Le Mans Virtual is set to return within Le Mans Ultimate, and when it does, driver swaps should be a part of it, according to Motorsport Games CEO Stephen Hood.
Originating during the COVID-19 pandemic, Le Mans Virtual proved to be a popular series. Esports drivers and professional racers from around the world competed in the series as well as the 24-hour event in rFactor 2, which was last run in early 2023 - although not without problems that famously led to a rant by Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen.
Usually run in the winter months of the Northern Hemisphere, the 2023-2024 series did not happen. Le Mans Virtual is set to return in Le Mans Ultimate, however, and it will not be an closed-off event as it has been previously.
"We chased the 1%, the professional esports drivers and real drivers - and that is great for the buzz. But I would like to make that more attainable for more people so they could be part of this", Stephen Hood, CEO of Motorsport Games, told OverTake. "It does not need to be exclusive. We got a slightly different format in mind that makes it more community-focused."
These improvements are essential to add a feature that is an integral part of endurance racing and that players have been asking for since LMU was released into Early Access: online driver swaps. "The netcode becomes the framework for things like proper driver swaps that we know need to come to the game - not just for Le Mans Virtual, but endurance racing in general", said Hood.
"For Le Mans Virtual itself, certainly we want the proper driver swaps", continued the MSG CEO. "We got thins on our internal road map, and driver swaps are an important part of that. Those are necessary pieces for us to say 'now we are ready to do Le Mans Virtual'".
Running proper endurance races in LMU should be possible once Le Mans Virtual returns at the latest.
Until then, the plan is for LMU to make more progress, of course, with the co-op mode that was supposed to be included in the June update but did not make it being one of the main additions. "Right now, LMU can be used as a sprint racing game, but it has that endurance framework. People cannot tap into the beauty of endurance racing", stated Hood. "That is why we aim to bring things like co-op to the table, to enable people to enjoy the strategy and tactics around endurance and not have to commit several hours in one sitting."
To summarize: Le Mans Virtual is set to make its comeback either in late 2024 or early 2025, and MSG is not planning on reviving the event without driver swaps - which would make proper endurance races possible online. It will also be open to "99% of the player base", as Hood stated in early April.
Are you looking forward to proper endurance events in Le Mans Ultimate? Let us know on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
Originating during the COVID-19 pandemic, Le Mans Virtual proved to be a popular series. Esports drivers and professional racers from around the world competed in the series as well as the 24-hour event in rFactor 2, which was last run in early 2023 - although not without problems that famously led to a rant by Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen.
Usually run in the winter months of the Northern Hemisphere, the 2023-2024 series did not happen. Le Mans Virtual is set to return in Le Mans Ultimate, however, and it will not be an closed-off event as it has been previously.
"We chased the 1%, the professional esports drivers and real drivers - and that is great for the buzz. But I would like to make that more attainable for more people so they could be part of this", Stephen Hood, CEO of Motorsport Games, told OverTake. "It does not need to be exclusive. We got a slightly different format in mind that makes it more community-focused."
Le Mans Virtual With "Proper Driver Swaps"
To achieve this, a smaller improvement deployed in the latest patch is essential, namely netcode. "One of the reasons we added this is to support Le Mans Virtual", stated Hood. The problems that led to the issues with the final 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual to date was within rFactor 2's multiplayer code, Hood continued: "Some of it is so legacy that is very difficult to debug and fix. The key thing for us was to try and rebuild it so we can debug it and fix things."These improvements are essential to add a feature that is an integral part of endurance racing and that players have been asking for since LMU was released into Early Access: online driver swaps. "The netcode becomes the framework for things like proper driver swaps that we know need to come to the game - not just for Le Mans Virtual, but endurance racing in general", said Hood.
"For Le Mans Virtual itself, certainly we want the proper driver swaps", continued the MSG CEO. "We got thins on our internal road map, and driver swaps are an important part of that. Those are necessary pieces for us to say 'now we are ready to do Le Mans Virtual'".
Running proper endurance races in LMU should be possible once Le Mans Virtual returns at the latest.
Le Mans Virtual Comeback In Late 2024 Or Early 2025
In turn, this means that driver swaps should arrive before Le Mans Virtual takes place - but it will not be in the near future. Instead, the plan is for the competition to be back on the grid "towards the end of this year or the start of next year", according to Hood.Until then, the plan is for LMU to make more progress, of course, with the co-op mode that was supposed to be included in the June update but did not make it being one of the main additions. "Right now, LMU can be used as a sprint racing game, but it has that endurance framework. People cannot tap into the beauty of endurance racing", stated Hood. "That is why we aim to bring things like co-op to the table, to enable people to enjoy the strategy and tactics around endurance and not have to commit several hours in one sitting."
To summarize: Le Mans Virtual is set to make its comeback either in late 2024 or early 2025, and MSG is not planning on reviving the event without driver swaps - which would make proper endurance races possible online. It will also be open to "99% of the player base", as Hood stated in early April.
Are you looking forward to proper endurance events in Le Mans Ultimate? Let us know on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
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