French publisher Nacon has been granted the exclusive rights to develop and publish games based on the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) from 2027 through 2032. This follows the decision by EA Sports, which previously held the license, to halt the development of any WRC games.
Nacon's take on the series "represents a complete reboot of the franchise, based on an entirely fresh vision, and marks an ambitious new chapter in the brand's development," according to a joint statement by the publisher and WRC.
The French publisher held the license for WRC from 2015 to 2023, so this is more like a homecoming following the short EA Sports stint. The license going to British studio Codemasters in 2020 (for games starting in 2023) received enthusiasm from fans back then, because the developer was already renowned for its rally games.
EA Sports came into the picture in 2021 with its acquisition of the racing sim specialists, which had been largely driven by it holding the F1 and WRC licenses. The high expectations for Codemasters' WRC did not get fulfilled with the game's release in 2023, though.