Motorsport Games acquires Studio 397 and RFactor2

RFactor2 may be in the move for one of its brightest eras since its creation, as Motorsport Games is set to incorporate  Dutch developer Studio 397, which includes their flagship title, in a plan to bolster its esports reach.

Motorsport Games is on the way to bring a number of titles in the spotlight of the esports scene, as demonstrated by the acquisition of Australian studio BlackDelta, responsible for the karting sim KartKraft, and moving to acquire Studio 397 is more than in line with their plans regarding virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans events and possible BTCC and NASCAR games, as it would be undeniable that RFactor2’s physics and features could make an appearance in them.

Curiously, RFactor2 has an NGTC spec Honda Civic as one of its oldest contents, and Studio 397 worked in the generic Stock Car Series machines based in the high powered 2017 regulations. Combined with some tracks like Silverstone and Indianapolis being in the package, it can be said Marcel Offermans and his crew would be no strangers when facing off the challenge of helping bring new BTCC and NASCAR titles.

Studio 397 acquired RFactor2's assets in 2016 from Image Space Incorporated, the creator of the pair of RFactor titles, and considering the number of features brought into the sim since then, it can be said that the developer practically dissected RF2 to turn it into its own things, as DirectX support, PBR shaders, the new UI and the competition system in development are some of the highlights, not forgetting the array of content in the DLCs, like the arrival of brands such as McLaren, BMW, Porsche, Aston Martin and Ferrari, and also the growing number of Formula E content.

It was thanks to part of RFactor2 that two major events held by Motorsport Games were possible, the Formula E Race at Home Challenge and the Virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans, both counting with real race drivers testing their skills against sim racers from all over the World during the lockdown period and after it, and although the lockdown motorsport period had its fair share of controversy, both events were pretty successful.

RFactor2 was also used for the hugely popular The Race All-Star Series and the classic The Race Legends Trophy, that attracted the best of sim racing talent and also big motorsport names to race in all sorts of virtual machinery, like Bono Huis, Yuri Kasdorp, Kamil Pawlowski, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Agustín Canapino, Dennis Lind, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti, Tony Kanaan and Nicki Thiim, only to name a few of a gigantic list.

The acquirement process by Motorsport Games won’t change Studio 397’s running, with the Dutch brand staying intact while now being a part of the American company, with Motorsport Games in fact entering with more resources and know-how into Studio 397’s projects, while also having them collaborate in their own ones.

IMAGES - RFactor2 screenshot