French publisher Nacon has secured the exclusive license to develop and publish games based on the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), covering the period from 2027 through 2032. This transfer of rights follows the decision by EA Sports, the previous holder of the license, to discontinue the development of any future WRC game titles.
According to a joint statement released by the publisher and WRC, Nacon`s upcoming series is intended to be a “complete reboot” of the franchise. It will be based on an “entirely fresh vision,” aiming to mark an “ambitious new chapter in the brand`s development.”
This represents a return for the French publisher, which previously held the WRC license from 2015 until 2023, before the relatively brief period under EA Sports. When the license was transferred to British studio Codemasters in 2020 (for games scheduled from 2023), it generated significant enthusiasm among fans due to the developer`s strong reputation in the rally game genre.
EA Sports became involved in 2021 through its acquisition of Codemasters, a move reportedly driven in large part by Codemasters` existing F1 and WRC licenses. However, the high expectations for the WRC game developed by Codemasters and released in 2023 under the EA Sports banner were ultimately not met upon its launch.
Finley Holt 
Callum Darby