Been a fan of Codemasters rally games dating back to the first Colin McRae Rally on PS1, so much so that it always was and still is my favourite racing game on the original PS1.
I’m gutted and genuinely feel for everyone affected by this working at Codemasters. The DiRT/WRC series was their staple for so many years and sickened that EA have pulled the rug and shut up shop.
Surely them buying Codemasters was partly due to them having the official licences for F1 and WRC - something that allowed them to expand their “EA Sports” profile.
It does sound as though the WRC licence has been ended early and they’re looking to pass on the licence to someone else, but Codemasters and their pedigree with rally racing was always my top pick.
Makes me fear for what’s left of Codemasters moving forward as EA have already killed off the arcade DiRT spinoff, Project Cars and more than likely Grid as well. Clearly F1 is their main focus currently, but wouldn’t be surprised if they give them the chop as well if that series continues to undersell.
Hope everyone affected manages to find other roles, this news must have come as a huge shock.
I hope whatever the newer studios such as Lighthouse and Maverick Games are cooking up behind the scenes manage to fill the void left by EAs cruel dismantling of a classic British racing game studio.