Game Update (Patch Notes Beta 1.9.1)

Bugfixes

  • Implemented physics engine adjustments, which should prevent “broken” physics state from being spread between online servers
  • Fixed problem with game restart sometimes being required to acquire Founder’s pack content after buying it
  • Fixed some problems with wrong branding being used in some parts of Nürburgring Nordschleife

Known Issues

  • VR
    • No default settings Flickering when loading into level Some menus don’t work in VR No mouse support UI colour is offset in-game Camera position slightly offset
  • Spectator engine audio can be missing
  • Rank can still be affected if the server/client crashes
  • Automtic Headlight assist doesn’t always trigger after stage transition
  • Going back to pits on Orchard Road can trigger a pit stop
  • Using Vulkan can cause the game to crash
  • Nvidia Reflex can cause stuttering. Recommendation is to disable it for now
  • Replays can crash when scrolling through longer replays
  • Time Trial delta is only shown when personal best time is set
  • Ghost car does not move in Time Trial Replays
  • In online races, if a car crashes at very high speeds into a wall, it can cause a mini-freeze for all connected clients and possibly crash the physics engine. Restart your client if this happens.
  • Getting a black flag in Time Trial will soft lock the player. You have to leave the Time Trial and go back to the Main Menu
  • Porsche Mission R has the wrong TC sound, fix in future patch
  • Porsche Mission R has a refuel section during the pit stop even though the battery charge doesn’t increase

Game Update (Patch Notes Beta 1.9.0)

New Content

  • Nürburgring Nordschleife (24h Layout)
  • Porsche 911 GT3 R rennsport
  • BMW M4 GT4
  • Audi R8 LMS GT4

New day-night system enabled tracks

  • Daytona
  • Monza

Track improvements

  • Increased foliage quality across all the existing tracks
  • Added flares for light sources placed on tracks

New Features

  • Implemented Founder’s Pack store
  • Implemented system for allowed driving assist synchronization. It can be used to equalize the settings between players in a multiplayer contest
  • Implemented Time or Laps Gameplay End Condition which allows to specify both time and laps limit for a gameplay stage. Gameplay ends after the first end condition is met.
  • Added possibility to cycle between headlights colors – Only used by Porsche 911 GT3 R rennsport for now

General

  • Implemented account experience system
  • Implemented player ranks system
  • Implemented friends system
  • Added possibility to change driving aids settings while in gameplay
  • Added motion blur toggle in video settings
  • Added cloud shadows toggle in video settings
  • Improved overall video quality of the game
  • Updated DLSS to version 3.7 and adjusted DLSS settings to achieve sharper image when driving
  • Updated XeSS to version 1.4
  • Optimized game’s netcode update frequency
  • Removed some unused assets from the memory to save some space
  • Tire Info in the HUD editor can now be toggled to show more detailed info for both tire & brake temperatures
  • Closed Beta Livery reward removed from the game
  • Closed Beta Winner Livery reward removed from the game

Physics

  • Reworked tires for all GT3 cars
  • Adjusted simulation parameters for all GT3 cars.

VR

  • Implemented v1 VR support in the game
    • Add -vr to Epic Launch Options to enable

UI

  • Upgraded Main menu’s “My Rennsport” tab visuals
  • Improved in-game tire status widget readability
  • In car menu automatic disable logic is no longer active while player is in pit lane
  • Updated in-game controller icons
  • Improved overall visuals for main menu screens
  • Updated loading screens
  • Simplified in-game car dashboard is now enabled by default

Spectator

  • Implemented helicopter camera for spectators
  • Improved overall spectator system logic for smoother experience

Bugfixes

  • Fixed issue with lap times sometimes being inconsistent across the whole race
    • Some lap times being different than race time
  • Fixed issue with scoring being messed up when players cross the finish line
  • Fixed issue with player delta being out of sync for a few seconds after player crosses S/F line
  • Fixed some cases where player progress (distance and percentage) on a lap was not updated correctly
  • Fixed problem with players disappearing from leaderboards table when they quit the game
  • Fixed issue with players receiving error message upon being disconnected from game servers which were closed gracefully
  • Fixed problem with checkpoints being triggered a little bit to early by cars
  • Fixed issue with the day-night system sometimes being out of sync for some players
  • Fixed some edge case issues occurring in pit stops system
  • Fixed some issues with dynamic in-game minimap sometimes not rotating correctly
  • Improved overall game stability

