Assetto Corsa Rally's early development secrecy was “a leap of faith”

Assetto Corsa Rally’s early development secrecy was “a leap of faith” Assetto Corsa Rally Game Lead discusses how a tiny team worked and recruited in secrecy for four years, and how it plans to support the project for many more years to come. It’s the night before the 2025 SimRacing Expo on the Fanatec stand. Invited media are having the German peripheral manufacturer’s latest products showcased to them, including the long-anticipated Podium pedals, a first for the Landshut-based outfit. Then Marco Massarutto enters the stage. The erudite Italian, in a crisp white shirt (as ever), is buzzing with nervous energy. He starts talking about a new chapter in the Assetto Corsa franchise. But… isn’t Assetto Corsa EVO already that? Yes, it is. The circuit (and road)-based simulation, previously created under the codename Assetto Corsa 2, is created by the original Kunos Simulazioni team. This new title will use the known brand name, but be created by a new company, Supernova Games Studios, using the Kunos physics technology. Onto the aforementioned stage enters said team, and Assetto Corsa Rally is finally public knowledge. Well, not quite; the embargo lifted the next day. But nearly, following a four-year journey, and one that had to be conducted in near-secrecy. “We had to stay under the radar without revealing too much, making noise, or drawing attention to ourselves,” explains Assetto Corsa Rally’s Game Director, Irvin Zonca, to Traxion. “The Assetto Corsa brand was a tremendous asset. We approached racing drivers, teams, and manufacturers with little more than a vision we truly believed in and the Assetto Corsa name. “The strength of the brand, combined with our determination, opened many doors during that stage. “We also had to avoid relying on external partners for quite some time to minimise the risk of information leaking. “From