Assetto Corsa Rally is a hardcore, simulation-first rally game built on the Assetto Corsa physics engine and Unreal Engine 5, currently in Early Access on PC via Steam. It is aimed at sim racers who want realism, detailed car behaviour, and challenging stages rather than an easy, arcade-style experience.

Assetto Corsa Rally is a standalone rally sim that extends the Assetto Corsa franchise into point-to-point rally stages instead of circuit racing. It focuses on replicating the real sport: pace notes, changing grip, damage, and car setups are all central to how you drive and progress. The developers describe it as an uncompromising simulation where concentration, precision, and practice are essential to get through stages quickly and safely.

Physics and Driving Model

The game uses an adapted version of the original Assetto Corsa physics engine, tuned specifically for gravel, tarmac, jumps, and highly uneven rally surfaces. It simulates distinct behaviours for FWD, RWD, and AWD cars, so throttle input, weight transfer, and braking techniques feel very different depending on drivetrain.

Tech and Visuals

Stages and cars are built using laser-scan data, capturing fine terrain irregularities, road camber, and environmental details like vegetation and trackside features. Dynamic lighting, weather, and day-night cycles further affect visibility and atmosphere, especially in low-light or stormy runs.

Stages and Locations

The Early Access version ships with around 33 km of fully laser-scanned real-world roads split across two rallies and four core special stages. The locations currently include asphalt stages in Alsace (Munster and Saverne) and gravel stages in Wales (Hafren North and South), each with multiple variants. Alsace emphasizes high-speed tarmac with changing grip, while Wales focuses on technical gravel through forests and hills with highly variable conditions.

Car Roster at Launch

At Early Access launch, there are 10 officially licensed cars spanning different eras and classes. The list includes classics and modern machinery such as the Mini Cooper S Gr.2 (1964), Alfa Romeo GTA 1300 Junior Gr.2 (1972), Fiat 124 Sport Abarth Rally and Fiat 131 Abarth Gr.4 from the 1970s, Group B and Group A icons like the Lancia Rally 037 EVO 2 and Lancia Delta HF Integrale EVO, and modern rally cars like the Citroën Xsara WRC, Peugeot 208 Rally4, and Hyundai i20N Rally2. Each car has unique handling characteristics and drivetrain behaviour that reward learning one platform deeply.

Game Modes and Structure

The Early Access build includes several focused modes rather than a huge career system. You can drive single stages, run rally weekends, practice freely, do time attack with online leaderboards, and participate in structured "Assetto Corsa Rally Events" that group challenges by car or location. Both offline and online play are supported, with global leaderboards giving competitive players something to grind against.

Co-driver, Sound and Feedback

A professional co-driver system provides detailed pace notes in realistic rally formats to guide you through blind corners and crests. Audio is built from recordings of real cars, capturing engine, transmission, tire, gravel, and wind noise from interior and exterior perspectives. The game also models a physics-based damage system that can affect performance and visuals, including parts deforming or coming off after heavy impacts.

Hardware Support and SIM Features

Assetto Corsa Rally supports direct-input racing wheels, pedals, and other sim peripherals, including triple-screen setups for a wider field of view. Force feedback is designed to reflect surface detail, grip loss, and weight transfer, which is especially important on rough or low-grip rally stages. VR is not in at initial Early Access release but is planned for full support later in development.

Early Access State and Roadmap

The game is in Early Access on Steam with a reduced but high-quality content set designed to iterate based on player feedback. Over the course of development, the roadmap includes expanding to 30+ cars, more locations and stages, additional game modes, full VR support, and a dedicated rally school to help players learn advanced techniques. The projected Early Access period is roughly 12-18 months, with improvements to physics, handling, UI, and content planned throughout.