A free update will add a unique co-op mode to Le Mans Ultimate in June, with possibly a free car. Thereafter, updates and 2024 content will be released while the company teases subscriptions and in-game premium car setups.
Following the early access release in February, then a series of significant patches and hotfixes, Le Mans Ultimate’s next notable update is slated for June.
Ahead of then, however, further details have emerged hinting at what to expect next month, when paid-for DLC should arrive and even possible subscriptions and ‘complementary’ services.
The rest of the year is set to be a fascinating one, as parent company Motorsport Games looks to capitalise on stronger-than-expected initial sales.
While the Studio 397 team is believed to predominately working on further features and refinements, it now also has the aim of recreating the current FIA World Endurance Championship season before the end of the year.
Presently, the 2023 season is included, but the current competition includes nine different GT3 cars replacing GTE, four additional Hypercar-class entries (plus a heavily updated Peugeot), new liveries and four fresh circuits.
“Understandably, our audience is saying ‘Well, we're watching the 24 season now, we want the product to be as current as possible’,” said Motorsport Games CEO Stephen Hood on the company’s Q1 2024 earnings call.
"The first piece of content comes online in June and thereafter, pretty much, every two or three months we're looking to launch additional content – ideally in packs.
“There may be a new car arriving in June. After that, we are looking at new circuits and then we start to update the content to make it more current to the 2024 season with the different categories of car.
“For us, it's really about trying to conclude this year, and ensure that by the end of ‘24, we have the entirety of the 2024 calendar, the circuits and the cars incorporated in the product.”
The exact car that ‘may’ arrive in June remains a mystery, but if so, it will be free. Then, paid DLC is expected to be released later this year.
“We plan on releasing a steady flow of content through the second part of this year,” said Hood.
“The initial piece of this new content will be free, as well as other select items, as a thank you to the community that has given us great support to purchase our game during early access.
“We expect premium paid content will then be made available shortly thereafter, which we believe will offset the cost of ongoing development and broaden the appeal and uniqueness of our officially licenced title.”
Alongside the possibility of a free car, the much-touted co-op mode is set to arrive in some form next month too.
This was in the original outline for Le Mans Ultimate, before being pushed back once the release plan pivoted to early access.
It is set to see asynchronous play – in theory one driver competes part of an endurance race against computer-controlled rivals, then can hand that progress across for a friend to complete in their own time.
On paper, it sounds reminiscent of rFactor 2’s ‘resume from replay’ function but connected to the internet.
“In June this year, the month of the fabled 24 Hours of Le Mans race, we anticipate the unique marketing window will be further amplified by the visibility the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) is expected to provide,” continued Hood.
“At the same time, we plan to update the game with a free update that blurs the line between solo and online play.
“We intend to update Le Mans Ultimate with a co-operative feature not typically found within racing games. Our co-op feature is designed to enable up to three friends – as many drivers as there are per team in real life – to play through chapters of a race.
“Taking turns to drive the car, in an ever-evolving story against AI teams.
“We believe this feature will enable a wider section of racing gamers to enjoy the unique entertainment of endurance racing without the burden of being online at the same time as their friends.”
One of only two game modes in the simulation title, so far, daily and special ranked online multiplayer races are set up on a weekly schedule.
This is powered by what Motorsport Games dubs ‘RaceControl’ and it is set to expand with a paid subscription tier.
“We are bringing a subscription service to both our rFactor 2 and Le Mans Ultimate products, leveraging our RaceControl platform which has over 100,000 registered users all playing within our ecosystem,” teased Hood.
“A gradual ramp of subscriptions is expected as we build the value proposition for players looking to get even more entertainment out of this exciting experience.
“Although we believe a free component of the online RaceControl offering will continue, it is up to us to convince players of the value presented by a subscription service.
Timelines and further details are stark presently. Consequently, whether this will be akin to iRacing or something different entirely remains to be seen.
However, there appears to be something unique in the works, perhaps linked to the expected story-telling co-op features – if Hood’s example is anything to go by:
“If you decide to take one of these subscription tiers, and you're willing to participate in this recurring opportunity, we are going to amplify the sense of being part of a team.
“You will have heard me referencing some of the AI systems that we're looking to employ that tell a story around your participation in the race. These things will become available to you if one of the people in the group decides to subscribe.
“So, we're looking at the bigger resources of a group rather than necessarily individuals. But we are not making [subscriptions] a requirement to participate and contribute online.”
Alongside this, what is termed as ‘complementary services’ are also set to expand, hinted at by the RaceControl.gg website that went live last month.
"We are now gearing up to provide access to our ecosystem and games to official partnerships, integrating suppliers of services and content that we ourselves do not intend to divert resources to building,” continued Hood.
“Just recently we signed car setup specialists Coach Dave Academy as a preferred supplier of alternative setups for Le Mans Ultimate offered directly from within the game,
“We expect other service providers to come on board wants this partnership is fully rolled out in summer.”
The comments follow a buoyant, in the context of Motorsport Games, earnings call. While the rFactor 2 and Le Mans Ultimate stewards posted yet another loss, it was its smallest since 2020.
What are your hopes and dreams of Le Mans Ultimate’s June update and possible subscription tiers? Let us know in the comments below, or via X: @OverTake_gg
Following the early access release in February, then a series of significant patches and hotfixes, Le Mans Ultimate’s next notable update is slated for June.
