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 four 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
• Nürburgring Nordschleife

Will Assetto Corsa Evo have free roam?

The launch trailer for AC Evo threw up a couple of surprises. Namely, in addition to the expected shots of cars being flung around proper racetracks, we also see them being driven on public roads. In particular, we see what looks like the roads in Germany’s Eifel mountains – the region surrounding the Nürburgring – with one shot taking place on a corner that people familiar with the region have been able to pinpoint in real life. In addition, we also see the Ferrari Daytona SP3 sitting in what looks like an Italian piazza.

One shot even shows a Morgan Super 3 driving down a road with a BMW M4 heading in the other direction, sparking rumours that the title will feature a free-roam mode, taking place on public roads with traffic integrated. This is something that modding has implemented in the original Assetto Corsa in a big way, with meticulously recreated open-world maps added into the game by third parties.

If the speculation is true, then it would be a significant inclusion, adding elements of games like Forza Horizon and Test Drive Unlimited to a series that’s previously been restricted to on-track action (in non-modded form).

At the moment, it’s too early to say and there’s been no official line from Kunos. We can’t take the trailer shots for granted, as promo material for games like Gran Turismo has long featured dynamic shots of cars driving in areas that aren’t actually playable in-game.

However, a free roam mode certainly can’t be ruled out either, especially with the shots in the trailer recreating an area so significant to car culture and driving.

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, if statements to Traxion from Kunos co-founder Marco Massarutto are anything to go by, it seems fairly likely that Evo will be moddable too – although perhaps not to the same extent as the original: “Modding is definitely one of the open topics on the table, but no decision has been made yet. At the moment, we are focused on creating the game itself.”

Massarutto also said he doesn’t want to see content from other sims being ripped and put into AC Evo, a common technique used for creating mods for many games. This places modding in a legally grey area, something Kunos is likely keen to avoid going forward. As a result, the ability to mod the game may end up less open-ended than in the original.