Let’s talk DiRT.

First I want to say thank you, all you guys and girls have been awesome these last few years. You’ve been telling us what you want for what seems like forever, over on the forum there is a next DiRT game wishlist that actually predates the release of DiRT 3. There have been comment threads on gaming websites telling us were we went wrong and hundreds of posts each day on Twitter and Facebook telling us exactly what you want. That’s how awesome you guys are, you’ve been our inspiration and got us through some tough times. So thank you.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/310560

Today starts a new chapter in DiRT history; today we’re doing something that scares the absolute crap out of us, but in a good way. Today we’re not only announcing a new DiRT game but we’re making it available as an early access title on Steam... SURPRISE!

If you literally can’t wait any longer to get your hands on it then you’ll find it right here, but while it’s downloading I want you to come back and read about why we’re doing this and more importantly how you can help.

Welcome back, so why Early Access? There are a number of reasons but mainly because we want to make sure we get this right. You’ve been asking us for a game that is pure rally with none of the fluff, one that has more stages, longer stages and repairs in between stages. You’ve told us how you want your own team, to be able to set the car up how you want and to feel like you own the car you’re driving. We want to deliver that game.

So, right now at the start of Early Access this is what you are getting for your money.

17 Cars - Having hundreds of cars doesn’t interest us, rally is about having the right car and we intend on having all of the right cars. These 17 are just to get us started and we’ll be adding more cars over more classes as the year goes on.

36 Stages – Winding paths through forests, death defying drops off hillsides and narrow mountain paths are what this is all about, it’s you and your car versus the road ahead. To get us started we’ll be heading to the muddy paths of Wales, the dusty trails of Greece and the icy tarmac of the legendary Monte Carlo rally.

Simulation Handling – We’ve accurately recreated how every part of the car works and to support this we’ve developed a brand new physics model that simulates everything from the way the surface of the road behaves to limited slip differentials. This is how these cars drive and with real-world rallying experience on the team, a deep understanding of car setup and handling, countless visitors from the worlds of rally and rallycross plus the help of some of our biggest DiRT Fans we've got the handling as right as we can.

A-Synchronous Events – Take on the world in Daily, Weekly and Monthly challenges. These are the ultimate tests of skill and determination and it’s going to take everything you've got to finish on top.

Team Management – Hire and fire your crew members each of whom which will have different skills, improving repair times for different parts of the car. Teach them new skills as they gain experience and work together as a team to improve your performance in events.

League Support – Get together with friends and run your very own racing league. You can join up to six leagues at any one time and run them how and when you want. For more information on setting up and joining a racing league visit http://dirtgame.com

And as a thank you for supporting us during Early Access we are giving you a special DiRT Rally livery for the Subaru Impreza 1995.

We won't be charging anything for that new content, regardless of when you join us you'll have access to everything we produce for our early access period at no extra cost. So that’s what we’ve made and this is just the starting point. Over the coming months we’ll be adding more cars, more tracks, new game modes and features we haven’t even thought of yet – features that you are going to think of and help us build.

This is where you come in, we need your feedback, we want to know what you love, what you hate, what’s broken, what can we improve and we want you to start throwing new ideas at us.


You can do that in any number of ways; follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook[facebook.com], join us on our forums, follow us on Twitch[twitch.tv], Subscribe to our YouTube, post in the Steam community hub, subscribe to our subreddit and keep up to date with everything on http://www.dirtgame.com.

We know Steam Early Access isn’t for everybody; a lot of you are going to be disappointed that you can’t play DiRT Rally right now but we want you to still feel a part of it and where we’re going. Join in with everything we’re doing, watch other players YouTube videos and Livestreams, talk to the people who are playing it and tell us what you want. You’re not excluded from any of this and your thoughts and ideas about what we’re up to are just as important.

We won’t lie this is going to be a long road, and we’re fully expecting to hit a few rocks but hey that’s rally! We’re confident that with your help we can make DiRT Rally the greatest racing game anybody has ever made.

Keep it lit.