As 2024 is crossing the finish line, it is time to look back at what happened in sim racing this year - here's part 1 of our year in review.
Another year in the books - and what a year it has been: 2024 held some quite significant storylines for sim racing, and those were not just limited to big releases or updates. Looking back at our article archive throughout the months, there was a ton of news that made 2024 memorable.
In fact, there was so much that we decided to split our year in review article into two parts so you would not be confronted with an endless wall of text. So without further ado, here is part 1 of our 2024 sim racing review!
Image: Kunos Simulazioni
That was not all for Kunos in January, though, as long-time Head of Vehicle Handling & R&D Aristotelis Vasilakos resigns from the Italian Studio, stating that after 20 years in sim racing, it was time to move on.
Meanwhile, PlayStation racer Gran Turismo Sport is delisted from the store on January 4 - without prior notice. The title's end of online service on January 31 was known already, however, the removal from the PlayStation Store was not.
While one title was going out, another is revealed for the first time: @Marcel Offermans first shares his The Last Garage project on January 9, aiming to create a new sim racing platform with a highly-capable physics engine.
In other positive news, iRacing announces on January 11 the return of its Indy 500 special event for May 2024. In 2023, it had not taken place, as iRacing did not have a licensing deal in place to hold the popular race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The first on-site event also happens early on in 2024, with Sim Formula Europe 2024 opening its doors at MECC Maastricht from January 11 to 14. The expo sees Trak Racer announce its own peripherals and Jernej Simončič win the on-site competition, among other things.
Image: Motorsport Games
Once LMU releases, it is relatively bare-bones, so the decision to go the Early Access route was probably preferable over an undercooked "full release". Despite this, we find that the title did some things well already, even early on in its life cycle.
In between, iRacing announces on February 14 that March's Season 2 update would finally include a weather system that allows for rain, although it would only be rolled out to a limited number of cars at first.
Additionally, Reiza Studios announce a key element of its eventually enormous v1.6 update, having signed a licensing agreement with IMSA for Automobilista 2. RaceRoom would continue its content drops with the Circuit de Pau-Ville, and Rennsport - still in Closed Beta at the time - reveals a roadmap.
But at the very end of the month, the first domino in what would become arguably the biggest story in sim racing in 2024 falls: Endor AG, the company behind sim racing hardware brand Fanatec, announces that CEO and Founder Thomas Jackermeier is dismissed from his role. This is "a key condition set by the lending banks for the extension of the standstill agreement until June 30, 2024", according to CFO Matthias Kosch.
Fanatec already did not have a relaxed end of 2023, with customers not happy about how their Black Friday sale had been handled - it looked like things went deeper at this point, and much deeper they went, as it would turn out later.
Image: Funselektor
Kunos also uses this occasion for a clever bit of marketing for their upcoming sim, still referred to as Assetto Corsa 2 at that point: By scanning a QR code that would show up on some of the video walls around the newly-released version of the Nürburgring, players are taken to a website that confirmed the actual name of the successor to be Assetto Corsa EVO.
The next chapter in the Fanatec/Endor saga, meanwhile, sees Andres Ruff appointed as new CEO of the company on April 19. His first task: to tackle delivery issues that have annoyed customers since at least late 2023. Following this, Fanatec renews its partnership with F1 on April 26 - the same day CFO Kosch states that Endor is in talks with potential investors and that a recapitalisation process is set to begin, highlighting the difficult situation of the company.
Image: Endor AG
Later, on May 29, it emerges that not everyone within Endor seems to think that this is a good solution, but rather a hostile takeover attempt - that is how the so-called 'Fanatec Rebel Alliance' puts it as it briefly takes over the official Fanatec Facebook page. Its post is deleted soon after, though, and Fanatec regains control of the page.
Image: Reiza Studios
In less business-related news, Reiza announces the arrival of Audi, Road Atlanta and the proper LMDh hybrid system representation for Automobilista 2 v1.6 in its May 31 dev update - a result of its IMSA deal, ramping up the excitement of sim racers. A release date for the update is not known, though, and it will not be until it actually launches.
Speaking of launches: F1 24 officially hits the shelves on May 28, and the community is not thrilled. Concerns about the game's handling model had already come up when preview versions were available, but the release version confirms them.
Image: Kunos Simulazioni
The original AC is not doing too bad, either: On June 23, Assetto Corsa sets a new all-time concurrent player peak record, upping the previous best from December 2023 by about 500 players.
Just in time for the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans, Le Mans Ultimate releases its first big update that also includes content on June 10, bringing the BMW M Hybrid V8 to all players for free, as well as the 2024 liveries for the Hypercars that are already in the sim. Following the conclusion of the real endurance classic at La Sarthe, LMU also sets a new player peak record within just a few hours on June 17.
