We have recent news for the incoming Le Mans Ultimate. Instead of delaying the release, an Early Access plan has been announced with a reduced price at the start. Let’s see what has been announced.
Le Mans Ultimate will be available to the public in Early Access form on Tuesday 20th February – allowing players to get their hands on the official FIA World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans game developed by renowned simulation developer, Studio 397.
The title will feature all the cars and circuits from the memorable 2023 centenary year, showcasing the exciting arrival of the revered Hypercars from that season. Cadillac, Ferrari, Glickenhaus, Peugeot, Porsche, Toyota and Vanwall, developed with extensive manufacturer support, all feature in the PC-based game. Players will experience the thrill of piloting iconic cars at spectacular laser-scanned circuits with Sebring, Portimão, Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, Fuji, Bahrain and legendary Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans all featured in the meticulous detail that Studio 397 are famed for.
Motorsport fans can start their Le Mans Ultimate journey through either Online events, powered by the latest version of RaceControl coming to Le Mans Ultimate, or Single Player Race Weekend. This offers the chance to test drive the exotic machinery, refine your car set-up and learn the circuits, whilst formulating your own Race Weekend – taking part in Practice, Qualifying and the main Race. Users will be able to adjust the time of day, session duration and weather conditions to their liking before racing against best-in-class AI drivers.
For those seeking thrilling, wheel-to-wheel competition against players the world over, Online multiplayer will offer an exhilarating challenge. From launch, players will be able to take part in ranked Daily Races that pair you with similarly skilled drivers. These races run regularly throughout the day and will provide the opportunity to build the player’s Driver and Safety Ranking – in time, your rank will offer up further opportunities for higher ranked races and exclusive events.
The price will be set at €29.99 EUR / £24.99 GBP / $32.99 USD for day one release, allowing those who purchase early to capitalise on a lower price point and gain the ability to provide feedback and steer future content. As the game evolves through Early Access, the improved experience and content offering will be accompanied by incremental price increases for new purchasers.
Game development will be a collaborative process with Le Mans Ultimate providing regular updates on the build of the game, fixes, features, content development and user quality of life updates. The Le Mans Ultimate community will not only be kept up to speed by the Studio 397 team, but also encouraged to take part in future polls, events, forums and suggestions as developers work alongside the community to shape future developments.
“397 laps is the highest number of laps ever completed by a team at Le Mans, giving Studio 397 it’s unique name. To be able to bring this product to market is a dream fulfilled. For the team it’s the next stint of an exciting journey to deliver the ultimate endurance title” enthused Dom Duhan, Head of Studio 397. “Launching in Early Access is an important step in realising our ambitions ; we will launch features and content only when ready and up to the high standards we set ourselves.”
For those who would like to stay up to date on Le Mans Ultimate, the @LeMansUltimate social media channels will be the place to be between the 8-9 February. Follow the development team as they undertake the latest in a line of several Balance of Performance (BoP) tests preparing the cars in their respective classes ahead of launch. It will be another chance to see highlights and hear the cars in action, Additionally, these channels will be used over the coming weeks to reveal the plans for the post-release roadmap and share how users can become involved in the continued development of this title.
For further information on Le Mans Ultimate visit www.lemansultimate.com or the games’ social media channels or by visiting Le Mans Ultimate on Steam and Wishlisting the product today to keep up to date with all developments.
