Assetto Corsa Evo: Everything You Need To Know

It’s been a long time coming, but earlier this year, we finally got confirmation of Assetto Corsa Evo, the long-awaited successor to Kunos Simulazioni's 2014 title, Assetto Corsa. The original title has established itself as the leader of the racing sim market and has had a remarkably long shelf life thanks to its endless mod-ability and brilliant handling model.

After a diversion into a GT racing focus for 2018’s spin-off Assetto Corsa Competizione (the official game of the various GT World Challenge championships), Assetto Corsa Evo – as we now know it’s called – will broaden its remit to feature a greater range of cars, spanning road and race machinery and classics, modern stuff and future-facing concepts.

Now that the title's up on Steam, and the first trailer has debuted, our excitement is in full swing. If it’s as adaptable as the first game, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it last just as long. As we await its release, here’s everything you need to know about AC Evo.

Assetto Corsa Evo announcement trailer

The announcement trailer for Assetto Corsa Evo debuted on 30 September 2024. Watch it below.

Assetto Corsa Evo behind-the-scenes trailer

On 8 October, a second trailer for Assetto Corsa Evo arrived. It doesn’t include any gameplay footage, but instead shows the Kunos team hard at work – actually, thrashing various cars around tracks.

There’s a whole variety of vehicles here, too, several of which haven’t been seen in any official game footage or screenshots so far. These are as diverse as a first-gen BMW M2, a Lamborghini Huracan GT3, a drift-prepped Nissan 350Z, a Legends race car, and even the new Alfa Romeo Junior. We can’t take this as solid confirmation that any of these cars are set to appear in-game, but there must be a reason so many different cars are being driven as part of the game’s development.

Also featured is Italy’s Vallelunga circuit. Again, this by no means confirms it for inclusion, but it was in the original game, and Kunos is based just a few miles away from the twisting, compact Italian track, so we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see it feature.

One thing the trailer does confirm is that we can expect more details on the game at the ADAC SimRacing Expo, taking place in Dortmund, Germany between 18 and 20 October, where the game will also be playable.

Assetto Corsa Evo release date

When the development of an Assetto Corsa sequel was first confirmed in 2021, a 2024 release window was given, and that was stuck to right up until September 2024.

However, the latest financial report of Kunos’ parent company, Digital Bros, has confirmed that that’s been pushed back. The game will launch as a PC-exclusive in early access on Steam on 16 January 2025, with a full PC release and potentially console versions to follow at an unspecified date.

The delay isn’t a huge surprise, with Kunos co-founder Marco Massarutto previously telling Traxion that the company didn’t want to rush the game out in order not to sacrifice quality.

What platforms will Assetto Corsa Evo be on?

So far, AC Evo has only been confirmed for PC, which is by far the biggest platform for the two previous games in the franchise. That said, both Assetto Corsa and AC Competizione did get console releases further down the line, so we wouldn’t be surprised to eventually see it land on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X.

Assetto Corsa Evo car list

Based on the screenshots and trailer, we've put together a list of every car confirmed so far to be featuring in Assetto Corsa Evo. Check it out here.

Assetto Corsa Evo track list

The screenshots and trailer also give us glimpses at some of the laser-scanned tracks that’ll feature in the game at launch. Again, they’re all rendered in an incredible level of detail, and also feature some pretty impressive-looking weather and time effects. And don’t panic, the one everyone wants to know about is there. You know the one.

• Brands Hatch
• Fuji Speedway
• Imola
• Mount Panirama
• Nürburgring Nordschleife

Will Assetto Corsa Evo have a career mode?

The original Assetto Corsa didn't really have much in the way of a traditional 'career mode'. A hardcore driving sim above all else, it was largely a case of pick a car, pick a track and race.

Kunos, though, is keen for Evo to appeal to a much broader gaming audience. Its co-founder Marco Massarutto told Traxion that "we are working on those aspects that maybe were lacking [in] the first AC titles like a career mode." 

At a presentation at the Sim Racing Expo in Dortmund, Germany in October 2024, meanwhile, Massarutto and game director Davide Brivio expanded a little on what we can expect. Massarutto said he wants the game to be "the RPG of the petrolheads," and Brivio expanded a little on this:

“You enter the game, you start from some point, you develop with total freedom but gaining momentum inside the game. So what we think to lay down is a game economy system that will be as simple as we can, but will help players to enter the game with a budget, choose the first car, then with total freedom they can play, accumulate experience, and virtual currency … and buy the cars you want.”

In other words, we seem to be looking at more of a traditional Gran Turismo-style career progression, although the option to just pick a car and track and go, as in the original, will be there too.

Based on what we've seen in trailers, it also looks like some level of driver customisation will be possible.

Despite this, Massarutto is keen to emphasise that the title will still be a sim at its core, and won't sacrifice realism for broader appeal.

Will Assetto Corsa Evo have free roam?

In short, yes. This was confirmed by Kunos co-founder Marco Massarutto to Traxion, after a scene in the trailer that showed a Morgan Super 3 and a BMW M4 CSL driving in opposite directions on a public road sparked rumours of a free roam mode.

"We confirm that what you have seen in the trailer will come, to allow people just to drive for the pleasure of driving road cars on actual roads,” said Massarutto. 

Furthermore, in the Sim Racing Expo keynote presentation, Massarutto gave a little more detail on what free-roam might include. Apparently, the title's bespoke new game engine is “based on a new terrain technology that can allow us to manage a very big map and hundreds of kilometres of roads."

We also don't know what settings we'll be able to drive on the road in yet, but Massarutto says they'll be "based on real data on real locations that we believe will be very connected with the life of the petrolhead." Internet sleuths have tracked down that telltale trailer scene with the Morgan and BMW to a very specific bit of road in Germany's Eifel mountains, near the Nürburgring.

Will Assetto Corsa Evo have VR support?

Yep – the system requirements reveal that SteamVR, Meta Quest (formerly Oculus) and OpenXR virtual reality systems will be supported, with Kunos aiming to have the tech in the game from launch.

Assetto Corsa Evo system requirements

Unsurprisingly, you’ll need some fairly serious PC hardware to run AC Evo, especially if you want to enjoy it at its best.

Minimum system requirements:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Processor: Intel i7 8700k / AMD 1500X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: GTX 1070, RX 580
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: broadband internet connection
• Storage: 100 GB available space
• Sound Card: integrated
• VR Support: SteamVR, Oculus VR, OpenXR
• Additional Notes: SSD required

Recommended system requirements:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit / Windows 11 64-bit
• Processor: Intel i5 10500 / AMD 2600X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: RTX 2070, Radeon RX 5600
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: broadband internet connection
• Storage: 100 GB available space
• Sound Card: integrated
• VR Support: SteamVR, Oculus VR, OpenXR
• Additional Notes: SSD required

Will Assetto Corsa Evo support modding?

Part of what’s allowed the original AC to have such a huge player base a decade from its release is its mod support. As a result, you can now drive pretty much anything on any track your heart desires. Want to take a fully animated T-rex around Rainbow Road? Knock yourself out.

Luckily, modding will continue into Evo, although it's likely to look a little different. Massarutto confirmed to Traxion that a mod editor will arrive at the end of the game's early access period.

While modding has given the now decade-old original game a remarkable longevity, it's also a legal grey area, as it often involves ripping content from other titles or creating assets without the permission of their copyright holders. 

Massarutto wants the modding system in AC Evo to "create a platform where the modders can also work with cars and track licensors," hopefully allowing talented third-party modders to work officially with manufacturers and circuits to bring them to the game.