Among sim-racing titles, we have Assetto Corsa, a simulation-style racing game that has been delighting racers for a very long time. AC is a heavyweight in the sim-racing community, and for several reasons. Firstly, it offers a realistic driving experience, emphasizing immersion, sensations and the impression of driving a racing car in different environments. Secondly, the mods available for Assetto Corsa are numerous, in addition to bringing major improvements that are not included in the standard version of the title, such as dynamic weather, for example. What’s more, AC is supported by a wide range of sim-racing hardware and platforms, making it easy to adopt.

Following on from the success of Assetto Corsa, the studio has decided to release a spin-off focusing solely on GT and endurance racing. The title is called Assetto Corsa Competizione, and as the name suggests, it tackles everything to do with these specific competitions.

But modders and gamers didn’t stop at just these two titles, as improvements to Assetto Corsa continued to pour in, not least from the very active community. And that brings us to an announcement made at SimRacing Expo 2025: Assetto Corsa Rally, and we’ll be talking about it in what follows.

As you’d expect, AC Rally focuses on rally racing, which takes place all over the world, be it in Europe, Africa or other continents. Assetto Corsa Rally will be a title like Competizione, i.e. a spin-off from the original game, focusing solely on the specific aspect of this motorsport discipline.

On the menu, of course, are rally cars such as the 1972 Alfa Romeo GTA 1300 Junior Gr.2, the 2021 Hyundai i20N Rally2 and also the 2001 Citroën Xsara WRC, which will be included at launch, along with other cars, for a total of 10. The studio has emphasized that this limited number of cars is only for the launch of Assetto Corsa Rally, with more to follow.

With an emphasis on immersion, you’ll have a co-driver at your side to guide you through treacherous rally stages, further reinforcing the simulation aspect of the franchise. The co-pilot will announce turns, jumps, tricky spots and much more. Of course, virtually all rally titles, such as WRC or Dirt for example, have this type of co-pilot mechanic, but Assetto Corsa Rally should add even more realism, at least that’s what the studio is announcing.

Another point mentioned was dynamic weather. Officially absent from the original Assetto Corsa, for the rally spin-off, it will be present in force. Expect rain, snow, fog, mud and much more, all dynamically and randomly. My guess is that the game engine will draw on real-time weather data and apply it to the stages.

Speaking of graphics engines, it’s the Unreal Engine 5 that’s being used to develop Assetto Corsa Rally, with modifications made to ensure realistic physics and immersive car behavior. Unreal Engine 5 is notoriously difficult to exploit for a racing game, but it seems that the studio has found the right recipe to make it all work.

Before concluding with availability and price, the cars, as well as some of the rally stages, have been scanned using 3D Laser technology to ensure millimetre-accurate representation. We’ve already seen this kind of technology used in other sim-racing titles, such as EA’s F1 25. It’s a process that costs a lot of money, especially for circuit scanning, but in return it offers a high level of realism for the racers.

And now for something we’re all interested in: when will Assetto Corsa Rally be available, and for how much? To answer that, the title will be available in early access from mid-November 2025 for the modest sum of €30. This early access should last between 12 and 18 months, the time it takes to see what works, and what needs to be corrected and improved.