Ahead of then, however, further details have emerged hinting at what to expect next month, when paid-for DLC should arrive and even possible subscriptions and ‘complementary’ services.
The rest of the year is set to be a fascinating one, as parent company Motorsport Games looks to capitalise on stronger-than-expected initial sales.
2024 Season Content Expected Before End of Year
While the Studio 397 team is believed to predominately working on further features and refinements, it now also has the aim of recreating the current FIA World Endurance Championship season before the end of the year.
Presently, the 2023 season is included, but the current competition includes nine different GT3 cars replacing GTE, four additional Hypercar-class entries (plus a heavily updated Peugeot), new liveries and four fresh circuits.
“Understandably, our audience is saying ‘Well, we're watching the 24 season now, we want the product to be as current as possible’,” said Motorsport Games CEO Stephen Hood on the company’s Q1 2024 earnings call.
"The first piece of content comes online in June and thereafter, pretty much, every two or three months we're looking to launch additional content – ideally in packs.
“There may be a new car arriving in June. After that, we are looking at new circuits and then we start to update the content to make it more current to the 2024 season with the different categories of car.
“For us, it's really about trying to conclude this year, and ensure that by the end of ‘24, we have the entirety of the 2024 calendar, the circuits and the cars incorporated in the product.”
A Mix of Free and Paid Content, Starts Next Month
The exact car that ‘may’ arrive in June remains a mystery, but if so, it will be free. Then, paid DLC is expected to be released later this year.
“We plan on releasing a steady flow of content through the second part of this year,” said Hood.
“The initial piece of this new content will be free, as well as other select items, as a thank you to the community that has given us great support to purchase our game during early access.
“We expect premium paid content will then be made available shortly thereafter, which we believe will offset the cost of ongoing development and broaden the appeal and uniqueness of our officially licenced title.”
Co-Op Mode Expected June
Alongside the possibility of a free car, the much-touted co-op mode is set to arrive in some form next month too.
This was in the original outline for Le Mans Ultimate, before being pushed back once the release plan pivoted to early access.
It is set to see asynchronous play – in theory one driver competes part of an endurance race against computer-controlled rivals, then can hand that progress across for a friend to complete in their own time.
On paper, it sounds reminiscent of rFactor 2’s ‘resume from replay’ function but connected to the internet.
“In June this year, the month of the fabled 24 Hours of Le Mans race, we anticipate the unique marketing window will be further amplified by the visibility the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) is expected to provide,” continued Hood.
“At the same time, we plan to update the game with a free update that blurs the line between solo and online play.
“We intend to update Le Mans Ultimate with a co-operative feature not typically found within racing games. Our co-op feature is designed to enable up to three friends – as many drivers as there are per team in real life – to play through chapters of a race.
“Taking turns to drive the car, in an ever-evolving story against AI teams.
“We believe this feature will enable a wider section of racing gamers to enjoy the unique entertainment of endurance racing without the burden of being online at the same time as their friends.”
RaceControl Subscription Service
One of only two game modes in the simulation title, so far, daily and special ranked online multiplayer races are set up on a weekly schedule.
This is powered by what Motorsport Games dubs ‘RaceControl’ and it is set to expand with a paid subscription tier.
“We are bringing a subscription service to both our rFactor 2 and Le Mans Ultimate products, leveraging our RaceControl platform which has over 100,000 registered users all playing within our ecosystem,” teased Hood.
“A gradual ramp of subscriptions is expected as we build the value proposition for players looking to get even more entertainment out of this exciting experience.
“Although we believe a free component of the online RaceControl offering will continue, it is up to us to convince players of the value presented by a subscription service.
Timelines and further details are stark presently. Consequently, whether this will be akin to iRacing or something different entirely remains to be seen.
However, there appears to be something unique in the works, perhaps linked to the expected story-telling co-op features – if Hood’s example is anything to go by:
“If you decide to take one of these subscription tiers, and you're willing to participate in this recurring opportunity, we are going to amplify the sense of being part of a team.
“You will have heard me referencing some of the AI systems that we're looking to employ that tell a story around your participation in the race. These things will become available to you if one of the people in the group decides to subscribe.
“So, we're looking at the bigger resources of a group rather than necessarily individuals. But we are not making [subscriptions] a requirement to participate and contribute online.”
Alongside this, what is termed as ‘complementary services’ are also set to expand, hinted at by the RaceControl.gg website that went live last month.
"We are now gearing up to provide access to our ecosystem and games to official partnerships, integrating suppliers of services and content that we ourselves do not intend to divert resources to building,” continued Hood.
“Just recently we signed car setup specialists Coach Dave Academy as a preferred supplier of alternative setups for Le Mans Ultimate offered directly from within the game,
“We expect other service providers to come on board wants this partnership is fully rolled out in summer.”
The comments follow a buoyant, in the context of Motorsport Games, earnings call. While the rFactor 2 and Le Mans Ultimate stewards posted yet another loss, it was its smallest since 2020.
What are your hopes and dreams of Le Mans Ultimate’s June update and possible subscription tiers? Let us know in the comments below, or via X: @OverTake_gg
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