RaceRoom Racing Experience News

We’re very pleased to say that we are formalising our content release strategy for 2023 onwards, so you’ll know exactly what to expect from Raceroom through the year. From now on, you can expect regular pack releases every three months, around the end of each quarter, neatly interspersed with tailored drops of single cars, tracks or series livery updates. This means you can expect to see new content about every six weeks. As ever, each new release will tie in with exciting online esports competitions and events.



Each pack will contain multiple cars – and sometimes tracks – curated around a particular theme. We’ll always try to introduce new cars that either strengthen existing classes or provide a new class that we think will bring something new and exciting to Raceroom. This year’s three remaining pack releases will be at the beginning of July, the beginning of October and then our usual pre-Christmas special release.
The intermediary content will be smaller, very affordable releases, typically of individual cars or the latest new season livery updates for key championships.



Following on from our On The Edge pack release at the beginning of April, in around five weeks you’ll be able to get your hands on the first of the new intermediate releases. We’re extremely happy to announce that it will be the new BMW M4 GT3, which will ship with a whole range of liveries from the international series it runs in.



This will be followed in July by the second of this year’s quarterly packs, which will be geared around some officially-licensed Porsche content. This pack will star their new GT3 racer, the 992-model 911 GT3-R, which when added to the M4 is another boost to our already strong GT3 class. The GT3 will be accompanied by the latest generation 911 GT3 Cup (represented by official liveries from the 2023 Carrera Cup Germany Championship) and a real classic in the shape of the 944 Turbo Cup from the mid 1980s – the latter rocking some particularly old school liveries!



The next main quarterly pack release, due in October, will see the release of a touring car themed pack based around the release of an iconic street track: Circuit De Pau Ville in the south of France. Pau is an absolute classic and a star of our old Race touring car game series: we’ve wanted to bring this into Raceroom for a long time – and we thinks it’s going to be worth the wait! We’re also still committed to touring cars, and there will be some exciting news to reveal on that front over the coming months.



We’ll bring you more details on the remaining intermediate releases in the very near future: we've got a lot of fantastic content in the pipeline. Of course, we also keep a close eye on the community, and will always try and steer content themes around what we see people are asking for. We’ll also be delivering regular physics and general development updates over the coming months. Watch this space for more details!

[h3]Update details:[/h3]

Client version = 0.9.4.71
Client BuildID = 10993519
Dedi version = 91.0.1417
Dedi BuildID = 10994462




[h2]Changelog:[/h2]

• Updated splash screen
  
• Mazda RT24 / P1 / P2 - updated pitstop timers to proper prototype regulations
  
• Mazda RT24 Dpi - Reduced pneumatic trail by 5% to reduce steering forces under high load, reduced AI’s tendency to use curbs in high speed corners
  
• Silhouette car class - Improved AI behaviour
  
• Monza - New pitlane AI path to fix cars driving down the pitlane over the white line
  
• Nuerburgring -Fixed an issue with excessive cutting being reported near the pitlane entrance
  
• Chang / Buriram - Corrected HUD track map being misaligned
  
• Silverstone - Added the Hilton hotel and bridge, updated curbs and various additions
  
• Zolder - Updated materials for green tarmac and drains, updated curbs to 2023 specs.
  
  
  
  

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Today we’re releasing our On The Edge pack: a trio of high performance cars that reward being pushed right to the edge. The McLaren 570S GT4 further bolsters Raceroom’s already strong GT4 offering; the KTM delivers two cars in one – you’ll get both the GTX and GT2 versions; and then the Mazda RT24-P pushes us into modern prototype territory, opening up a lot of opportunity for some epic multi-class racing – and just maybe more prototypes in the future!

Get it now for only 7,50 €



GT4 already includes a diverse set of cars, its ruleset balancing out high-end touring cars and bespoke specials against thoroughbred supercars like this McLaren. It’s such a fun GT class to drive, and one where its popularity – both in the real world and in Raceroom – mean there’s still room for further evolution.



The McLaren sits more on the aero side of the GT4 class. It’s a powerful car, for sure, but its strength is particularly in corners – rather like the Lotus Elise and KTM X-Bow GT4 that are already in-game. A unique feature of the 570S is that it runs with an open differential, which is fully replicated in Raceroom’s physics. The relative left and right wheel speed is controlled electronically rather than mechanically, allowing more torque to be transferred to the tyre with less load but with the electronics on hand to help keep things under control.



