Dakar Desert Rally set for 4 October release

Saber Porto‘s Dakar Desert Rally, the first video game covering the Dakar Rally since Dakar 18, will be released on 4 October for PC, PlayStations 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X and S. Pre-orders opened on Tuesday, and those who do so will unlock the Audi RS Q e-tron, the first electric vehicle to win a rally raid’s overall.

The Audi RS Q e-tron won four stages and finished ninth in its competition début at the 2022 Dakar Rally with Mattias Ekström. In March, Stéphane Peterhansel won the overall in the car at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

Part of Saber Interactive, Saber Porto developed Dakar 18 as Bigmoon Entertainment (who previously helped work on games for MotoGP and WRC) before being acquired and renamed by their new parent the following year. It was only the third official Dakar Rally game after Paris-Dakar Rally in 2001 and Dakar 2: The World’s Ultimate Rally in 2003, both of which were by Acclaim Entertainment. Dakar 18 received mixed reviews as it struggled with physics problems and overcomplexity for casual players but was widely praised for its realism.

Following the four-year dormancy, Dakar Desert Rally shifts from the South American setting of its predecessor to the current Rally’s home of Saudi Arabia. The reveal trailer had been released in December 2021.

With the official licence from race overseer Amaury Sport Organisation, over 150 vehicles that raced in the three most recent Dakar Rallies (when the event was moved to its current location) will appear, stretching across five categories (Cars, Bikes, Quads, SSVs, Trucks). Gameplay features touted by the developers include dynamic weather across all four seasons and a day/night transition, the ability to assist fellow competitors in moments of trouble and vice versa, and authentic roadbooks based on those used since the 2020 race.

Besides the base game, a Deluxe Edition will also be available. This version adds the DAF TurboTwin truck, which won its class in the 1987 Rally, and the Peugeot 405 Turbo 16, a twice-Dakar winner and Pikes Peak International Hill Climb champion. Five DLC packs are also included with more vehicles, a new map, and two additional races.

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