Known Issues

  • VR
    • No default settings Flickering when loading into level Some menus don’t work in VR No mouse support UI colour is offset in-game Camera position slightly offset
  • Spectator engine audio can be missing
  • Rank can still be affected if the server/client crashes
  • Automtic Headlight assist doesn’t always trigger after stage transition
  • Going back to pits on Orchard Road can trigger a pit stop
  • Using Vulkan can cause the game to crash
  • Nvidia Reflex can cause stuttering. Recommendation is to disable it for now
  • Replays can crash when scrolling through longer replays
  • Time Trial delta is only shown when personal best time is set
  • Ghost car does not move in Time Trial Replays
  • In online races, if a car crashes at very high speeds into a wall, it can cause a mini-freeze for all connected clients and possibly crash the physics engine. Restart your client if this happens.
  • Getting a black flag in Time Trial will soft lock the player. You have to leave the Time Trial and go back to the Main Menu
  • Porsche Mission R has the wrong TC sound, fix in future patch
  • Porsche Mission R has a refuel section during the pit stop even though the battery charge doesn’t increase

Our Vision for Monetization

Hey! As we look forward to Open Beta on July 10th and Early Access later this year, we think it’s important we share our vision for monetization with RENNSPORT. Our goal is simple: we want to make the game available to everyone and offer options for those who want to take it to the next level. Ready to get in and learn more? Let’s get started:

Free-to-Play

As we plan to run RENNSPORT for many years, our intention is to provide our drivers with a fully free-to-play experience. We want to bring RENNSPORT and the thrill of racing to everyone without any upfront costs. You can get in and start racing right away without spending money.

Importantly, most tracks will be free. That said, we will introduce some premium tracks for purchase from time to time. We want everyone to experience the best racing environments, but creating top-notch tracks takes a lot of time and resources. So, by offering premium tracks, we can make sure we keep delivering the best content for you.

Cars are a similar story. All our cars are licensed and based on real life data we get from our OEM partners. You’ll still be able to get a free GT3 with your account, and we’ll have rotating free to drive cars, but we will also offer you the option to purchase cars and record your very own history on them.

Selling content might not be a brand-new concept, but it hasn’t been widely adopted in the racing game genre. We’re experimenting to see if this model can create a sustainable and healthy racing community. By offering premium content, we can invest back into the game, ensuring constant updates and fresh content for all players.

As we move from the Closed Beta phase towards our eventual 1.0 full release, we want to be as transparent as possible and give you regular updates on our progress.

Open Beta

With Open Beta launching, you’ll no longer need to sign up to the Closed Beta waitlist to get access! From July 10th on, you’ll be able to just click download in the Epic Games Store, make a RENNSPORT account and immediately jump in and play!

Founder’s Pack

As we look ahead to the future of RENNSPORT, we’re excited to introduce our first premium content: the RENNSPORT Founders Pack. Stay tuned for more details in an upcoming post, but we can promise you it includes some truly exciting and exclusive features.

Early Access

Looking towards Q4, our goal is to get the game in a shape we’re ready to move to Early Access and put RENNSPORT in the hands of drivers everywhere. 

Just before we launch Early Access, we’ll probably have a reset period where the game will go down, and we’ll be resetting everyone’s accounts, as well as moving some content that you now have available for testing into the store. Don’t worry though, if you bought the Founder’s Pack, you’ll keep it in your account once we launch Early Access. 

Truly own your very own car in RENNSPORT – eVIN

In our game, owning a car means more than just having it in your virtual garage. Each car will have its own electronic Vehicle Identification Number (eVIN). It will track mileage, record competition history and recreate the real car ownership experience in the digital world. Just to be clear, our system isn’t based on the blockchain, it’s about capturing the spirit of owning a real car. Your car’s journey, achievements and history will be unique to you and different from everyone else’s, adding a whole new layer of depth and personalization to your collection and racing history.

Vision for Modding

We’re big fans of the modding community and will fully support that natively in our game. Our long-term vision includes creating a robust modding ecosystem where talented creators can share and even make money from their work. We’re planning to set up a marketplace for outstanding mods, giving modders the opportunity to make a living from their passion. But don’t worry, we’re not ditching free modding! Both free and paid modding will co-exist.

Bringing Racing to the Masses

Our ultimate goal is to make racing accessible to absolutely everyone. By choosing a free-to-play model and offering a wide range of content through optional purchases, we’re building a vibrant and inclusive community of racing

That’s if for now. If you want see and learn more about our recent development, make sure to watch our third episode of the RENNSPORT Radio Check!

