting the excellent feel we already had on gravel. After that, we were able to use all the tools and workflow of Unreal to build these epic stages with a level of quality higher than we had achieved before.
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Eurogamer Portugal: What new feature would you highlight that has now been added and has been in your plans for some time?
Ross Gowing: One of the standout features we included in this game is the Builder, where players can follow in the footsteps of the legendary Colin McRae, designing and developing their own modern era rally car. From selecting the engine placement to choosing bumpers, spoilers, hood supports, lights, and air intakes (and many other parts as well), you can create your ideal machine and use it throughout the game.
I honestly think this feature changes the landscape of licensed motorsport games. When we thought about this in the studio, one of the most interesting things was the fact that no one else was doing this, and being able to put the power of creation in the hands of the players was something we really wanted to do.
Eurogamer Portugal: In terms of public reception and, more specifically, of fans of this unique sport, what are your expectations for this release?
Ross Gowing: In the studio, everyone is eager to see what players think of the game. We have worked hard and genuinely believe that this is the best and most complete rally game we have made so far. We sincerely hope you have a lot of fun with EA SPORTS WRC.
Eurogamer Portugal: Portugal is a country with a huge tradition in the rally scene, we have one of the most spectacular rallies on the WRC calendar. What message would you like to leave to Portuguese virtual drivers?
Ross Gowing: I hope we have made your country proud and that your passion for rallying has matched our passion for bringing it to life in our games! We can’t wait to see the designs you create in the Paint Editor and the photos you take in Photo Mode, and we hope you share them for the world to see!
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