Defeat your rivals in F1® 2019

March 28th, 2019 by Christina McGrath

Codemasters® and Koch Media today announced that F1® 2019, the official videogame of the 2019 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™, will ship a full two months earlier into the F1® season and launch worldwide on Friday 28th June 2019. The game will be released during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend and, unlike previous iterations, ahead of the British, German and Hungarian Grands Prix. F1® 2019 has been in development for nearly two years, making it the most ambitious release in franchise history and launches on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X and Windows PC (DVD and via Steam).

Working in partnership with F1®, for the first time ever, players will be able to get behind the wheel of a 2019 regulation car specifically designed in collaboration with F1®’s technical team, headed up by Ross Brawn and Pat Symonds. The car, which will be available in Multiplayer, adheres to the 2019 regulations and comes with a range of livery designs offering players a new level of personalisation. The 2019 F1® Team liveries will also feature on the car in early marketing materials, but will be replaced by the final Team cars ahead of the games release.

Having established itself as one of the highest rated racing franchises of all time, F1® 2019 will build on the success of previous iterations and deliver an experience that rivals the quality and production values of its real-life race counterpart and includes several new game features which will be revealed in the coming months. To whet the appetite Codemasters has today released the F1® 2019 Teaser Trailer, which showcases some of the game’s brand new look and feel.

You can watch the trailer here:

“We are absolutely delighted to be able to release F1® 2019 earlier in the Formula 1® Season, so that the game can be played and enjoyed at the same time that the real-world championship picture is starting to form,” said Paul Jeal, F1® Franchise Director at Codemasters. “Our close relationship with Formula 1® has played a major part in achieving this key objective for the franchise. That in addition to our near two-year development cycle, has allowed us to develop some exciting new features and other firsts for the franchise that we can’t wait to share with our community in the coming months.”

“The exciting collaboration with Ross Brawn and Pat Symonds has created new levels of player personalisation in F1® 2019 through the inclusion of the new regulation car,” said Lee Mather, F1® 2019 Game Director at Codemasters. “With the continued growth of the F1® series, it’s great to give players more control and new levels of car and driver customisation and we can’t wait to talk more about this alongside the new multiplayer features in the coming months.”

For future news and details on all the new features follow Codemasters F1® games blog and social channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Be fearless in DiRT® 4™, out now for macOS and Linux

March 28th, 2019 by Christina McGrath

DiRT® 4™ , the acclaimed off-road and rally racing game, has been released on macOS and Linux by Feral Interactive. Originally developed and published by Codemasters for Windows and consoles, DiRT 4 is the latest of the studio’s world-renowned racing games to be brought to macOS and Linux by Feral, following the success of DiRT Rally®, GRID Autosport ™, and F1™ 2017.

DiRT 4 delivers the intense thrill of all-terrain motorsport in an electrifying mix of disciplines. Players will hurtle through point-to-point Rally races, compete in events from the official FIA World Rallycross Championship, push trucks and buggies to the limit in exhilarating Landrush battles, and put their precision steering skills to the test in Joyride challenges.

DiRT 4’s fleet of over 50 rally cars, buggies, trucks and crosskarts includes the Ford Fiesta R5, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, Subaru WRX STI NR4 and Audi Sport quattro S1 E2. Players will put these incredible machines through their paces on the world’s most demanding rally routes, from the dirt roads of Australia to the hazardous snowdrifts of Sweden and on to the open gravel tracks of Michigan USA.

For the first time in the franchise history, DiRT 4 gives players the opportunity to create their own rally routes with Your Stage, a powerful tool that generates unique stages based on players’ choice of location and route parameters.

Buy DiRT 4 from the Feral Store, Mac App Store or Steam.

DiRT Rally 2.0 Season One, Stage One starts 12th March

March 7th, 2019 by Christina McGrath

Codemasters will release the first of its post launch content as part of DiRT Rally 2.0™ Season One from 12th March. The ŠKODA Fabia Rally and Citroën C4 Rally will be available for all players who own the Deluxe Edition, with the iconic and enhanced Monte Carlo following on 26th March. Day One and Standard Edition owners have the opportunity to purchase the Deluxe Content Pack or individual pieces of content separately via their digital store of choice.

