YOUNG STARS OF WRC PREPARE TO BATTLE IT OUT IN WRC 8 IN AN ESPORTS TOURNAMENT

Lesquin, France, April 21, 2020 – NACON and KT Racing, in collaboration with WRC Promoter, are delighted to have organized a new virtual competition taking place on 21 to 23 April in WRC 8, the official game of the FIA World Rally Championship. In this event, 11 WRC hopefuls will compete against each other in a virtual rally played in their own homes.

Because of the current situation with Covid-19, Rally Argentina, which was due to take place this week, has been postponed. Therefore, 11 drivers who compete in the WRC 2, WRC 3 and FIA Junior WRC support series will instead battle it out online in several special stages from the rally.

Thanks to the ultra-realistic gameplay in WRC 8, every player becomes fully immersed in this meticulously recreated rally. Drivers competing in the event will need to adapt their driving to the different terrain encountered in the stages selected for the tournament, hoping to gain precious seconds on their rivals and move up the standings.

This new eSports event has an impressive driver list. Headliners include Pierre-Louis Loubet – the WRC 2 2019 champion – and three WRC 2 drivers from the current season: Adrien Fourmaux, Ole Christian Veiby and Rhys Yates. Other talented drivers have also been invited to compete, including WRC 3 leader Marco Bulacia, teenage star Oliver Solberg, and the Junior WRC challenger Raul Badiu.

After a qualification phase, the best eight drivers will go head to head in quarter-finals. The four duels will be livestreamed on the WRC Facebook page on Tuesday 21 April at 9pm CET. The semi-finals will take place on Wednesday 22 April at 9pm CET and the grand final on Thursday 23 April at 9pm CET.

Oliver Ciesla, Managing Director of WRC Promoter, said: “Our drivers are missing the competition, and we miss it too. But we are convinced that their competitive spirit and adrenaline will be just as strong in WRC 8 and the challenging tracks of Rally Argentina”.

WRC 8 is already available on PC, Xbox One, PS4™ and Nintendo Switch™.

Stay tuned for news and announcements on WRC 9, which will be available on 3 September on PS4™, Xbox One and PC from the Epic Game Store. A release date for Xbox Series X, PS5™ and Nintendo Switch will be shared at a later date.

About Nacon

NACON is a company of the BIGBEN Group founded in 2019 to optimize its know-how through strong synergies in the video game market. By bringing together its 8 development studios, the publishing of AA video games, the design and distribution of premium gaming devices, NACON focuses 20 years of expertise at the service of players. This new unified business unit strengthens NACON’s position in the market and enables it to innovate by creating new unique competitive advantages. https://corporate.nacongaming.com/

About Kylotonn

Created in 2006, Kylotonn is one the most important French video game development studios, also known under KT Racing label. Specialized in motorsports and official developer of the WRC FIA World Rally Championship series and Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, the company is internationally recognized for its know-how and for the passion of its teams. With more than 110 employees as of today in Paris and Lyon, Kylotonn has developed more than 25 titles distributed by major publishers. Kylotonn has forged itself a strong technological expertise thanks to the real-time 3D engine KT Engine that the company owns. At the forefront of the video game industry, this technology is also used within R&D partnerships on autonomous vehicle projects in the automotive industry. Since 2018, NACON, one of Europe’s leading video game publishers, holds a 100% stake in the company. Kylotonn is member of the French National Developers Federation (Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo) and Capital Games. The company is supported by BPI, IFCIC and the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. For more information, visit www.kylotonn.com.

About WRC Promoter GmbH

WRC Promoter GmbH is responsible for all commercial aspects of the FIA World Rally Championship, including TV production and the marketing of global media and sponsorship rights. The Promoter also has responsibility to increase the field of participants and to propose the venues that form the FIA WRC calendar.

The World Rally Championship is the FIA’s premium rally series. WRC showcases authentic motorsport, high performance cars and the world’s best drivers competing in dramatic surroundings ranging from the ice and snow of Scandinavia to the blistering heat of Mexico. Established in its current format in 1973, WRC participants battle for the drivers’ and manufacturers’ world titles at 13 rallies spanning 15 countries and six continents. Additional championship information can be found at www.wrc.com.

Source：HomeRun PR