Nacon obtains development and publishing rights of WRC franchise

SIRA - Starting in 2027, French publisher Nacon will develop WRC games for PC and Consoles describing them as "a complete reboot of the franchise" Nacon CEO Alain Falc stated - "This new venture marks a major milestone: a fully reimagined project driven by a passionate and specialised team, with a clear ambition to elevate rally games to new heights. We are thrilled to renew our collaboration with WRC. This iconic license provides an exceptional playground to build a highly refined driving experience that lives up to the expectations of rally fans."

FIA WRC chief marketing officer Arne Dirks stated - "After a comprehensive evaluation, we are delighted to have reached an agreement with Nacon. Their vision of the franchise stands out, and their expertise in delivering great rally games is unquestioned. We look forward to breaking new ground together with this collaboration, to truly turn the WRC games into epic adventures and offer gaming experiences beyond rally as we know it today."

The unmentioned takeaway here is of course, that EA (and Codemasters, having been bought by EA in 2021) have now lost the prestigious WRC license - a pattern not entirely dissimiliar to them losing the FIFA license in 2022 (though SIRA understands that was due to excessive FIFA licensing cost demands and EA reneging on that deal).

It's interesting to know that Nacon previously had the WRC rights from 2013 to 2022, publishing 9 titles during their stewardship - as well as selling Sim Racing hardware alongside their Software titles.

Links

Official Website

OvertakeGG Interviews Nacon "WRC Games: A New & DIFFICULT Future"

Tags & Categories