“We are delighted to bring back two iconic rally cars which will excite our core community and give new fans a taste of rally history,” commented Ross Gowing, Chief Games Designer. “The Citroën C4 Rally was extremely dominant in the late 2000s and features Petter Solberg’s livery, who enjoys a great working relationship with the studio. The ŠKODA Fabia Rally was driven by the great Colin McRae, and we are very proud that players will be able to experience another of his iconic vehicles. Players can expect incredible traction and stability from the both these vehicles, and they make a fantastic addition to the legendary car roster in DiRT Rally 2.0.”

The Season One content focuses purely on rally and over the coming weeks will introduce cars, liveries and environments to DiRT Rally 2.0 as per the following schedule:

– Week 3: Monte Carlo Rally, Special Livery
– Week 5: BMW M1 Procar Rally, Open Manta 400, Special Livery
– Week 7: Sweden Rally
– Week 9: Ford Focus RS Rally 2007, Subaru Impreza, Special Livery
– Week 11: Germany Rally

Players who bought the Deluxe Edition will receive all Season One content, release dates above, plus Season Two which features a similar level of content as part of their Season Pass. All other players can purchase the Deluxe Content Pack or individual piece of content separately via their digital store of choice.

DiRT Rally 2.0, including official licensed content of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy, launched on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and Windows PC (DVD and via Steam) on Tuesday 26th February 2019.

Players can get all the DiRT Rally 2.0 news and follow updates from the studio on Facebook and Twitter.

Codemasters signs an esports partnership with the world’s largest motorsport & automotive media company

February 20th, 2019 by Christina McGrath

Dirt Rally 2.0 will be the first in a number of titles to be brought to competitive life through a partnership with Motorsport Network

Codemasters (AIM:CDM), the award-winning game developer of high-quality racing games including DiRT, GRID, ONRUSH and F1®, has closed a new agreement with Motorsport Network. The partnership will supercharge the esports programmes of some of Codemasters’ key owned-IP titles, attracting mass participation through a global partnership with the motorsport & automotive powerhouse.

Motorsport Network sits at the heart of racing, serving fans through an integrated digital ecosystem that speaks 17 languages and reaches over 30m people every month. With a portfolio that spans everything from racing websites such as Autosport.com and Motorsport.com to ticketing & events and an OTT racing television network, Motorsport Network has the fuel to power Codemasters’ titles from market-leading games into global esport competitions.

The partnership, which fuses the best racing games with the biggest motorsport audience, will kick off with the eagerly anticipated launch of the critically acclaimed DiRT Rally 2.0 that comes to market on February 26th – with consumers purchasing the Deluxe Edition benefitting from early access on February 22nd. DiRT Rally 2.0 releases worldwide on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X and Windows PC (DVD and via Steam).

DiRT Rally 2.0 promises the most immersive and truly focused off-road experience yet, including a new authentic handling model, tyre choice and surface deformation with 50 of the most powerful off-road cars ever built to tear through real-life off-road environments from New Zealand, Argentina, Spain, Poland, Australia and the USA, plus eight official circuits from the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

DiRT Rally 2.0 will be the starting point for an enduring joint venture to create, promote and manage an esports programme across Codemasters’ future owned-IP racing games portfolio.

One of Motorsport Network’s core strengths is as a convener and promoter of esports, with an established track record as a founding partner of the Le Mans esport Series and as the owner of 704Games, the official platform provider for the eNASCAR Heat Pro League.

Frank Sagnier, Codemasters’ CEO said, “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Motorsport Network – a company that not only shares our love of motor racing, but has great expertise and an enormous consumer reach. The combination of our passionate communities, Codemasters’ great games and Motorsport Network’s impressive range of operations should make the next few years of esports very exciting.”

James Allen, President, Motorsport Network said, “Codemasters is a trailblazing publisher that, by common consent, has defined racing games. Through this formidable alliance, we plan to put Codemasters’ iconic titles at the heart of a new, global esports programme that we can deliver to the very heartland of motor racing’s fan networks.”

