Assetto Corsa Competizione
Officially licensed simulation of GT World Challenge Europe and Spa 24 Hours.
Assetto Corsa Competizione (Italian for "race setup", "competition") is a 2020 sim racing video game developed by the Italian video game developer, Kunos Simulazioni. It was released out of early access on 29 May 2019. The game is an officially licensed simulation of the GT World Challenge Europe and the Total 24 Hours of Spa, covering the 2018 through 2024 seasons, and is intended to support esports. It centers on GT3, GT4, GT2, and one-make series cars. Kunos Simulazioni first announced the game on 21 February 2018, targeting a Steam Early Access release in summer 2018. At the Total 24 Hours of Spa 2018 SRO press conference on 27 July 2018, a 12 September 2018 early access launch was revealed alongside a roadmap of monthly updates leading to a full release in Q1 2019. The game exited early access on 29 May 2019. On 11 March 2020, publisher 505 Games and Kunos announced ports for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, which arrived on 23 June 2020. Versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S were announced at Gamescom 2021 and released on 24 February 2022. Players can race against AI offline or against others online. Offline modes include a career, custom championship, custom races, and special events. Online multiplayer offers Free Practice, Hot Lap, Superpole, Hot Stint, Quick Race (up to one hour), Sprint Race Weekend (with up to two practice sessions, two qualifying sessions, and two races up to one hour each), and Endurance Race Weekend (with up to two practice sessions, four qualifying sessions, a top-ten superpole, and one or two races ranging from one to twenty-four hours). Offline races can be saved and resumed mid-session. Grids for offline races are automatically set based on the chosen series and season, or can be configured as single-make sessions for series like Porsche Carrera Cup, Lamborghini Super Trofeo, or Ferrari Challenge. Multiplayer car selection is free unless restricted by server settings. Crossplay is available between PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. A dynamic weather system affects track conditions in real time, with rain intensity, sun exposure, and temperature influencing wetness; track grip evolves over a session as rubber and marbles build up. Cars have a damage model affecting bodywork, suspension, and aerodynamics, plus a dedicated tire damage system that impacts handling and strategy, especially in endurance events.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Assetto Corsa Competizione
- Developer
- Kunos SimulazioniPorted to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One by D3T
- Publisher
- Kunos Simulazioni / (PC) · 505 Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One / PlayStation 5 / Xbox Series X/S
- Released
- Windows / 29 May 2019 / PS4, Xbox One / 23 June 2020 / PS5, Xbox Series X/S / 24 February 2022
- Genre
- Sim racing
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Kunos Simulazioni announced the game on 21 February 2018 with a planned Steam Early Access release in summer 2018. On 27 July 2018, a 12 September 2018 early access release date and a roadmap with monthly updates until a full release in Q1 2019 was revealed at the Total 24 Hours of Spa 2018 SRO press conference. It was released out of early access on 29 May 2019. On 11 March 2020 publisher 505 Games and Kunos Simulazioni announced ports for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One which were released on 23 June 2020. Versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S were announced at Gamescom 2021 and were released on 24 February 2022. Development moved from an in-house graphics engine to Unreal Engine 4 to support night races and realistic weather conditions. All ten circuits of the 2018 Blancpain GT Series season are said to be reproduced with laser scan technology.
Reader's Guide
Assetto Corsa Competizione is notable for its deep focus on a single racing discipline—GT3, GT4, GT2 and one-make series—within an officially licensed simulation of the GT World Challenge Europe and the Total 24 Hours of Spa. Its use of Unreal Engine 4 allowed for advanced dynamic weather, night racing, and laser-scanned circuits, contributing to a high standard of driving realism. The game served as a platform for esports, hosting the SRO E-Sport GT Series, the McLaren Shadow Project, and being chosen by the FIA for the 2022 FIA Motorsport Games Esports Cup. Free content updates added cars, circuits, a livery editor, and physics improvements, while downloadable content expanded the track roster to include circuits like Bathurst, Laguna Seca, Kyalami, Suzuka, and the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The PC and PlayStation 5 versions received generally favorable reviews, while the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions received generally mixed reviews, with IGN praising the realistic simulation but criticizing technical performance on older consoles. The game's legacy includes its role in bridging real-world motorsport and sim racing, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when it hosted charity events and esports championships.
Did You Know?
- Assetto Corsa Competizione was among the first titles to support Nvidia RTX real-time ray tracing on GeForce 20 series GPUs.
- The Nürburgring Nordschleife was added to the game on 1 April 2024 as part of the Nürburgring 24hr Pack, after years of player requests.
- The game was chosen by the FIA as the platform for the 2022 FIA Motorsport Games Esports Cup.
- A hot-lap competition at the 2018 Total 24 Hours of Spa weekend represented the first esports project undertaken by SRO.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Assetto Corsa Competizione?
It is a simulation racing game built by Italian studio Kunos Simulazioni that drops players into officially sanctioned GT World Challenge Europe and Spa 24 Hours events. The title was published by 505 Games and is designed with competitive esports in mind.
Which car classes and racing series does Assetto Corsa Competizione feature?
The game centers on GT3, GT4, GT2, and one-make cup series machines, all tied to the GT World Challenge Europe championship. Its content spans the 2018 through 2024 seasons of that real-world series.
When was Assetto Corsa Competizione released and on which platforms?
It entered Steam Early Access in September 2018, reached its full PC launch in May 2019, arrived on PS4 and Xbox One in June 2020, and received next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions in February 2022.
What official license does Assetto Corsa Competizione hold?
The game carries an official license for the GT World Challenge Europe series and the Total 24 Hours of Spa. That means the cars, liveries, circuits, and race structures mirror the actual championship rather than being a generic racing setup.
How does Assetto Corsa Competizione differ from the original Assetto Corsa?
Where the first Assetto Corsa offered a broad, open-ended driving sandbox, Competizione narrows its scope to a single structured GT championship with defined seasons, team progression, and built-in esports support. It trades variety of content for deeper fidelity to one real-world racing series.
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