EAmight be preparing to reveal one of its unannounced games in the coming months, according to a newly surfaced Xbox Store listing hinting at both the existence and identity of this mysterious title. The California-based gaming giant has been quiet in terms of new announcements since summer 2022, when it mostly focused on its Q1 2023 releases such as thecritically acclaimedDead Spaceremakeand monster-hunting RPGWild Hearts.
Like most big publishers, EA historically saved most of its biggest game unveilings for spring and—even more often—summer. The last two Codemasters projects prior to its merger with Criterion Games,F1 22andGRID Legends, also followed that trend: the former debuted in April 2022, while the latter was part of theJuly 2021 EA Play Live announcements.
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Codemasters' track record underElectronic Artsis relevant here because this newly surfaced Xbox Store listing uncovered by Aggiornamenti Lumia seems to point in the direction of another game from the UK-based studio. Namely, the recently spotted filing places the unannounced game in the storefront’s “racing and flying” category; seeing how it’s way too early for a follow-up toNeed for Speed Unbound, which released in December 2022 and was the reason behind the Criterion consolidation, the stated category narrows down the list of plausible candidates toF1 23and the nextWRCgame, both of which are Codemasters projects, as well. The upcomingF1game already received its accompanying Xbox Store listing, leavingWRC 23as the most probable subject of this placeholder.
Codemasters obtained an exclusive WRC licenseback in 2020, mere months prior to getting acquired by EA in a $1 billion deal. According to the original terms of their licensing agreement, the studio’s first officialWRCgame was to release in 2023. Seeing how that title hasn’t yet been unveiled and given how EA hasn’t renegotiated new licensing terms with the World Rally Championship organization, which is something that would impact its financial forecasts and hence require shareholder disclosure, it stands to reason that this newly surfaced listing pertains toWRC 23.
The licensing stipulations revealed by Codemasters in 2020 indicated that its newWRCgame will be available on both PC and consoles. The studio’s contract with the world’s top rally organization runs for five years, requiring one mainline series entry annually. At least one mobile spinoff with yearly updates is also a requirement, as per the previously revealed terms.
While Codemasters had a 700-strong workforce even before merging with its fellow Brits at Criterion, the fact that it is currently juggling multiple high-profile racing licenses likely facilitated thedeath of theProject Carsfranchise. Back in November 2022, EA said the decision to kill that series was difficult, but necessary for ensuring “longer-term growth” of its racing portfolio.
