DiRT Rally 2.0 update for 18 August 2020

• Rallycross champion will win a test drive in QEV electric rallycross car.
• Free, all-new in-game reward car for all Qualifier participants.
• Online Qualification begins 25th August in game.

Codemasters and Motorsport Games have today announced that the second season of the popular DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series will begin on Tuesday 25th August with the first qualification rounds going live in-game.

The season will culminate in a live showpiece final at the Autosport International Show at the Birmingham NEC on 16th January 2021 where 12 drivers will race for a share of $20,000 prize pool – double the amount from the first season. It has also been announced that the winner of the rallycross championship will earn a test drive in the QEV electric rallycross car that will power the new FIA eRX2 Championship.

The DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series follows the success of the first season alongside the incredibly entertaining World RX Esports Series which attracted over 1.24 million live views. Once again, the World Series will have separate championships for rally and rallycross, each with its own $10,000 prize pool.

All players who take part in any of the qualifiers will receive the Ford Fiesta R5 MKII as a free DiRT Rally 2.0 in-game vehicle. Designed as a replacement for its hugely successful predecessor, the Ford Fiesta R5 MKII, is built by M-sport and uses the latest ST-Line body shell. The car also features a new engine and chassis, alongside a notably aggressive anti-lag system. The Ford Fiesta R5 MKII will become available to all qualifying participants at the beginning of October, when the game’s 1.16 update is released.

Ross Gowing, Game Director of DiRT Rally 2.0 at Codemasters said:

_“The DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series surpassed our expectations. We knew there was an appetite, but we didn’t expect the vast level of participation and engagement. Now we get to do it all over again with a bigger event and even more prize money.

We are also delighted to reward players with the in-game Ford Fiesta R5 MKII and hope this is an added incentive for players of all levels to get involved.”_

Ben Rossiter-Turner, Head of Esports Motorsport Games commented:

_“We are delighted to extend our relationship with Codemasters to deliver the second season of the DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series.

The response from the drivers, viewers and community to the first season and the World RX Esports Series has been overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to delivering an even bigger and better experience this time around, all finishing with a special showcase at Autosport International. We have very exciting plans.”_

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager for the new FIA eRX2 Championship, said:

_“We are very excited to be partnering with Codemasters and Motorsport Games for the forthcoming DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series.

The interest in esports has exploded in recent months, in particular amongst younger participants and fans, and we see a lot of synergies between this demographic and the new FIA eRX2 Championship, which is right at the forefront of rallycross’ electrification.

We have witnessed in other disciplines how gamers have the potential and ability to transition into real-life racers, and we look forward to following the competition’s second season as it unfolds and to helping the eventual winner to put their skills to the test in real life.”_

Open to all DiRT Rally 2.0 players on Steam, players can register a time by navigating to the World Championship tab in the main menu of the game and then selecting Qualifiers.

• The DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series has been divided into three qualifying stages, each consisting of three events.
• The fastest time on each event from each platform will earn a place in the Qualifying Final.
• In Rally these winners will be joined the three fastest runners up, based cumulative times and in Rallycross it will be the two fastest cumulative runners up.
• The top two in each Qualifying Final will earn a place in the Semi Final before the live Final at Autosport International in January 2021.

Rally:

Round 1 – New Zealand

• 25 Aug / Elsthorpe Sprint Forward / R2
• 01 Sep / Waimarama Sprint Forward / Group A
• 08 Sep / Ocean Beach Sprint Forward / H2 RWD
• 26 Sep / Qualifying Final 1 (Livestream)

Round 2 – Spain

• 29 Sep / Centenera / R5
• 06 Oct / Ascenso por valle el Gualet / Rally GT
• 13 Oct / Viñedos Dardenyà / H2 FWD
• 31 Oct / Qualifying Final 2 (Livestream)

Round 3 – Australia

• 03 Nov / Noorinbee Ridge Descent / H1 FWD
• 10 Nov / Taylor Farm Sprint / R5
• 17 Nov / Yambulla Mountain Ascent / H3 RWD
• 05 Dec / Qualifying Final 3 (Livestream)

Playoffs

• 19 Dec / Semi Final (Livestream)
• 16-17 Jan / Final (Live from Autosport International)

Rallycross:

Round 1

• 25 Aug / Holjes RX Supercars
• 01 Sep / Hell RX2
• 08 Sep / Lohéac Super 1600
• 26 Sep / Qualifying Final 1 (Livestream)

Round 2

• 29 Sep / Barcelona / RX2
• 06 Oct / Montalegre / RX Supercars
• 13 Oct / Hell / Super 1600
• 31 Oct / Qualifying Final 2 (Livestream)

Round 3

• 03 Nov / Lohéac / RX Supercars
• 10 Nov / Holjes / RX2
• 17 Nov / Barcelona / Super 1600
• 05 Dec / Qualifying Final 3 (Livestream)

Playoffs

• 19 Dec Semi Final (Livestream)
• 16-17 Jan Final (Live from Autosport International)

You will be able to follow the progress of the DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series on the @DIRTgame social media platforms, and on motorsport.tv.

Patch Notes: v1.15

Content:

New livery: Royal Air Force - Ford Fiesta R5

UI/UX:

• Re-enabled World Series tab on main menu to accommodate for DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series Qualifiers.

• Players who take part in World Series Qualifiers will earn a new car (Ford Fiesta R5 MKII), which is set to be released in version 1.16.

• Players who take part in Qualifiers using v1.15 will get the car when it releases.

Rallycross:

• Updated sponsor board branding on all FIA World Rallycross championship tracks to reflect real-world updates.
• Adjusted performance of AI drivers in wet conditions (decreased pace by 1%).

Cars:

• SUBARU Legacy RS - Added ability to upgrade brake durability in My Team, in line with other cars across the game.
• SUBARU WRX STI (Rallycross) - Updated livery number which was previously difficult to see.
• Peugeot 208 WRX (2019) - Adjusted position of gear indicator which was previously obscured by steering wheel.

Locations:

• Perth and Kinross, Scotland - Adjusted collision detection for some log piles, which previously resulted in invisible collisions.
• Perth and Kinross, Scotland - Adjusted Pace Note timings for a small number of corners on Newhouse Bridge Stage (now come slightly earlier).
• Perth and Kinross, Scotland - Resolved issue regarding notable FPS drop on South Morningside and Old Butterstone Muir Stages (narrow bridge section).

Colin McRae Scenarios:

• Updated completion text in German, French, Italian and Spanish for consistency.

Version 1.16 is in development, release date to be confirmed (estimate: early October).