Meanwhile, GTRevival announces that it will change its name and publisher on June 18, but does not share any further details - yet. As we get to tag along for a track event at Silverstone with developer Straight4 Studios, we have to sit on the news for about a month.
PSVR2 is made compatible with PC systems via a new, official adapter.
iRacing releases its Season 3 build including the Ford Mustang GT3 and Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
Corsair announces its first sim racing rig.
Moza Racing launches the R3 Bundle at our office in Cologne.
Forza Horizon 4 is set to be delisted from online stores on December 15.
IndyCar secures the assets of its WIP game from Motorsport Games following a settlement.
As you can see, a lot of things happened in sim racing in just the first half of 2024 - and we got another six months to go! Check back tomorrow when part 2 of our year in review article will be published.
What was your favorite sim racing moment of the first half of 2024? Let us know in the comments below!
Another year in the books - and what a year it has been: 2024 held some quite significant storylines for sim racing, and those were not just limited to big releases or updates. Looking back at our article archive throughout the months, there was a ton of news that made 2024 memorable.
In fact, there was so much that we decided to split our year in review article into two parts so you would not be confronted with an endless wall of text. So without further ado, here is part 1 of our 2024 sim racing review!
Image: Kunos Simulazioni
January
2024 did not take too long to kick off properly: Already on January 3, Kunos Simulazioni confirms the KTM X-Bow GT2 as the fifth car for its upcoming GT2 Pack DLC within Assetto Corsa Competizione, which later releases on January 24. The pack is well received, but interest drops again in favor of the omnipresent GT3 class soon afterwards.That was not all for Kunos in January, though, as long-time Head of Vehicle Handling & R&D Aristotelis Vasilakos resigns from the Italian Studio, stating that after 20 years in sim racing, it was time to move on.
Meanwhile, PlayStation racer Gran Turismo Sport is delisted from the store on January 4 - without prior notice. The title's end of online service on January 31 was known already, however, the removal from the PlayStation Store was not.
While one title was going out, another is revealed for the first time: @Marcel Offermans first shares his The Last Garage project on January 9, aiming to create a new sim racing platform with a highly-capable physics engine.
In other positive news, iRacing announces on January 11 the return of its Indy 500 special event for May 2024. In 2023, it had not taken place, as iRacing did not have a licensing deal in place to hold the popular race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The first on-site event also happens early on in 2024, with Sim Formula Europe 2024 opening its doors at MECC Maastricht from January 11 to 14. The expo sees Trak Racer announce its own peripherals and Jernej Simončič win the on-site competition, among other things.
Image: Motorsport Games
February
A fairly calm month follows, although the big story of February is clearly Le Mans Ultimate. The official WEC game was set to release on February 20 - which it does, but in Early Access rather than in full. Following a long period of radio silence, publisher Motorsport Games announces this change on February 1, and soon starts showing previews of the game containing the full 2023 WEC season.Once LMU releases, it is relatively bare-bones, so the decision to go the Early Access route was probably preferable over an undercooked "full release". Despite this, we find that the title did some things well already, even early on in its life cycle.
In between, iRacing announces on February 14 that March's Season 2 update would finally include a weather system that allows for rain, although it would only be rolled out to a limited number of cars at first.
What else happened in February?
- MOZA Racing launches its TSW Truck Wheel.
- More gameplay for Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is shown, but the game still does not have a release date.
March
Until the Easter weekend, March was a relatively ordinary sim racing month: Exciting releases, like iRacing's Season 2 including the Tempest weather system, or news that seemed impossible previously like the Nürburgring-Nordschleife being added to Assetto Corsa Competizione on April 1 dominate the headlines.Additionally, Reiza Studios announce a key element of its eventually enormous v1.6 update, having signed a licensing agreement with IMSA for Automobilista 2. RaceRoom would continue its content drops with the Circuit de Pau-Ville, and Rennsport - still in Closed Beta at the time - reveals a roadmap.
But at the very end of the month, the first domino in what would become arguably the biggest story in sim racing in 2024 falls: Endor AG, the company behind sim racing hardware brand Fanatec, announces that CEO and Founder Thomas Jackermeier is dismissed from his role. This is "a key condition set by the lending banks for the extension of the standstill agreement until June 30, 2024", according to CFO Matthias Kosch.
Fanatec already did not have a relaxed end of 2023, with customers not happy about how their Black Friday sale had been handled - it looked like things went deeper at this point, and much deeper they went, as it would turn out later.
Image: Funselektor
What else happened in March?
- F1 Manager 2024 is unveiled, including a Create-A-Team mode.
- MotoGP 24 is announced, including a Rider Market.
- Golden Lap, a retro-F1-inspired strategy game by the maker of art of rally, is announced.
- Reiza releases the final Automobilista 2 update until v1.6.
