WEC Game Expected in 2023

WEC 1.jpg
Motorsport Games’ Motorsports Advisor Gerard Neveu has revealed that a racing game based on the WEC series is in the works and scheduled to be released in 2023.

Former FIA World Endurance Championship CEO Gerard Neveu now works as Motorsports Advisor for racing game developer Motorsport Games. He has shared with Motorsport.com that based on the success of the 2020 Le Mans Virtual event, the team is looking to extend the involvement of WEC in the virtual world.

This is the latest in a series of major announcements from Motorsport Games, which had previously announced development of games based on the BTCC, NASCAR, and IndyCar race series. These titles hold special promise for sim racers, since Motorsport Games has acquired rFactor 2 developer Studio 397 and plans to use their renowned physics engine for at least the forthcoming NASCAR title.

The WEC series has been partially represented in the virtual racing world across a variety of titles dating back many years, but a complete title based on the series is a popular request from fans of the series. Currently, WEC classes such as GTE and LMP1 can be found in titles like Assetto Corsa, the Project CARS series, RaceRoom Racing Experience, iRacing and Automobilista 2.

The game development announcement comes at a time when the World Endurance Championship is undergoing significant changes. The series has recently replaced its top class of cars. Gone are the popular LMP1 class cars, which competed for 16 years and broke several lap records in that time. The LMP1 class has been replaced by the LMH, or Le Mans Hypercar, class. These new Hypercars have yet to compete at Le Mans, so Motorsport Games will have to start anew with performance data collection and implementation.

WEC 2.jpg


Like the other titles under development by Motorsport Games, it’s still too early to tell whether the upcoming WEC title will be aimed more toward hardcore sim racers or casual gamers. Wherever it lands, it’s certainly a welcome announcement for fans of endurance racing.

In the interim, Motorsport Games will be hosting another Le Mans Virtual event this winter, with more details to be released following the real-world 24 Hours of Le Mans event in August.

Are you excited for this announcement? Let us know your thoughts on the forthcoming WEC racing title in the comments below.
About author
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

Comments

Hopefully the success of titles like ACC will give companies enough faith that they don't need to go "simcade" with these titles. They can keep it, otherwise.
 
I guess I'm choosing to be cautiously optimistic about all the licensed titles coming up. Let's hope at least one or two of them turn out to be fun. Whether they are a well done simcade in the style of the Codies F1 games or proper sims (hoping for the latter, of course), I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for some fun racing action.

WEC is intriguing. I always say this is the year I'm gonna follow because I love the idea of it, but my open wheel demands (F1 and Indy) just kinda gobble up my time budget for watching races. Maybe having a licensed game to play would suck me in, who knows.
 
What makes me happier is the full grid.
From what I understand, the ISI is getting a hybrid.

Extremely annoying that every game has chunks from championships or just one car at all. For example, like the DTM 2003 in RR. What's the point of this Mercedes if it has no one to compete with?

Hopefully it will be a simulator that stays relevant for years to come, as it did with GTR2.
 
Last edited:
You're misunderstanding. Separating those special features makes development easier and avoids the complications like the mess that rF2's stock car rules made or AC's lack of AI rolling starts. The developers can concentrate on what is needed for that particular series rather than dealing with the unintended interactions of a general-purpose module.

I'm not absolving developers of their duty to complete initiatives, but I'm also not blind to the realities of development.
That's bull
rF1 can simulate NASCAR for the most part and many other racing series. The stock car rules in rF2 wasn't even needed.
Look at AMS1 and how Reiza added even some more race rule options and how their AI got better.
The "reality of development" is that devs make weird plans and choices all the time. And rF2 is the champion in this aspect lol
Look at AC, a true downgrade from NetKar. Many excuses given for lacking this or that feature then guess what.... community adds them back to the sim via modding and the people doing that get more applauses than the developers :roflmao:
Does ACC even have full course yellows? Proper damage?
See... it's just a lot of excuses...
Whatever, anyway. It's not like any of the current devs are going to change.
Waste of time.
 
Last edited:
That's bull
rF1 can simulate NASCAR for the most part and many other racing series. The stock car rules in rF2 wasn't even needed.
Look at AMS1 and how Reiza added even some more race rule options and how their AI got better.
The "reality of development" is that devs make weird plans and choices all the time. And rF2 is the champion in this aspect lol
Look at AC, a true downgrade from NetKar. Many excuses given for lacking this or that feature then guess what.... community adds them back to the sim via modding and the people doing that get more applauses than the developers :roflmao:
Does ACC even have full course yellows? Proper damage?
See... it's just a lot of excuses...
Whatever, anyway. It's not like any of the current devs are going to change.
Waste of time.
Demind drives production. Look at what sells :( Games with no or minimal rules, no SC, no damage, ghosting etc. I want to believe, but honestly it is hard to.
 
Demind drives production. Look at what sells :( Games with no or minimal rules, no SC, no damage, ghosting etc. I want to believe, but honestly it is hard to.
Yep.
What bothers me more is seeing a big part of the community applauding some stuff.
The way they talk about single series sim being so much better make you think ACC is so detailed they even have animated crews picking up car parts after a crash
But all we get is ghosting instead :roflmao:
Not even a full course yellow for offline at least, geez
 
Last edited:
If they are creating 'OFFICIALLY LICENSED' games, there is zero chance DLC will include content from other series. The only hope of cross pollination would be Le Mans 24hr where IMSA teams will hopefully compete on a level footing with WEC squads. I don't see too many IMSA squads that would have the resouces to campaign in both WEC & IMSA with the exception of Penske/Porsche.
After all, do we expect F1 DLC to be added to the Indycar title? Nein, Nine, Nyett, Nonski, zero.
I DO see all this licensing as motivation for someone like Riezza or Kunos to try and lock up IMSA.
IMSA is a NASCAR property or run under them so if they have NASCAR licensing then hopefully, between the WEC for Le Mans and Sebring possibly and the rights under NASCAR they can come up with something. DLC?...yeah probably too many issues but I will remain hopefull.
 
