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Build your own rally masterpiece in EA SPORTS™ WRC
Here's everything you need to consider when you build your own car in Codemasters' EA SPORTS™ WRC.
EA SPORTS™ WRC marks legendary racing game developer Codemasters' first entry in the World Rally Championship series. While the WRC wheel has only just been handed to them, this is by no means their first rally game. Codemasters have a racing game history that includes Micro Machines, the official F1 games and the original Colin McRae Rally back in 1998 – not to mention the studio's very own Dirt and Dirt Rally titles.
Inspired by Colin McRae's project to develop his own rally car, which resulted in the McRae R4, EA SPORTS™ WRC includes a Builder mode, which allows players to design and build their own rally masterpiece. While this mode makes it easy to simply slap parts together and come out the other side with a vehicle you can race, there are a few things to consider in order to get a car you actually want to race with. Let’s go over them.
01
Pick a vehicle class
When you first select Builder mode, you need to choose a vehicle class. There's a choice of three real-world World Rally Championship classes: Junior WRC, WRC2 and WRC.
The three WRC vehicle classes
© EA/Codemasters
The Junior WRC class – also known as WRC3 – is for vehicles with around 215bhp and weighing just over 1,200kg. This class is the entry point for young drivers looking for more four-wheel drive rallying experience. WRC2 is the leading support series to the FIA World Rally Championship and is for cars with roughly 280bhp. Finally, at the apex of the sport is WRC. This class of car produces a combined power of 500bhp, which comes from a combination of a 1.6L turbocharged engine and advanced aerodynamics.
02
Placing the drivetrain
Whether you want to ease yourself in or move straight into crafting the ultimate rallying machine, once your class has been picked, you select your car's drivetrain. This is a very important step because it can dictate the car's handling characteristics.
You can select where to put your engine
© EA / Codemasters
If you choose to put the engine up front, due to the increase of understeer from having weight focused there, you'll find the car easier to control. However, placing the engine at the rear will make the car more agile, because of the increase in oversteer. It will demand more control from the driver however. An engine in the middle will provide a nice balance between the two.
03
Getting mechanical
Next comes the mechanical hub, where you'll select your engine, gearbox, suspension kit, etc. There's a lot to consider here, because for each component you’ll need to account for the part's quality and condition, which in turn determines its price. Depending on your credit budget, you may need to think about where you want to spend big and where you'll need to cut back.
Take a peek at EA SPORTS™ WRC’s mechanical hub
© EA/Codemasters
If acceleration is your chief concern, then investing in a better quality engine will be key. However, those credits will need to be diverted from something else, like brakes, so while you may have your acceleration, you'll need to think ahead a lot more when entering corners. There are also some mechanical components that open up further options. For example, picking higher quality suspension will give you the option to fine-tune it.
04
Customising all of the details
Once you've found the right components to balance your racing appetite and budget, you move on to customising the body, exterior and interior of your car. There are a whole host of options here, from the car’s shell, its rear spoiler, steering wheel, gear shifter and even its badge. All of this is very worth considering, because the more pleased you are by how something looks, the more likely you are to use it and enjoy using it.
Add some interior design
© EA/Codemasters
Before you officially confirm your build, you can test-drive your car and see if you can actually control the rear-engined wild animal you've designed, or if you need to go back to the drawing board and be a bit more sensible. When you're happy with the car's performance, all that’s left is for you to name its brand and model. Will you follow McRae’s line and bestow it your own name, take inspiration from your favourite rally racers, or name it after your pet cat? The choice is yours.
05
Unleash the beast
You're now ready to unleash your one-of-a-kind creation on the Career, Time Trial, Clubs and other modes in EA SPORTS™ WRC. Do you already have a design in mind or are you looking forward to tinkering until you get the look and feel just right? You won't have to wait long because EA SPORTS™ WRC releases November 3 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Microsoft Windows through Steam and the Epic Games Store.
