There was a moment when I read “open world” next to Assetto Corsa EVO and a little light switched on. As a sim fan, the idea of leaving the confines of circuits and getting lost on backroads, towns, and highways scanned in detail sounded like a small petrolhead dream. That was, for many of us, the promise that set ACE apart from the rest.
Over time, that beacon drifted away. What had been hinted for summer within Early Access shifted to “when 1.0 lands.” And in between, a difficult feeling to swallow: the project’s best idea is also the one that keeps slipping.
The Promise That Won Us Over
For me, the Assetto Corsa EVO open world is that side road that smells like pine and gasoline the one you save for a slow Sunday. It’s still the best part of the dream. But dreams, if announced with dates, turn into commitments.
The open world was the unique selling point the axis that fueled the conversation and justified getting on board early.
It’s not just “a big map.” It’s the ghost of free driving with Kunos’ fidelity: secondary curves, blind crests, everyday routes with soul… all tied to handling that, when it shines, truly shines.
The Reality That Stings
What weighs on me isn’t the delay itself, but how the goalposts moved: roadmaps that shift, windows that slip, long silences, and a 0.2 build that, months later, still suggests we are far from that imagined “all together.”
Early Access can be wonderful when it builds a clear pact: I show the game in pieces; you test and help me polish it. Here, the takeaway feels different: more commercial tool than development agreement.
The message that works isn’t “soon,” but “this is what’s coming, when, and why.” Less hype, more verifiable milestones.
The Technical (and Legal) Elephant in the Room
I’m not naïve: building a credible, optimized open world is monstrous. If you also aim at complex regions and run into privacy, permits, and scanning logistics, the mountain grows.
Promise little, deliver a lot remains the best technology available.
I can accept that difficulty; what doesn’t fit is selling the summit as if it were two corners away. I still believe physics and handling could sustain a decade of community if paired with three things:
- Surgical transparency: what ships in each update, what gets cut, and realistic dates.
- Clear priorities: rock-solid optimization and multiplayer before opening the open-world floodgates.
- Meaningful testing: even if the open world arrives with 1.0, vertical slices small, playable chunks would avoid the “it launched but isn’t ready” spiral.
Today the feeling is this: the idea that most enamored us is also the one that has let us down the most. And yet, if they deliver with clarity, coherence, and commitment, maybe a few years from now we’ll remember this wait as a slow bend before a long, brilliant straight.
Here’s hoping.
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I’ll be honest, I couldn’t care less if it doesn’t ever appear. It was at the very bottom of the list, in fact it wasn’t even on my list. What I want is AC1 with a decent career mode and better physics. If they nail that I don’t care if there is no open world
My priority list for a perfect racing sim:
Realistic Physics
Lots of Cars
Accurate tracks
Single player/career mode
Multiplayer mode
Modern Graphics (optimised and working in triples and VR)
Licenced series (BTCC, Porsche Cup, etc)
No, Open World isn’t even on my list.
Unfortunately, the divide between “hardcore racing Sim” and “driving video game” is likely the open road aspect. FH5 is wildly successful in the latter realm, and has almost certainly outsold AC, AC, and ACE combined.
I don’t know what the sales statistics for GT7 look like, but since launching on PS5, FH5 has absolutely exploded.
Odds are that ACE is trying to blur those lines and make both audiences happy, which is an absolutely mammoth task and probably a fool’s errand.
You understand that v0.2 isn’t v1.0 right?
It’s not that hard to look up their newest news post with the updated roadmap (that does state it’s subject to change of course) that still clearly states free roaming won’t be implemented until V1.0
Linked here for convenience instead of speculation
https://assettocorsa.gg/assetto-corsa-evo-release-0-2/
I’m confused why this is such a difficult task to understand they have to build the bones to be able to add in more features, instead of take it personally that an openly early access and incomplete release, is early access and incomplete.
You buy to support development if you’re a diehard, or you do what the rest of us are doing and sit on the fence and wait until it is actually done because there’s so much saturation with sims that we don’t need to own every one of them.
I’m not sold on the game from what I’ve seen because I can see it’s v0.1-0.2. And much like AC and ACC it will likely have big changes to its bones as development goes on and maybe then it’ll be worth a look.
Of course I know that 0.2 isn’t 1.0, everyone gets that. My criticism wasn’t about demanding that the open world be there already, but about how it’s been communicated. A generic roadmap that shifts around doesn’t build trust, and repeating “it’s Early Access” doesn’t add anything because we all knew that from day one. The issue is that the open world was used as the big promise to hook people early, and then the goals and timelines kept moving without clear explanations.
I don’t question the difficulty of building it or the fact that features are missing, I question how expectations are being managed with the community. Other studios in Early Access give precise info on what’s coming, what’s delayed, and why. Here, instead, it feels more like selling first and clarifying later. And that’s the point: it’s not about understanding what Early Access is, it’s about asking for honest, consistent communication that matches the ambition of the project.
Trouble is mate, this the second time you’ve written about this, and where are we? No closer. Leave them to do their thing and you’ll get there. Stuff slips LMU updates slip, it’s the nature of the beast. Kunos has limited resources piling the pressure on helps no one least of all the developers who will just walk.
I understand that delays are part of development, but this isn’t just about patience: it’s about a real commitment between those of us who pay and those who chose to sell a vision. Once you take money for an Early Access product, “let us work in peace” is no longer an option it becomes an agreement. And that agreement isn’t measured in hours worked, but in transparency and respect towards the community that has invested both trust and money.
That’s why I insist: the criticism isn’t about demanding more content or faster progress, it’s about pointing out that communication is falling far short of the financial commitment already in place. If you put the open world forward as your flagship promise to attract buyers, the least you can do is provide clarity on its progress. This isn’t pressure, it’s asking for a fair relationship. You receive upfront funding; we deserve honest and consistent information.