What makes me happier is the full grid.
From what I understand, the ISI is getting a hybrid.

Extremely annoying that every game has chunks from championships or just one car at all. For example, like the DTM 2003 in RR. What's the point of this Mercedes if it has no one to compete with?

Hopefully it will be a simulator that stays relevant for years to come, as it did with GTR2.
You do realize that there are plenty of single chassis race series out there right?
It comes down to the skill of the driver instead of the engineering team. Granted, you can set the car up differently, but you don't need 10 different cars in a series to make it interesting. Ten different drivers, though.
 
Yep.
What bothers me more is seeing a big part of the community applauding some stuff.
The way they talk about single series sim being so much better make you think ACC is so detailed they even have animated crews picking up car parts after a crash
But all we get is ghosting instead :roflmao:
Not even a full course yellow for offline at least, geez
Don't forget the pitiful "career mode." Zero immersion at all. I'd love to have a sim with the immersion that the F1 games bring off the track with interviews, sponsoring, etc, but I highly doubt we will get an actual complete package that provides a compelling driving experiene and off the track experience in the same game. Seems to be a pipe dream at this point.
 
Don't forget the pitiful "career mode." Zero immersion at all. I'd love to have a sim with the immersion that the F1 games bring off the track with interviews, sponsoring, etc, but I highly doubt we will get an actual complete package that provides a compelling driving experiene and off the track experience in the same game. Seems to be a pipe dream at this point.
Never owned a sim that has career mode, never have had any interest in such a thing. Fake rivalries, interviews, arguments. I have absolutely no interest in such things. Driving/racing. Fancy intro's, fake tv broadcasts, phooey!
 
Last edited:
I hope these games are yearless and constantly add with year DLC like Nascar heat did in previous years.

Nascar Heat Evolution - 2016 (2017 team update)
Nascar Heat 2 - 2017
Nascar Heat 3 - 2018 (2019 dlc)
Nascar Heat 4 - 2019
Nascar Heat 5 - 2020

Looks like this happened only 2 out of 5 Heat games and iirc neither was a full season update.
So the Eutechnyx engine 2013-2015 (on PC), Monster 2016-2020

So this new game for 2021 has to deliver quickly.
Can’t be done well from scratch in just one year, that’s a given, even with a lot of resources, development and testing just takes time.

Don’t expect a seasonal dlc model for a big sport franchise, apart from maximizing the income from having the license, especially covering multiple platforms, you may even have contractual obligations to publish games for each season.
 
Last edited:
I don't know if this approach of releasing four different games for each different racing series that are technically basically the same thing will work. We're not in the noughties anymore where this was used regularly, and the worst case scenario is that Motorsport Games will fragment its own audience, with none of the games getting a large enough player base. Or modders will simply port content from one game to the other, as seen with GTR2 and GT Legends.
yes and all of the games like project cars 2, Forza motorsport, Gran turismo, Automobilista, and so forth do not offer the actual schedule or drivers or all teams for the same championship

assetto corsa competizione is the only one that does for the now european gt world challenge series

so i welcome a WEC and Indycar game and would love a IMSA game too

as i much rather drive against "the competitors of that series" on the actual tracks of that series then against a made up series
 
Don't forget the pitiful "career mode." Zero immersion at all. I'd love to have a sim with the immersion that the F1 games bring off the track with interviews, sponsoring, etc, but I highly doubt we will get an actual complete package that provides a compelling driving experiene and off the track experience in the same game. Seems to be a pipe dream at this point.
Personally I never cared about career mode. All I ever used (and IMO all that is needed in a sim for offline championships) was schedule, points and ballast. Ofc all the racing rules, etc.
I mean... there is only one scenario where career mode would make sense: a sim with as much cars and tracks as possible from real life, you begin in karts and then you may or may not reach F1 for example, you'd have other series to go if you fail at your goal. Oh... difficulty wouldn't be adjustable then, either you get good or go to less important series.

I want things to be immersive while in a race tho, simracing hasn't evolved in that aspect, it only went backwards.
They even stopped evolving in physics as well.
 
Last edited:
if s397 make it then it won't be ready until 2053
... and would still be full of unfinished and missing features. Some will be finished but bad implemented and forum member will worship it, saying that 397 did something that no one has ever done and they are the best.
 
I wont write an ebook but I'll just leave this here...

this news is nice just like a pizza slice :p :):thumbsup:
 
If the game has good AI and good offline experience, I wouldn't mind it being simcade cause nowadays most sims don't focus on offline, only simcades focus on it(f1).
 

Latest News

Article information

Author
Mike Smith
Article read time
2 min read
Views
40,045
Comments
124
Last update

Online or Offline racing?

  • 100% online racing

    Votes: 74 7.4%
  • 75% online 25% offline

    Votes: 103 10.3%
  • 50% online 50% offline

    Votes: 145 14.5%
  • 25% online 75% offline

    Votes: 274 27.4%
  • 100% offline racing

    Votes: 401 40.1%
  • Something else, explain in comment

    Votes: 4 0.4%
Back
Top