Assetto Corsa EVO is going to a huge release in sim racing, both for how eagerly it is awaited and the size of its Eifel-based open world map - which will be drivable in its entirety.
Just a month remains until Assetto Corsa EVO releases in Early Access, and @Michel Wolk's live stream chat with Kunos Simulazioni's Co-Founder and Managing Director Marco Massarutto led to plenty of additional detail about the upcoming sim being uncovered.
The recent announcement of the open world map spanning 1,600km2 certainly made waves within the community, with some fearing that AC EVO might be headed in the direction of Forza Horizon in a less realistic way. However, those who prefer simply racing on circuits can breathe a sigh of relief: "If you want to, you can completely forget the open world in EVO", Massarutto assured players. "It's an additional value, but it is not needed to enjoy the game.
"Some of the most downloaded mods are free roam maps. We know they are quite popular in the community, but we also know that there are thousands of sim racers who are not interested, so they ignore this map. They will have their perfect Assetto Corsa experience on track - and that's exactly what is going to happen in EVO."
And while this could easily mean that there would only be a fraction of the map available to drive on, the opposite is true. Massarutto confirmed that "the entire area is drivable. If you want to go offroad, you can do that anywhere." And that will include dedicated offroad parks found in the area in real life as well - eventually. "Not on day one, but as we are progressing. The first open-world release is the area closest to the Nordschleife, and we are still determining the size of the initial open world area."
The map will come to AC EVO progressively, starting in the Summer of 2025.
What about speed limits, fines or police, however? Well, they are not going to be a factor - later on, he could imagine the addition of police, or players being able to drive other vehicles like ambulances, but the main focus is on making EVO "real immersive without being frustrating. You will not be fined when going over the legal limit."
Meanwhile, a "classic" career mode of working one's way up the motorsport ladder is not planned for AC EVO, but it is not going to be as simple as having the credits to buy a car or enter a series, either. "If you want to race, you need to get a racing license in EVO", explained Massarutto.
What are you most looking forward to for Assetto Corsa EVO? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our AC EVO forum!
Just a month remains until Assetto Corsa EVO releases in Early Access, and @Michel Wolk's live stream chat with Kunos Simulazioni's Co-Founder and Managing Director Marco Massarutto led to plenty of additional detail about the upcoming sim being uncovered.
The recent announcement of the open world map spanning 1,600km2 certainly made waves within the community, with some fearing that AC EVO might be headed in the direction of Forza Horizon in a less realistic way. However, those who prefer simply racing on circuits can breathe a sigh of relief: "If you want to, you can completely forget the open world in EVO", Massarutto assured players. "It's an additional value, but it is not needed to enjoy the game.
"Some of the most downloaded mods are free roam maps. We know they are quite popular in the community, but we also know that there are thousands of sim racers who are not interested, so they ignore this map. They will have their perfect Assetto Corsa experience on track - and that's exactly what is going to happen in EVO."
All Of The Map To Be Drivable
Despite this, Massarutto seemed positive that many of those who are in doubt about the open world part of AC EVO will be convinced once they give the mode a try. As previously confirmed, the map is going to be quite big, and will feature an area of 40 by 40 kilometers with the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in the middle.And while this could easily mean that there would only be a fraction of the map available to drive on, the opposite is true. Massarutto confirmed that "the entire area is drivable. If you want to go offroad, you can do that anywhere." And that will include dedicated offroad parks found in the area in real life as well - eventually. "Not on day one, but as we are progressing. The first open-world release is the area closest to the Nordschleife, and we are still determining the size of the initial open world area."
The map will come to AC EVO progressively, starting in the Summer of 2025.
What about speed limits, fines or police, however? Well, they are not going to be a factor - later on, he could imagine the addition of police, or players being able to drive other vehicles like ambulances, but the main focus is on making EVO "real immersive without being frustrating. You will not be fined when going over the legal limit."
Refueling Cars In Open World To Be Possible
Where you should not go under the limit is on fuel or electric charge, because both will have to be replenished - if you choose to go down that route, that is. When opting for full realism, race rewards could net players bigger rewards, but "we will have game modes that simplify some of these things", said Massarutto. "The more realistic you play, the more rewards you can get. It is more up to you than to us how you live the EVO experience."Meanwhile, a "classic" career mode of working one's way up the motorsport ladder is not planned for AC EVO, but it is not going to be as simple as having the credits to buy a car or enter a series, either. "If you want to race, you need to get a racing license in EVO", explained Massarutto.
When will Assetto Corsa EVO release?
Assetto Corsa EVO will hit Early access on January 16 2025, with the full release planned for later that year - in Fall, more specifically. Until the full release, mods will not be a part of the sim, but "we already said that we want to open EVO to modding", stated Massarutto. "In AC1, for example, the editor and tools were available by version 1.0. And we want to keep the Early Access program as short as we can."What are you most looking forward to for Assetto Corsa EVO? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our AC EVO forum!
