How Rennsport is revolutionising sim racing

While you consider sim racing, you consider the large three: iRacing, rFactor 2 and Assetto Corsa Competizione. Every has established a repute for cutting-edge realism and aggressive on-line racing in main esports tournaments. However now, for the primary time in ages, a brand new challenger is shaking up the sim racing world.

Enter Rennsport, a brand new sim racing sport from Competitors Firm with state-of-the-art Unreal Engine 5 graphics and an thrilling new on-line racing collection hosted by one of many world’s largest esports match organisers

We caught up with Competitors Firm CEO and founder Morris Hebecker and President of Sports activities Video games at ESL Faceit Group Roger Lodwick to learn the way Rennsport is revolutionising sim racing.

Ranging from scratch

iRacing turns 15 years previous this yr, whereas rFactor 2 is sort of ten years previous. Whereas they’re nonetheless frequently up to date with new content material and enhancements, they’re exhibiting their age.

Rennsport, alternatively, is a model new sim racing platform developed with Unreal Engine 5, so it received’t be restricted by outdated know-how. “We had the likelihood to convey our concepts collectively and begin from scratch,” Hebecker explains.

“This implies we will use all the brand new applied sciences, all the chances we’ve got on the market. It is a enormous benefit relating to a brand new racing simulation. In case you stick with supply code that’s 15-20 years previous, it limits you at a sure level.”

Sim racing has seen a surge in reputation for the reason that pandemic. Regardless of this, the racing sport market is comparatively small in comparison with different genres. Competitors Firm needs Rennsport to alter this. “I deeply imagine that the general racing and sim racing style can develop once more,” mentioned Hebecker.

“While you think about 15 or 20 years in the past that racing video games had a market share of 15 per cent or extra and now it’s solely three per cent, there may be room to ascertain a brand new racing sport and a brand new product.”

Solely a handful of automobiles in Rennsport are confirmed thus far. These embrace the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, BMW M4 GT3 and Porsche 911 GT3R. Inevitably, this give attention to GT3 automobiles invitations comparisons with Rennsport’s closest competitor: Assetto Corsa Competitors.

“Utilizing GT3 is admittedly the toughest method as a result of one in all our large rivals can be superb and established on this a part of automobiles,” Hebecker admits.

Nonetheless, utilizing GT3 automobiles additionally made it simpler to persuade automotive producers to hitch forces with Rennsport. “We spoke to our companions on the automotive aspect and had them concerned very early,” Hebecker explains.

“They mentioned if you need to ascertain a brand new esports system and we’ve got to be concerned it might be greatest for us to make use of GT3 as a result of it’s the extent the place we will all come collectively. Most of us have a form of GT3 automotive and that makes it straightforward for us to leap into your concept and be a part of it.”

GT3 racing received’t be the one self-discipline in Rennsport, nonetheless. “That is just the start. We can have extra automotive classes and extra choices for automobiles,” Hebecker confirmed. The electrical Porsche Mission R confirmed off in screenshots hints on the automotive selection to return.

Competitors Firm has a “sturdy longer-term imaginative and prescient” to make Rennsport a live-service sport with common updates engaging gamers again.

By “continuously implementing new issues,” Hebecker sees Rennsport being “a part of the racing group for the following 20 or 30 years.” Modding instruments permitting the group to “create no matter you need” can even enhance Rennsport’s longevity.

A brand new period of racing esports

For over two and a half years, Competitors Firm has labored with ESL to create a brand new on-line racing platform primarily based on Rennsport.

One of many largest esports occasion organisers on the planet, ESL is greatest identified for internet hosting on-line tournaments in fashionable shooters like Counterstrike: International Offensive, Battlefield and Halo. With the brand new R1 collection, ESL is lastly making its mark on digital motorsport.

“ESL was one of many first companions we spoke to once we determined to grasp the concept we had in thoughts,” mentioned Hebecker. “We confirmed the concept to ESL and so they have been actually on board with us.”

“We all the time talked about what it must create a digital motorsport league that would take the following step. The suggestions from the racing group and different stakeholders was tremendous optimistic.”

Final weekend noticed the primary two rounds of the inaugural ESL R1 happen in Poland’s grand Spodek Enviornment, the place 48 drivers divided into 12 groups battled it out for supremacy.

MOUZ driver Max Benecke was topped the first-ever ESL R1 winner earlier than Porsche Coamda’s Joshua Rogers raced to victory within the thrilling second spherical.

With an enormous €500,000 prize pool at stake, ESL R1 is already attracting large names together with FaZe Clan together with Group Redline, Apex Racing, Williams and extra.

Eyebrows have been raised when three-time Name of Responsibility world champion was introduced as a driver for FaZe Clan, making his sim racing debut. Nevertheless it’s this mixture of conventional and sim racing esports groups competing collectively that Lodwick thinks will set ESL R1 aside. “I feel that is the primary true sim racing competitors the place you have got each worlds collectively,” he mentioned.

“Certainly one of our objectives is to convey conventional esports groups into the combination but additionally the true manufacturers from conventional racing collectively. It’s all the time a little bit of a raffle once you do that. We’ve been overwhelmed with the suggestions we’ve obtained from the groups and the group.”

Early indicators are extraordinarily optimistic. From the primary broadcast, Rennsport’s gameplay seemed gorgeous with no noticeable visible downgrades regardless of being early in growth and TV-style digicam angles capturing the drama. Energetic commentary from seasoned esports commentators George Morgan and Lewis McGlade created an electrifying environment.

After rFactor 2’s disastrous 24 Hours of Le Mans Digital noticed a annoyed Max Verstappen give up the sport mid-race, Rennsport is already shaping as much as be a reputable new racing esports platform.

Following the large success of the primary two rounds, season one of many ESL R1 will return for six extra rounds. In Might, the highest 24 qualifiers will then compete within the Main on the Rennsport Summit in Munich, Germany, to resolve who shall be topped champion. A second season is deliberate for later this yr.

Rennsport is geared toward esports and PC gamers for now, however Competitors Firm is optimistic a console port will comply with sooner or later. “We’ve got a technique relating to console and extra informal gameplay utilizing a joypad. It’s on our timeline however we is not going to give attention to that but. It’s the following step subsequent yr.”

Accessibility choices can even be added as the sport evolves. “Relating to new issues there shall be a coaching half that makes it simpler to leap into the sport and study the sport. That additionally contains making the sport simpler to make use of with cheaper {hardware}.”

As for when you’ll be able to take Rennsport for a spin, a closed beta was deliberate for January earlier than being delayed. This enabled Competitors Firm to give attention to optimising the sport for the inaugural ESL R1.

Whereas Hebecker did not verify a launch date, the CEO mentioned gamers can strive a model primarily based on the esports construct proven at ESL R1 “later this quarter.”

Registrations for the closed beta waitlist are open and Rennsport is already attracting a number of curiosity from the sim racing group. In keeping with Hebecker, “greater than 33,000” gamers have registered for the beta. Round 26,000 of these are on Discord, which shall be used to collect suggestions from the group. 

An open beta can be deliberate for later this yr, with Competitors Firm focusing on a December 2023 launch for the ultimate construct. Even at this early stage, Rennsport has enormous potential to shake up the sim racing world.