You do realise they changed without informing anyone about it and are still quiet about it? Also they promised that it will be available mid summer of 2025, so that in it’s self is false advertising, I’ve been backer of kunos since the early alpha build of Assetto Corsa, and even then they didn’t pull this sort of BS. The problem isn’t early access, or that it hasn’t be released open world but the fact they thought they could hide it under the rug and take us for idiots not to notice it! Even LeMans Ultimate has better communication with their community/customers than kunos does, and this is bad for business I don’t think I can ever trust kunos again. As that was a D*** move from kunos
This article hits at why I didn’t bmpay for early release. IRacing is decades ahead of everything else, the high cost goes to a literal team of engineers. Evo, I’m beyond excited for the open world. Open world is what kept AC alive in mod land.
Remember the very first Need for Speed? Open world heaven (at the time). I hope the new game isn’t too serious but is enjoyable to play with a controller. I’m hoping for FH3/4 (I don’t think much of 5) but with decent handling.
You mean the one from 1994? I don’t think that was open world.
Then what would be the point? As you are aware the Forza Horizon exists. What would set this apart from Forza is a more realistic handling model. I too enjoyed FH4, but the thing I longed for was more accurate physics. Evo cannot compete on gloss, but it can beat horizon on authenticity. To water it down would make it a horizon clone
Exactly. And that’s not what the AC players want. This has me worried that we will be looking at PC3 because it will fall far short of expectations. It’s promising too much.
Honestly if you have released a title in the genre, you should not get another EA release under that genre. You know what you are doing so you must release at 1.0 in the future. EA is exploiting the user if they do so. Valve needs to step in , set rules to protect the user, 1st if you buy DLC in EA you can get a refund up till 1.0 release.
I’d say nearly over 10 years is a long time between the same Genre (I don’t class ACC as the same it is essentially a one make series using a proprietary engine) cut Kunos some slack they are developing from the ground up and starting again
I’ll buy ACE when open world is released. I don’t need another track racing simulator. IMO open world is ACE usp and this is how they positioned it, rightly so.
You want solid release dates and fully tested, optimised and bug free releases. Totally conflicting expectations that you should know are unrealistic. You can have one or the other, not both unless you can accept release dates that are a long way off in the distance. Evo is being ruined by all the wingers.
I’m not asking for a bug-free, 100% optimized build with every update that’s a misrepresentation of my point. What I’m asking for is realistic communication: clear priorities, honest updates, and transparency when goals shift. That isn’t “unrealistic,” it’s the bare minimum you can expect from a studio that is already charging upfront.
And blaming players for “ruining EVO” just because they point out these gaps is unfair. Criticism doesn’t kill a project; poor expectation management does. People can accept delays and rough edges if they’re told honestly what’s going on. What frustrates players isn’t the bugs, it’s being sold a promise and then left in the dark.
Long live AC1
The greed has come out. They went down the early access rabbit hole, paid a bunch of mainline youtubers for attention, and all their followers ate it up. The game isn’t in good condition. Project Motor Racing is going to destroy it.
What there is in the game is very feels very nice, looks a lot better than LMU, however, the lack of content at present is an issue, plus the shuttering. Kunos needs to work on communication, saying nothing might be the modern way, but here its not good enough.
We can complain all we like on here I bet Kunos doesn’t read it. ACE will be at least one more year before it gets anywhere near where it needs to be. In the meantime PMR will come and go. AMS 2 will still divide opinion, Iracing will still make a fortune from a mediocre at best games engine which if it was a horse would have been shot on the face years ago, while still not having a half decent reporting system to clean up.the racing. LMU will overtake (if it hasn’t already) ACC with sports car racing. But people will still be arguing about tire models, and AC 1 will still be one of the top players on steam year on year
You know that this game is in dev right? Its 0.2 not 1.0 this is beta not the full game!
do you have to pay for it?
The problem here is not the game it’s optimisation. There is now a dizzying amount of processors motherboards, GPUs VR sets, single monitors triple monitors, sound systems Ram speeds and capacities and any number of combinations of all of that…… Not to mention different windows builds. Now a development house can’t buy every different system but they also can’t develop a game that only works in a narrow operating window. Whilst early access is a form of crowd funding it’s also vital to optimise the game so it’s stable on as many systems as possible. Guess what? This isn’t a 5 minute job, anybody remember how bad Cyberpunk was on release? It nearly killed the game. Trouble is people’s patience is getting shorter there’s a sense of “I’ve paid my money (not the £70 a fully finished console game costs but £20) therefore I’m pissed off when it doesn’t work.
I bought the EA on the day one knowing what it was about. You should too.
If they will take time to make it great, I hope they have that. I prefer to wait than to regret.
Kunos might take even one year of delayings, and I wouldn’t care less. They proved they are very capable when they delivered AC1.
Take your time, Kunos. Take my money and make it great. I can wait.
I respect that you’re comfortable waiting as long as it takes, but not everyone has to treat Early Access like a blind donation. When money changes hands, there’s an exchange: players support development early, and in return they deserve clarity about what’s coming and when. Preferring transparency doesn’t mean being impatient it means valuing the commitment on both sides.
Relying on the success of AC1 is fine for trust, but it doesn’t erase today’s responsibility. Different project, different context, different expectations. Asking for honest communication isn’t about rushing Kunos or doubting their ability; it’s about making sure the community isn’t kept in the dark while financing the journey.
It’s not blind when you can play it. We had 3 updates already. And its getting bigger and better every version it updates.
I agree in the lack of oficial communication. They should do it better.
Anyways, I am vary happy if the results we are getting. Delayed? Yes. But it is worthing.