Fans of Codemasters' racing simulators already have Dirt 5 to look forward to later on in the year, which is to be released on current and next-gen systems, and the British-based developer/publisher has now secured a new deal to create licensed games based on the WRC: the World Rally Championship.
The exclusive deal will see Codemasters create games annually for console, PC, and mobile platforms for five years, with the first title intended for release in 2023. Codemasters will also be in charge of running any associated esports tournaments.
The WRC license originally belonged to Evolution Studios, which it held for five years. Many of Evolution's staff would later join Codemasters so, in a way, it's like the license has returned to them.
The current license holder, French studio Klyotonn, has released WRC games since 2015, with the latest one, WRC 8, releasing last year. However, it still has three more titles in development before its deal ends, with WRC 9 set to release this year in September for current and next-gen consoles and PC.
Codemasters has noted that it is still dedicated to making Dirt games, with another entry already in the works. It also holds the license for making F1 games, with F1 2020 slated to release this year as well for PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz