WRC 8, the official video game of the 2019 FIA World Rally Championship, is released today (Thursday).

The latest version of the hugely popular series is the most complete rally game ever made, reproducing every aspect of the WRC and benefiting from expert opinions of leading drivers during its development.

WRC 8 features the exciting new-generation World Rally Cars of all four manufacturer teams – Citroën Total, Hyundai Motorsport, M-Sport Ford and Toyota Gazoo Racing – in 2019 liveries.

Players can choose to don the race boots of more than 50 drivers, headlined by the trio chasing the 2019 WRC title – six-time world champion Sébastien Ogier, Thierry Neuville and current leader Ott Tänak.

A wide selection of competitors from the WRC 2 Pro and WRC 2 support categories, including Kalle Rovanperä, Mads Østberg and Gus Greensmith, are available, along with FIA Junior WRC contenders.

Gamers can select from more than 400km of new and reworked roads from all 14 rounds of the 2019 season, incorporating key sections from 100 of the WRC’s legendary special stages.

They include classic locations such as the fan favourite Colin’s Crest from the Vargåsen test in Sweden, the stunning rocky landscape of El Condor in Argentina and the mighty jumps of Ruuhimäki in Finland.

All cars appear in 2019 liveries

Fans of WRC history will enjoy an array of legendary rally cars, including the evocative Lancia Stratos, the ever-popular Ford Escort RS1800 and the Lancia 037.

Publisher Bigben and development studio Kylotonn have made significant improvements to increase player realism, including new car and surface physics as well as unique weather conditions for each country.

The Career mode has been totally redesigned to put players in the shoes of a rally driver and manager, who must progress over the course of several seasons to compete at the top level and become world champion.

As part of a team, players must plan their calendar, manage their crew, recruit new members and develop a strategy to take them to the top.

As well as working with drivers, engineers and mechanics from official teams, Kylotonn also conducted tests with top eSports players to gather feedback and create the most realistic and accurate gameplay ever made.

WRC 8 is produced under licence from WRC Promoter and managing director Oliver Ciesla believes the game will once again prove a big hit with fans.

“WRC 8 captures the adventure and challenges posed by the real-life FIA World Rally Championship,” he said.

More than 50 drivers and 100 special stages are available

“Classic rallies from across the globe, legendary stages and unpredictable conditions combine in a high-adventure game where precious tenths of a second make the difference between winning and losing.

“Significant improvements mean WRC 8 is even more true-to-life than its predecessors. Gamers can step into their heroes’ shoes to test their skills before enjoying the drama of the WRC itself on our media platforms.”

WRC 8 is available for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The Nintendo Switch version will be available in November.

WRC 8 at the heart of eSports WRC world final

The world’s best eSports rally drivers will face off against each other on WRC 8 next month in the final of the 2019 eSports WRC powered by Hyundai.

The nine finalists will battle for tenths of a second in pursuit of the world title and a brand-new Hyundai i20 road car at a two-day event in the WRC service park in Llandudno during Wales Rally GB (3 - 6 October).

Qualifiers include 2018 winner and real-life rally driver Jon Armstrong, who won the title just 12 months after being inspired to try the game after watching live coverage of the 2017 eSports final.

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