Game Update (Patch Notes Beta 1.8.11)

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue with laps not always being registered on Road Atlanta
  • Potential fix for time of day simulation not being replicated correctly to all clients

Known Issues

  • Using Vulkan can cause the game to crash 
  • Nvidia Reflex can cause stuttering. Recommendation is to disable it for now
  • Curb sounds can disappear after pit stops
  • Replays can crash when scrolling through longer replays
  • Time Trial delta is only shown when PB is set
  • Ghost car does not move in Time Trial Replays
  • In online races, if a car crashes at very high speeds into a wall, it can cause a mini-freeze for all connected clients
  • Getting a black flag in Time Trial will soft lock the player. You have to leave the Time Trial and go back to the Main Menu
  • Updating your profile name will not update your name in any Time Trial leaderboards unless a faster time is set with the new name
  • EV has wrong TC sound, fix in future patch

Roadmap 2024

Welcome, racers, to the introduction of our official RENNSPORT Roadmap 2024!

Let’s take a glance at what we have in store for the upcoming months – FOR NOW!

While it might seem empty at first glance, remember though, that we’re just kicking off the year. This Roadmap is a dynamic document that will evolve together with us, being constantly updated and expanded. And who knows, along the way, we might just come across some exciting surprises for you!

Stay tuned! There’s much more to come.

First recap of content creator program PROJECT PITWALL

A select group of creators were among the first to produce content on the latest build of RENNSPORT.

Looking back on the past four months, the RENNSPORT content creator program, PROJECT PITWALL, has been a great success. This program features a group of well-known personalities from the virtual racing world, who are also known for their entertaining content creation. This provided another opportunity for you to see updates on the current build of RENNSPORT. With the creators’ skills and creativity, they produced amazing content that gave you the chance to follow the journey of RENNSPORT through an additional pillar that differs from the official RENNSPORT channels and provides an authentic impression of it. Throughout this year we want to start giving out access keys to the current build of RENNSPORT but until then the content each PROJECT PITWALL member created gives you a good insight into the current status of the game.

WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT

Let’s take a quick look back at the last few months of the project, along with a behind-the-scenes impression.

Rene Buttler producing content during the ESL R1 kick-off in Katowice.

PROJECT PITWALL debuted in October 2022 as an additional content measure. Inspired by the race control of professional racing teams, the program is not only about creating videos but also about being part of the development process of RENNSPORT. Well-known names of the international virtual racing scene are involved, such as Basic Ollie, Dan Suzuki, Emily Jones, GamerMuscle, Heikki360, Jardier, Overtake.gg’s Rene Buttler and Jonas Schulz, Stradi, Traxion.GG crew of Thomas Harrison-Lord, Dave Cam and John Munro – and is steadily growing with new creators joining the program constantly.

Each creator has their own individual community and style of presenting things, so we gave them unrestricted content ownership to leave maximum creative space for everyone involved. Furthermore, no content was reviewed, or feedback provided, as we wanted to achieve content that’s as authentic as possible without disturbing any impressions or opinions.

VALUABLE FEEDBACK IN GAME DEVELOPMENT

This transparent approach is an excellent way to involve the creators and their communities in the development process of RENNSPORT. To gather and discuss feedback, a closed Discord channel is available for members of the project. Within certain chats, the exchange with the RENNSPORT team is focused on specific topics and can be filtered and distributed to the development team.

Emily Jones driving in RENNSPORT during the ESL R1 kick-off in Katowice.

CONNECT TO RENNSPORT EVENTS

In addition to involving creators in the development of the game, PROJECT PITWALL is also the first touchpoint for collaborations with our partner ESL, but also further RENNSPORT events. During the kick-off of ESL R1, Emily Jones, Rene Buttler, James West, and John Munro from Traxion.GG were on-site and involved in either reporter tasks around the esports action or produced content for their channels. For the next events to come we are already thinking of cool ways to integrate PROJECT PITWALL members.

If you are a content creator yourself and feel like joining PROJECT PITWALL, the community team at RENNSPORT would love to hear from you. You can reach out to them via info@rennsport.gg

Our ambition to start RENNSPORT

And we are doing things a little bit differently. Compared to current racing games, RENNSPORT is not an evolution of an existing software: Starting from scratch, technological advancement and modern software architecture enables us to take the next step in virtual racing experiences. Everything we do will be developed with the requirements of Esports and the ones of the community in mind from the very start. So we make sure to create a racing game the community embraces. For Racers – From Racers. To achieve ultra-realistic driving experiences with the cars, we’ll collaborate closely with leading car manufacturers to get better each day.

There are many exciting things we will share with you in the upcoming weeks and months. We can’t wait to develop the most amazing racing game with you as our community.