The pair of KTMs are really engaging and exciting cars to drive. Identical twins on the surface, it’s what’s out (mid) rear that makes the difference. The GTX variant will sit in its own ‘Cup’ class, providing the opportunity for some high-powered single-make races where driver skill will be the deciding factor.



The GT2 will be, naturally, in Raceroom’s GT2 class, joining the Audi R8 LMS and Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport. It’s an interesting class: in one way less restrictive in terms of power – the KTM X-Bow GT2 has around 70bhp more than the GTX, for example, pushing 600 horses – but then by regulation the cars are then literally saddled with lead to balance out the field. But it means that on long straights the X-Bow GT2 will keep accelerating: down something like Paul Ricard’s Mistral Straight you’re going to need something to hang onto.



As well as the new content, the latest game update will also include a set of seriously updated physics for GT2 and GT4 classes, that both balance the new cars but also deliver dramatic accuracy improvements to the driving experience. We’ve fine-tuned the base setups for all our GT4s, further improving drivability but also making sure no one car dominates.



We’ve dedicated serious time to making the suspension kinematics accurate, right down to where the suspension arms are connected to the chassis and wheels. They are not simply holding the car up: they're actually playing a really important part by controlling wheel camber and vectoring forces in certain situations. Getting it right or wrong can totally make or break a car’s handling – and getting it right is very hard! We think we’ve really got the GT2s and GT4s into a good place, and we’ll be applying the same logic to other cars through further updates.



We’ve also applied some major updates to the braking physics as well: we’ve really focussed on making sure that the brake disks, callipers and pads on all our cars are accurate and reflective of real-world models. Our attention to detail even goes down to brake disk diameter, weight, cooling, pad weight and length of brake pedal travel. It means that the slight intricacies that come about from different components can now be really felt. The KTM has quite a different brake setup to the BMW M4, for example, and its braking behaviour reflects that. Get real indeed!



Back to On The Edge's content, and last but not least we present the Mazda RT-24P. It’s a great example of the last generation of prototypes that dominated prior to today’s Hypercar class, and it’s right up there in terms of extreme performance. It’s a raw racing machine: carbon brakes, plenty of downforce and a serious amount of torque extracted from what’s a pretty small engine. Just like top tier single-seaters, prototypes deliver a singular experience. Although visibility isn’t as bad as the high-fender LMP1s of the 2010s, they still take a lot of focus and practice to master – and a rear-view camera does help.



Our Mazda represents the final iteration of this machine, which was admittedly a little recalcitrant in its first season of racing in North America. But it was always fast. Reading the numbers involved when it reaches V-max won’t be the problem: mastering them will be.



The Mazda will be epic in multi-class races – whether you’re racing in or against one. They’ll be massively faster in the corners than their opposition, but in certain circumstances not hugely faster on straights when the best GTs hit their top speed. We’ve got a lot of Ranked racing and competition planned for the Mazda, which should be an absolute blast.



Raceroom’s On The Edge pack is available today for €7.50, and the accompanying game update will deliver all the improvements listed above and more.



We’re also pleased to say that we are formalising our content release strategy for 2023. From now on, you can expect regular themed pack releases every three months, neatly interspersed with tailored drops of single cars or tracks we think deserve to be highlighted. Following on from On The Edge, in six weeks you’ll be able to get your hands on the first of these intermediate releases, which we think will be a great addition to our GT3 range, followed by a pretty epic themed pack release at the end of Q2 – around June. We’ll be revealing our plans for the rest of the year imminently, and we’ll also be delivering regular physics and general development updates over the coming months. Watch this space for more details!

[h3]Update details:[/h3]

Client version = 0.9.4.69
Client BuildID = 10935404
Dedi version = 91.0.1414
Dedi BuildID = 10935303




[h2]Changelog:[/h2]

• Dedicated server - Added support for Max Rating and Max Reputation limitations
  
• GTR 4 car class - physics overhaul, BoP adjustments, welcoming the new addition: the McLaren 570s GT4
  
• GT2 car class - physics overhaul, BoP adjustments, welcoming the new addition: the KTM X-Bow GT2
  
• Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Endurance specs - Fix for suspension ranges
  
• Circuit de Charade - Added a Classic Racing School layout, featuring cones marking corner entries, apexes and exits and the school’s lounge in the pitlane garages
  
• Chang International - Changed date of the race to 29th October for a better default light at those coordinates (was set to mid June)
  
• Dubai Autodrome - Changed date of the race to 14th January for a better default light at those coordinates (was set mid June)
  
• Controllers - Added default profile for Thrustmaster T818
  
• Controllers - Changed the rev light bindings behaviour to allow for remote switch off through .xml files by 3rd party apps. Added message at the top of the screen indicating when rev lights mode is switched around.
  