April
What would have been an extremely elaborate April Fool's prank on Kunos Simulazioni's part, especially considering how it had become a meme in the sim racing community, actually turns out to be true: The Nürburgring-Nordschleife is released for Assetto Corsa Competizione, finally putting an end to the countless "Nordschleife to ACC when?" pleas on April 1.Kunos also uses this occasion for a clever bit of marketing for their upcoming sim, still referred to as Assetto Corsa 2 at that point: By scanning a QR code that would show up on some of the video walls around the newly-released version of the Nürburgring, players are taken to a website that confirmed the actual name of the successor to be Assetto Corsa EVO.
The next chapter in the Fanatec/Endor saga, meanwhile, sees Andres Ruff appointed as new CEO of the company on April 19. His first task: to tackle delivery issues that have annoyed customers since at least late 2023. Following this, Fanatec renews its partnership with F1 on April 26 - the same day CFO Kosch states that Endor is in talks with potential investors and that a recapitalisation process is set to begin, highlighting the difficult situation of the company.
What else happened in April?
- Together with Manuel Metzger and Misha Charoudin, sim racers Jimmy Broadbent and Steve Alvarez-Brown celebrate their first NLS in-class victory.
- F1 24 is officially unveiled.
- Ubisoft controversially removes The Crew from players' libraries.
- Embracer Group, home of Milestone and the Wreckfest franchise, splits into three.
- Le Mans Ultimate announces that it will be present at European WEC rounds.
- RaceRoom announces that it will have playable drift content available at Tuning World Bodensee.
- EA Sports WRC receives a beta VR implementation.
Image: Endor AG
May
Continuing right where April left off, May 2024 was full of sim racing stories, but its biggest one took arguably its biggest turn: On May 9, US-based PC hardware and peripheral giant Corsair emerges as the front runner to buy Endor AG. The plan is for Corsair to provide interim funding to stabilize the company before eventually purchasing it. A liquidity requirement of €25 million is given.Later, on May 29, it emerges that not everyone within Endor seems to think that this is a good solution, but rather a hostile takeover attempt - that is how the so-called 'Fanatec Rebel Alliance' puts it as it briefly takes over the official Fanatec Facebook page. Its post is deleted soon after, though, and Fanatec regains control of the page.
Image: Reiza Studios
In less business-related news, Reiza announces the arrival of Audi, Road Atlanta and the proper LMDh hybrid system representation for Automobilista 2 v1.6 in its May 31 dev update - a result of its IMSA deal, ramping up the excitement of sim racers. A release date for the update is not known, though, and it will not be until it actually launches.
Speaking of launches: F1 24 officially hits the shelves on May 28, and the community is not thrilled. Concerns about the game's handling model had already come up when preview versions were available, but the release version confirms them.
What else happened in May?
- MotoGP 24 releases.
- The Ford Mustang GT3 arrives in Assetto Corsa Competizione for free.
- Max Verstappen wins both the iRacing Nürburgring 24 Hours and the real-life F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on the same weekend.
- The release date for Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is announced as September 12.
- Nacon announces its own sim racing hardware department called Revosim.
Image: Kunos Simulazioni
June
Unlike in previous months, the story that stands out the most in June 2024 is not related to business drama, but rather Assetto Corsa EVO: First, Italian gaming magazine multiplayer.it posts an image that turns out to be an AC EVO screenshot following an interview with Kunos' Co-Founder and Managing Director Marco Massarutto, on June 11, then the upcoming sim's Steam page goes online on June 27 - including system specs and the first batch of screenshots.The original AC is not doing too bad, either: On June 23, Assetto Corsa sets a new all-time concurrent player peak record, upping the previous best from December 2023 by about 500 players.
Just in time for the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans, Le Mans Ultimate releases its first big update that also includes content on June 10, bringing the BMW M Hybrid V8 to all players for free, as well as the 2024 liveries for the Hypercars that are already in the sim. Following the conclusion of the real endurance classic at La Sarthe, LMU also sets a new player peak record within just a few hours on June 17.
Meanwhile, GTRevival announces that it will change its name and publisher on June 18, but does not share any further details - yet. As we get to tag along for a track event at Silverstone with developer Straight4 Studios, we have to sit on the news for about a month.
What else happened in June?
EA Sports and Codemasters deploy a patch for F1 24 to address the handling issues raised by the community.PSVR2 is made compatible with PC systems via a new, official adapter.
iRacing releases its Season 3 build including the Ford Mustang GT3 and Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
Corsair announces its first sim racing rig.
Moza Racing launches the R3 Bundle at our office in Cologne.
Forza Horizon 4 is set to be delisted from online stores on December 15.
IndyCar secures the assets of its WIP game from Motorsport Games following a settlement.
As you can see, a lot of things happened in sim racing in just the first half of 2024 - and we got another six months to go! Check back tomorrow when part 2 of our year in review article will be published.
What was your favorite sim racing moment of the first half of 2024? Let us know in the comments below!
