WRC’s Rally Series Is Getting Rebooted—Again, This Time by the RoboCop Guys

Less than a month after EA dropped the WRC license, Nacon has swooped in to take over rally racing’s official gaming future. Starting in 2027, the French publisher will lead a full reboot of the World Rally Championship game series, with a six-year deal that includes exclusive publishing rights, esports plans, and all the official bells and whistles.

It’s a wild swing back to a familiar face. Nacon, formerly known as Bigben Interactive, actually ran the WRC license from 2013 to 2022. Under developer Kylotonn, they released nine WRC titles, ending with WRC Generations. While they never reached the polish of Codemasters’ peak DiRT Rally days, those games built a stable niche fanbase and kept rally games alive year after year, warts and all.

So now they’re back. The plan? Total reboot. New engines, new format, a push for broader appeal. And after EA’s fumble, the bar’s been reset.

When EA inherited the WRC license through its 2021 acquisition of Codemasters, expectations were sky-high. Codemasters was already loved for its DiRT Rally series, and with EA’s resources, EA Sports WRC (2023) looked like the natural evolution. The result? Good, but not great. Critics and fans praised the handling model, but bugs, content gaps, and a stiff UI dragged it down. Then, in April 2025, EA pulled the plug entirely, citing layoffs and a full pause on rally development.

“We’ve reached the end of the road working on WRC,” EA said during its internal update.

And just like that, rally gaming was up in the air again.

That’s why Nacon’s announcement this week matters. The deal includes official rallies, teams, vehicles, and a revamped esports circuit—all the pieces you need to rebuild the franchise from the ground up. WRC’s chief marketing officer, Arne Dirks, called Nacon’s pitch a standout, noting their past experience and vision for rally titles beyond the usual sim format.

"We look forward to breaking new ground together… and offer gaming experiences beyond rally as we know it today."

If that sounds ambitious, it’s supposed to. Nacon’s trying to show they can compete at a higher level than before. That’s not going to be easy.

Let’s compare this to what F1 has. Codemasters has been handling the Formula One license since 2009, and even now, under EA, it’s an annual franchise with deep management layers, multiplayer, real-time racing events, and slick production. F1 games have a global esports reach and near-broadcast polish.

WRCs had none of that. During the Kylotonn era, most games were solid but budget-tier. Career modes were basic, physics inconsistent, and licensing often felt underutilised. The hardcore rally crowd kept it alive, but casual players mostly ignored it. With EA Sports WRC, Codemasters got close to bridging that gap. But it never had the same investment level as F1.

That’s now the challenge for Nacon. Rally fans are loyal—but demanding. Many of them grew up watching Sébastien Loeb dominate, and now follow Kalle Rovanperä’s every slide. They expect tight handling, proper stage design, and real-world authenticity, not just a branded experience.

For starters, Kylotonn has now had a few years of Unreal Engine development under its belt (used in WRC Generations and Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown). That may help bring more modern visuals to the series. But Solar Crown launched rough, and Nacon’s track record is mixed. Their standout hit recently was RoboCop: Rogue City—an unexpectedly good AA shooter with tons of fan service but low expectations. Rally fans aren’t going to be that forgiving.

There’s also the timeline. The new WRC series doesn’t begin until 2027. That leaves a two-year gap in official rally content unless Nacon finds a way to rerelease or repackage older titles in the meantime. That silence may push even more players to mods and unofficial sim options like Richard Burns Rally, Dirt Rally 2.0, or Assetto Corsa conversions.

In short: Nacon’s got the license. Now they need to prove they know what to do with it.

There’s optimism, sure. Some fans look back fondly at WRC 9 or 10—titles that felt close to capturing the modern feel of the sport. Others are just happy that the license didn’t vanish into corporate limbo. But the pressure is on.

Rebooting WRC isn't just about graphics or modes. It’s about reestablishing trust after years of inconsistency, and convincing a fractured fanbase that the franchise can compete with the big names in racing again.

Six years. Starting in 2027. Let’s see if they use it right.