Assetto Corsa Evo v0.3 Available Now, Sort Of

Version 0.3 of Early Access racing sim Assetto Corsa Evo was originally supposed to have launched in July, but we're now right at the tail end of August with no release date for it yet in sight.

You can get to grips with the new content now, though. That's because v0.3 has been made available as a free open beta on Steam – and yes, that is a beta version of an update for an Early Access version of a game. There are layers at play here. Sign up for Assetto Corsa's newsletter, and you'll be emailed a code to access the beta. That said, it's the same code being sent to everyone, so if you don't fancy being added to a mailing list, it doesn't take much Googling to find it...

That'll give you access to everything coming as part of v0.3, including nine cars, the most popular of which will undoubtedly be the howling V10-powered Ferrari F2004 Formula 1 car. There are also two new circuits in the form of Spa-Francorchamps and the Red Bull Ring.

Besides the new content, the biggest new arrival is undoubtedly Evo’s first step into online multiplayer. To begin with, this will be limited to a selection of car and track combos curated by Kunos, with the ability to rent a server for running private leagues coming shortly afterwards. The eventual 0.4 update, meanwhile, will bring a form of ranked multiplayer.

Elsewhere, Kunos is promising updates to the game’s oft-criticised engine sounds, tweaks to the suspension and tyre models, graphical optimisations and improvements to opponent AI and VR support. All we don’t know at this point is exactly when v0.3 will arrive, but it looks as though we won’t be waiting long.

Assetto Corsa Evo update 0.3 new cars

• Audi RS6 Avant (C8)
• BMW M3 Sport Evolution (E30)
• BMW M4 GT3 Evo
• Caterham Seven Academy
• Dallara Stradale
• Ferrari F2004
• Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo 2
• Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II
• Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport