After the critical success of WRC 8, Nacon and KT Racing were always going to produce a sequel to their rallying title. We brought you the news that WRC 9 is confirmed back in April and now, there's even more exciting news.
WRC 9 will introduce a clubs system into the game and the possibilities don't end there either!
We've got everything you need to know about clubs and its esports potential right here!
Custom championships
WRC 9 brings custom championships to the table to make their already impressive game even more chock full of features.
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You can now make your own bespoke season and compete with your friends to see who is the best rally driver in your group. This mode is of course also available offline so you can challenge the AI.
Despite some events being cancelled, there's the full 2020 WRC calendar available for you to mix and match. There's over 50 teams to compete as too, as the full WRC, WRC 2, WRC 3 and WRC Junior rosters are in the game.
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Another exciting game mode is online co-op, which will be available via an update scheduled for early November. This will allow you to play as the driver or co-driver of a WRC car with your friend sat beside you.
There's sure to be arguments about who messed up if the car runs off the road, as your co-driver will have to read the pace notes out to you in real time.
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This is all a part of WRC 9's greater emphasis on "social gaming", as the developers put it.
There's massive potential here, as you can compete over a few rallies or make it a true globe-trotting adventure just like we see in the actual rallying season.
Esports is the way forward
One of the few pros to the time we've spent in lockdown is how popular esports has become as a result. Video gaming competitions have exploded in popularity and this hasn't gone unnoticed by developers.
THE FUTURE: WRC 9 will take competition to another level
Beginning next year, there will be an official WRC esports tournament. WRC 9 will be the game that hosts the virtual rallies and it's also been confirmed that these competitions will take place on next-gen too.
WRC 9 is set to be released in September of this year and a few months down the line, when the PS5 and Xbox One are released, it'll also be available on next-gen too.
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There isn't a motorsports game out there that has as varied environments and surfaces available to the player.
The Safari rally of Kenya is one of the events making a comeback this year, a polar opposite to the snowy mountains of the Monte Carlo rally. On the next-gen consoles, WRC 9 be mesmeric to play, thanks to the 4K graphics.
WRC 9 will be available on PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch in September 2020.