Assetto Corsa Rally announced for Early Access in November

I know there's a few rally fans reading so you might be excited to learn that Assetto Corsa Rally has been announced for Early Access on November 13th.

Coming from publisher 505 Games with Supernova Games Studios taking development lead in technical partnership with KUNOS Simulazioni. Coming with a bunch of officially licenses vehicles and tracks, it sounds quite promising.

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A bunch of details from the press release:

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FOR A TRUE-TO-LIFE SIMULATION

The proprietary physics engine developed by KUNOS Simulazioni has been adapted and refined to realistically simulate the unique dynamics of rally racing, including:

• Jumps and uneven surfaces.
• Slippery and variable road conditions.
• Dynamic weather.
• Realistic vehicle behavior across all types of terrain.

A key element is the use of laser scan technology for every stage in each rally event, enabling accurate reproduction of:

• Real-world terrain formations.
• Road surface irregularities and characteristics.
• Details of the surrounding environment like vegetation positioning.

This approach – for the first time in the rally sim genre - delivers an unprecedented level of realism, deepening the authenticity of the driving experience.

In parallel, the team at Supernova, leveraging its consolidated experience with Unreal Engine 5, has customized and optimized it to the specific needs of racing games, ensuring high visual fidelity and performance.

CONTENT AND LOCATIONS

At the start of Early Access, Assetto Corsa Rally will feature:

• 33km of fully laserscanned real life roads.
• 4 Special Stages with 18 variants, set across gravel roads in Wales and tarmac roads in Alsace.
• 10 iconic rally cars, including Group B, WRC and Rally2 vehicles.
• 5 game modes, triple screen support, and more.

The complete game aims to include:

• Over 120 km of faithfully recreated rally stages using laser scan technology.
• 10 Special Stages with over 35 variants set across 5 international rallies, with new roads and content added continuously.
• A full car roster featuring over 30 vehicles selected from the most iconic rally cars of the past and present.
• New game modes, a rally school, a career mode, and complete VR support.

EXTREME DETAIL AND IMMERSIVE AUDIO

Each car has been recreated using laser scans and official CAD files, delivering uncompromising accuracy in every component.

• Advanced damage system: combines visual deformations with physical damage that directly impacts vehicle behavior, enhancing realism and challenge.

The experience is further elevated by an audio system designed to maximize immersion:

• Authentic sound recordings: real-life acceleration, braking, and drifting sounds, captured both inside and outside the cockpit.
• Co-driver pacenotes: developed in collaboration with professional co-drivers, featuring their original voices.

"Feeling the lack of a modern rally simulator, we’ve built a team and developed a technology to create one ourselves, with the support of drivers, engineers, collectors, mechanics, and industry experts.", commented Mauro Notarberardino, Supernova Studio Director, "A special thanks goes to KUNOS Simulazioni, whose partnership was crucial in maintaining the signature feel of the series - especially in terms of the driving model - in this new chapter. Today marks an exciting new beginning for Supernova and Assetto Corsa Rally, and we can’t wait to share the journey with you."

My main concern is that they've confirmed it will have online multiplayer - so they might pull an EA here and stick in some anti-cheat and break it like we saw with EA SPORTS WRC. I've asked them to clarify any anti-cheat plans.

It will be priced at £24.99 / $29.99 / €29,99 at release. They said this is a "special price" so presumably it will cost more later.