Assetto Corsa EVO Drops Economy-Based Progression, Redefines Career Mode

Kunos Simulazioni has confirmed a major shift in the design of Assetto Corsa EVO’s single-player experience, announcing that the simulator will move away from an economy-based progression system. As a result, elements such as XP, virtual currency, and economy-driven unlocks will no longer be part of the Career Mode or Driving Academy.

The announcement was shared by Ben McConnell, Community Manager at Kunos Simulazioni, via the official Assetto Corsa Discord server, as anticipation builds around the upcoming v0.5 update, one of the most significant milestones in EVO’s ongoing development.

A Change of Direction for Career Mode

From its early presentations, Assetto Corsa EVO positioned its Career Mode as the backbone of the single-player experience, closely tied to the game’s ambitious LIDAR-scanned open-world map around the Nürburgring, which is still in development. This structure was originally designed around an in-game economy that would govern progression.

That approach, however, drew criticism from a portion of the community. In response, Kunos introduced an Open Mode in version 0.2, allowing players to bypass XP and virtual currency entirely. Now, with version 0.5 approaching, the studio has decided to fully abandon the economy-driven model.

According to the statement, “features such as XP, virtual currency, and economy-based progression will no longer be part of the experience.” Kunos explains that while the decision was not taken lightly, it enables the team to focus on delivering a clearer and more authentic experience, better aligned with community expectations and the long-term vision for Assetto Corsa EVO.

Skill-Based Progression and a Reworked Driving Academy

Rather than removing structure from solo play, Kunos emphasizes that this shift allows the studio to replace the original Career Mode with experiences centered more directly on driving, learning, and improvement. A key pillar of this new direction will be a completely reworked Driving Academy, designed as a meaningful tool for developing driving skills and mastering cars and tracks.

Progression, according to Kunos, will now be guided by skill, learning, and competition, rather than artificial economic systems. Well-received features such as vehicle tuning will continue to play an important role, ensuring that player agency and technical depth remain intact.

At this stage, Kunos has not provided specific details on how the new single-player structure will be implemented, leaving open questions about the final form of solo content in Assetto Corsa EVO.

Expanded Focus on Competitive Online Features

While the single-player experience is being redefined, Kunos is also continuing to expand EVO’s multiplayer and competitive offerings. The introduction of ranked racing in version 0.4 led to a noticeable increase in player engagement, encouraging the studio to further develop online-focused systems.

Planned additions include Special Events, online leaderboards, hotstints, and other structured game modes aimed at delivering clear goals, replayability, and healthy competition—without relying on an in-game economy.

According to McConnell, simplifying the overall structure gives the development team greater flexibility and allows them to dedicate more time to areas the community values most, including:

• deeper racing and simulation systems
• stronger foundations for modding
• future community-driven multiplayer options
• richer and more flexible single-player content
• competitive features based on leaderboards and time-based challenges
• continued free-roam development and ongoing UI improvements

A Strategic Shift with Open Questions Ahead

The decision to eliminate economy-based progression marks a significant turning point in the development of Assetto Corsa EVO and reflects Kunos Simulazioni’s responsiveness to community feedback. However, the true impact of this change will depend on how the new single-player experiences are ultimately structured and delivered.

With the v0.5 update drawing closer, further clarification is expected in the coming weeks—particularly regarding the future of solo play and the long-awaited open-world Nürburgring map.

You can purchase Assetto Corsa EVO from our links for about 20 euros:

• Assetto Corsa EVO