Assetto Corsa Competizione will become the official video game of the Blancpain GT Series when it gets its full release next year.
Developed by Kunos Simulazioni and making use of Unreal Engine 4, the eagerly-awaited title will allow players to experience a high-end GT3 simulation with real drivers, teams, cars and circuits all reproduced – including the iconic Total Spa 24 Hours.
While development of the game continues, Kelvin van der Linde has already had the opportunity to take the new Assetto Corsa for a test drive. The Blancpain GT Series race-winner is an avid gamer and tried out a preview version of the upcoming release during the Sprint Cup weekend at Misano.
“Assetto Corsa was already known for its excellent graphics and the feeling of the cars being very realistic,” explained Van der Linde.
“What was especially good when I tried the new game was the weather simulation. It felt incredible; really, really impressive.
“Driving at night is very impressive, too. It’s so realistic,” he added.
The South African driver also believes that having an official Blancpain GT Series game will be beneficial to both parties.
“It’s a big breakthrough,” he said. “In that sense, Assetto Corsa has set itself apart from other games.
“And I think that associating the Blancpain GT Series with the game is very good, too. For example, if I put a real-life on-board on YouTube, it won’t get as many hits as a video of my gaming would. There’s a really big market for sim racing people and this will reach out to them.
“Sim racers are motorsport fans. GT racing is very popular in sim racing, so to associate the Blancpain GT Series with Assetto Corsa is very positive,” Van der Linde concluded.