Season One content revealed for DiRT Rally 2.0!

February 12th, 2019 by Christina McGrath

Codemasters has today revealed the vehicles, liveries and locations included in Season One of DiRT Rally 2.0™’s post-launch DLC content.

Season One will focus solely on rally content, and will introduce the following cars, liveries and environments to DiRT Rally 2.0 as per the following schedule:

– Week 1: ŠKODA Fabia Rally, Citroën C4 Rally
– Week 3: Monte Carlo Rally, Special Livery
– Week 5: BMW M1 Procar Rally, Opel Manta 400, Special Livery
– Week 7: Sweden Rally
– Week 9: Ford Focus RS Rally 2007, Subaru Impreza, Special Livery
– Week 11: Germany Rally

Monte Carlo Rally and other returning classic rally environments Germany and Sweden benefit from a significant visual uplift since the first DiRT Rally®. The new lighting system combined with improvements to the track materials, foliage and character models bring the locations to life even more – while the challenges of tyre choice, track degradation, updated handling physics, and the optional hardcore damage mode, all arriving to the franchise with DiRT Rally 2.0, provide a breadth of new ways to experience these iconic stages.

New vehicles to the DiRT Rally franchise also include the ŠKODA Fabia Rally, the BMW M1 Procar Rally, and the Subaru Impreza – all cars that have been highly-requested by the community in recent years. Those who have purchased the Season One content will also have access to a set of exclusive high reward in-game events and further in-game bonuses.

“It was important for us to not just include brand new content for DiRT Rally 2.0, but also to recognise the fan favourites from the previous titles”, commented Ross Gowing, Chief Games Designer. Gowing continued, “The improvements the team have made for DiRT Rally 2.0 are plain to see, and Monte Carlo is a shining example of that. I think it looks incredible, and I hope our players feel the same way too. We are making a significant commitment to expanding the DiRT Rally 2.0 experience for the players that have been calling for us to do exactly that over a number of years.”

Players who pre-order or buy the Deluxe Edition will have this Season One content, plus Season Two which contains a similar level of content and features, included as part of their Season Pass. Players who pre-order the Deluxe Edition will also have early access to the game from 22nd February 2019. Day One or Standard Edition players will have the opportunity to purchase each season and piece of content separately on their digital store of choice.

DiRT Rally 2.0, including official licensed content of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy, will launch on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and Windows PC (DVD and via Steam) on Tuesday 26th February 2019.

Jon Armstrong to compete in DiRT Rally 2.0 Ford Fiesta R5

February 4th, 2019 by Christina McGrath

Codemasters is delighted to formally announce that Rally Consultant and full-time team member Jon Armstrong will be competing in the opening round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, taking place at Galway International Rally this weekend.

Beginning on the 9th February, Jon will be tackling the stages with his co-driver Noel O’Sullivan in a Ford Fiesta R5. Backed primarily by Codemasters and running a bespoke DiRT Rally 2.0 livery, the dynamic duo from Northern Ireland will be competing against a 25+ strong R5 class – including one team piloted by WRC driver Craig Breen and co-driver Paul Nagle.

We’re also very excited to exclusively reveal the livery that the Ford Fiesta R5 will be running in the event, which will be available in-game later this year:

Jon is also supported by a number of awesome sponsors who have helped make this happen – you can spot each company on the livery, but we want to give these guys a huge thank you right here, right now! So huge thanks must go to Thrustmaster, Playseat, Woodland, FDR Car Sales & Services, and Wind Turbine Engineering Ltd.

“I first drove the Fiesta R5 at Rally Germany in 2017, and have been playing it in-game for the last few months,” said Jon Armstrong. “To be behind the wheel of a real one again is a really cool opportunity. I’m so grateful to Codemasters and all of my sponsors for making it happen – the competition is stiff, but I’m going to give it my all.”

With more news to come on the forthcoming release of DiRT Rally 2.0 you can keep up with all the news and follow updates from the studio on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Reddit.

Codemasters host G into Gaming event

February 4th, 2019 by Christina McGrath

Codemasters, the award winning British video game developer and publisher specialising in high quality racing games, has held an event to lead the discussion around gender diversity in the gaming sector and highlight steps the Company has taken to increase the number of women employees.

