Codemasters Blog – Racing Ahead
Engaging startup motor… Running systems check… Refreshing car memes database… ONLINE.
Hello. I am the Super Automated Robot of Automotive Happiness – but you can call me S.A.R.A.H.
Due to the current period of busy workloads, major announcements, and food comas caused by eating too many doughnuts at launch parties, the Codemasters Community team have built me, S.A.R.A.H, to cover some of their tasks at this time. Alongside running in-depth analysis on how to create the perfect cup of tea for the team, I’ve also been computed to host the latest Codies Racing Line – your fortnightly round-up of the biggest news and events coming out of Codemasters.
From new DiRT Rally 2.0 content, to more action and drama from the world of F1 Esports, to a brand new game rolling out of Codies HQ, my internal storage is overflowing with news for you all. So, do as I do: engage recliner mode, crack open a fresh can of WD40, and enjoy a bumper Racing Line – beginning with the long-awaited return of a historic racing franchise.
GRID
Not much to talk about really, is there? 😉
The wait is over – GRID is OUT NOW for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Take your place in an unpredictable racing world #LikeNoOther, where we’re already seeing players take on Ravenwest in the Career finale, run their dream race lobbies in Multiplayer, and make their GRID experience their own with adjustable settings, gameplay dynamics, and customisation options.
Of course, a launch means reviews, and some stand-outs include IGN calling GRID “A hyperbolic brand of Hollywood-style racing with style and confidence”, and Eurogamer giving GRID the Recommended treatment, labelling it as “A masterly racer that gets to the very essence of motorsport’s magic”. Those reviews and plenty more feature in our official accolades trailer, which you can watch below:
We got up to plenty of celebratory mischief during the launch week, including a launch day stream with Game Director Chris Smith. On top of that, we’ve launched the official GRID Discord channel, where we’re chatting with the community and organising multiplayer race lobbies. Jump in, say hello and race against us! If you’re feeling lucky, we’re also running game giveaways with the likes of Turtle Beach, kimoa, and AR12Gaming, so get your entries in. Speaking of giveaways…
14 years ago, to the day of this post, GRID’s Race Consultant Fernando Alonso secured his first F1 World Championship. To celebrate, not only can you race Alonso’s iconic Renault R26 across our unpredictable racing world; you can also win a copy of the game, signed by the man himself!
Check out this Codies blog post to find out how to be in with a chance of a truly #LikeNoOther prize.
And if that wasn’t enough… we’ve got news of the next platform that GRID is racing its way onto. Earlier this week, Google announced that the launch of Stadia will begin on November 19. With GRID being a launch title for Stadia, this is huge – and the Stadia team have released a new explainer video for how you can play GRID and other Stadia games through their service, in just over a month’s time.
With GRID now live to the world, I’ll be chatting with players on social channels, the Forums and Discord, running some challenges and fun tasks for players, and working with the GRID team to bring player feedback to the table. On that note, as mentioned on the Forums and Discord, the team are already finalising some tweaks, changes and updates to the game, which I’ll be bringing more news on as soon as it’s confirmed. Thank you to the GRID community for playing, giving us your feedback, and enjoying the game with us. See you on the track…
– Chris
F1 2019
Hey all,
We’re still recovering from the early start of the Japanese Grand Prix – what a race though, and huge congratulations to Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport for winning an incredible sixth consecutive constructors’ title!
You’ve been sending your F1 2019 pictures in to us, and we’ve loved looking through them all! If you want to take a look, you can check out all the shots right here.
Last night we re-ran the second round of the F1 Esports PS4 Challenger Series, and we were treated to an action-packed race! You can find out more about the Challenger Series right here, and you can check out last night’s incredible race right here:
Watch F1 New Balance Esports Challenger Series 2020: PS4 Round 4 (Monza) from formula1 on www.twitch.tv
We’ll see you next time!
– Jenny
DIRT RALLY 2.0
Hey everyone,
Compared to GRID, things have been relatively calm in the world of DiRT these past 2 weeks. Here’s a run-down:
• Yas Marina is here!
Known primarily as the finale of the FIA Formula One World Championship, 2019 saw the futuristic racetrack play host to the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship season opener. Now it’s your turn to take on the tight chicanes, ramp-like kerbs and the most exciting Joker Lap rejoin on the entire calendar. It’s a real test, and I’ve already rolled the car a few times…
• New liveries made their way to DiRT Rally 2.0 for Season 3 players as well. Just like the previous batch these were built based on the community’s feedback for more “rally-like” designs with additional sponsors and authentic numberboards. Of particular note is the Ford Focus 2007, which has been long-requested to get a new lick of paint.
• The DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series is ticking away, with more Qualifiers taking place. If you haven’t set a time yet or gotten your free BMW M2 Competition car, give it a shot.
• Version 1.9 of the game is here with big VR improvements, Broadcast Mode and more. Steam players seem real happy with it too, having a great VR experience on Oculus hardware. Patch Notes are here, and the team’s polishing 1.10 as I write this.
• And finally, we’ve got 40,000 followers on Instagram now ❤
That’s it from me; keep an eye on @dirtgame socials over the coming days for some never-seen-before screenshots of your next content drop. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to get the last few Achievements in GRID. Ravenwest have been defeated (I’m 30 hours in so far), now to go win every Career event…
-PJ
F1® MOBILE RACING
Hey team,
It’s crazy to think that one year ago tomorrow, F1® Mobile Racing officially launched worldwide! It’s been a fantastic 12 months for our free-to-play official F1 handheld game, bringing a brand new experience to the platform with live multiplayer action, in-depth car customisation and upgrades, and real-time events to participate in against the world. Spanning two F1 seasons and around 30 Grand Prix, it’s been quote the journey – but we’re not even thinking about slowing down yet.
The team are making the final tweaks to Update 9 for the game, which will add another layer of competition and incentives to take on the world, so we can’t wait to show you more. We’re also stepping up our community feedback process and listening even more to the thoughts and suggestions of our players, to help us keep pushing F1® Mobile Racing forward. Stick around for more news on Update 9 – and keep track of your GP Events – Season Championship progress, with the end-of-season rewards nearly here!
-Chris
ANY OTHER BUSINESS?
- We’ve once again teamed up with our friends at SpecialEffect and their brilliant One Special Day – Humble Bundle fundraiser, which runs into next week. Donate and do your bit to get access to a bunch of great games, including DiRT 4, redeemable on Steam. Head here to find out more, see how to donate and support a fantastic, whilst adding great games to your collection.
- A big shout-out to the team over at Intel, who delivered big during GRID’s launch week! The Intel crew sent over a huge care package of cupcakes and sweet treats to keep the GRID crew going through launch and beyond. It’s fair to say the delivery was well-received – and quickly consumed. No regrets.