• Experiment - Added logging in a results txt file of all sessions located in My Documents folders. Formatting and data are subject to change from testing of this feature.
  

The third car in our On The Edge pack is not just a small step, but more like a giant leap forward for racing kind. Raceroom already features some epically fast racecars: our Formula X class showcases the pinnacle of modern single seater performance; the R18 TDI was the whisper-quiet but rocketship-quick LMP1 of its generation; and the VW ID.R proves that battery power is the quickest way to get to the top of a mountain. Our new addition to the prototype ranks sits up there with them: Mazda’s RT24-P DPi prototype is an absolute weapon – and a blast to drive.



There are few things that can beat the visceral thrill of a modern prototype. Whereas in a single-seater you’re lying down with your head poking out of a 200mph carbon fibre bathtub, in a prototype you’re enclosed in the tight confines of a cockpit, with the big fenders over the front wheels obscuring your lateral views and the sound of the engine reverberating around you – also at 200mph, but usually also racing against GT cars potentially going 50mph slower than you are. You have to drive with your senses in overdrive: you have to be at one with the machine. A prototype cockpit is a claustrophobic but exhilarating place to be.



IMSA forged ahead with its own set of North American prototype regulations back in 2017, sensibly taking a more modest approach based on LMP2 chassis clothed in manufacturer-backed bodykits – something that avoided the worst troughs of the WEC’s own search for its future technical platform. IMSA’s Daytona Prototype International rules set enjoyed an impressive and entertaining run right up to the introduction of the new Le Mans-aligned Hypercar spec in 2022: Mazda went up against Cadillac, Acura and (for a limited time) Nissan in five seasons of hard-fought races.



Mazda have a proud history in sportscar racing, with an almost constant presence in grassroots motorsport capped with occasional high level programmes. There’s the ubiquitous MX-5 (the latest version of which we released last December), but then they also deliver left-field haymakers, like the iconic, Le Mans-winning 787B or the racing RX-7s (whether touring car, pumped-up GTO or rally variants).



In tune with IMSA’s desire to make prototypes have more relevance to fans, the RT24-P incorporated Mazda’s KODO design philosophy – the ‘soul of motion’ – that took cues from its road cars. The aero levels it produces are enormous, empowered by the huge shovel of a front wing mounted under the nose, replete with multiple dive planes, sidepod profiling and rear wing.



Following a difficult first year after Mazda stepped up to DPi, they engaged the legendary Joest team (giants during the Group C era and stalwarts of Audi’s domination of LMP1 in the 2000s) to manage the race programme, and the car’s performance potential was truly unlocked. The RT24-P racked up seven wins and 25 podiums in its career, including prestigious wins at Daytona, Sebring and Road Atlanta.



Sure, this DPi doesn’t feature one of Mazda’s legendary rotary units, but it’s still a screamer. Powering this low-slung racer is a two-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. As a statement that sounds relatively unimpressive: but this highly-tuned AER unit pushes out around 600hp, turning what sounds like something from a family saloon into a screaming monster.



The core Riley MkXXX chassis was developed by North American engineering specialists Multimatic, continuing a relationship with Mazda that had seen the two field a Lola-based prototype in the US. The resulting 930kg package is fast. Very, very fast. We will be releasing the car with plenty of liveries to make single-class races fun, but the best environment will be in proper multi class events: the RT24-P’s natural hunting ground. Expect this car to feature heavily in Ranked races in the coming months.



We’ve had great fun getting this cars ready for you, and we can’t wait to get them in your hands in a couple of days’ time. The On The Edge pack features a trio of very different performance machines that deliver a set of completely different driving experiences, further boosting the range we can offer you – and also laying foundations for more cars to add to under-represented classes. Watch this space!