The event, which included talks from Tamsin O’Luanaigh from nDreams and Paula Whelan from Right Track, and a panel discussion with Marie Claire Isamaan from Women in Games and Charlotte Nangle from GI.BIZ, noted that more could be done to make the gaming industry an attractive sector for women to work in.

Currently, women only make up 20% of the gaming industry workforce and, alongside the attendees at the seminar, Codemasters’ is committed to improving this statistic.

When discussing how to encourage women to choose a career in the gaming industry Marie-Claire said that “there has been a shift and education has a lot to do with it” but said there was still more work to be done, particularly around culture and flexibility.

It was agreed that education should start early, where teachers and parents have the opportunity to advise children on possible career paths. During the panel discussion, Charlotte Nangle noted that primary schools were starting to introduce gaming-related learning but recognised that high schools needed to have a similar approach in order to sustain that momentum.

Discussing what businesses can do, Liz Prince also stressed that employee diversity was a major priority. “The industry must address this topic through all levels of the life cycle of an employee: Attraction, Selection, Development and Retention,” she said.

It was acknowledged that more work needed to be done as an industry, but that there already was clear commitment to do so. Codemasters has already begun implementing changes in order to encourage the number of female employees, including offering flexible working hours, participating in girl schools career days and having an approachable, confidential ‘open door’ HR department to address any issues of discomfort being experienced by staff.

There was a consensus that both male and female advocacy will be needed to generate change and Codemasters is in the process of creating a joint male and female steering committee to co-ordinate further progress. They will also be promoting case studies in the media to highlight successful women already working in the Company, showing female applicants that they will not be a lone voice and that a games career is a fully viable option for them.

As well as reviewing job advertisements to ensure inclusive language, there will also be participation in outreach programmes at local school and universities, and exhibiting at events designed to showcase games careers to local people in order to make Codemasters more accessible to a broad range of talented irrespective of gender.

GRID Autosport coming to Nintendo Switch in 2019

November 29th, 2018 by Christina McGrath

GRID™ Autosport, the smash hit AAA racing game, will be released on the Nintendo Switch in 2019. Originally developed and published by Codemasters for consoles and Windows, and later brought to macOS, iPhone and iPad by Feral Interactive, GRID Autosport will be the first full racing simulator to come to Nintendo Switch.

GRID Autosport challenges players to become pro-racers, mastering motorsport’s most exciting cars on the world’s most thrilling circuits, from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the city streets of Barcelona. With customisable difficulty and a range of driving disciplines, GRID Autosport delivers an irresistible mix of realistic handling and high-speed thrills.

“GRID Autosport’s AAA production values and deep yet accessible gameplay will make it a fantastic addition to the Nintendo Switch,” said David Stephen, Managing Director of Feral Interactive. “Following its success on iOS, we’re thrilled to bring it to Switch players.”

 

Career Opportunities – Cheshire

September 19th, 2018 by Christina McGrath

Codemasters is excited to offer exceptional new career opportunities!

We are working on a new AAA project in our Cheshire studio, located between the bustling cities of Manchester and Liverpool, and we’re opening the doors to talented games professionals to join the team. Utilising Codemasters’ renowned racing engine technology we have ambitious plans for one of the company’s most successful and beloved titles.

The new project is currently in concept – there’s no better time to join!

After 30 years in the business with an award-winning and varied racing portfolio, you can be sure to rely on Codies for a world-class racing experience and a career-enhancing addition to your CV. Surrounded by the support and motivation of an experienced, expert team, our Cheshire studio provides fantastic opportunities and mouth watering challenges.

Check out our vacancies HERE, and follow us for lots more chances to join including Programming, Art and Design!


ABOUT THE CHESHIRE STUDIO

  • Over 15 years AAA game experience including the critically acclaimed MotorStorm, DRIVECLUB and ONRUSH franchises
  • Currently working on a new unannounced title as well as other cross-studio projects
  • Modern open plan office
  • Highly collaborative team
  • Friendly, family atmosphere
  • Excellent transport links to Manchester, Liverpool and Chester