The RaceRoom February Fun Fest update is launching, and it adds three new disciplines plus more content. Here's what's in it!
There is no doubt that KW Studios ended 2024 on a high note for RaceRoom: Following the big September update, another well-received update added more historic content and continued the improvements started in early September. How to follow that up, though?
Three new disciplines within the sim should do, don’t you think? That is what KW Studios have concluded, anyway, and with the freshly-launched February Fun Fest Update, drifting, hillclimb racing and head-to-head competition arrive in RaceRoom. That includes content for these disciplines, of course.
And this is trickier than it may sound. While the M3 is the lighter of the two cars and therefore easier to kick the back out with, it can also overrotate quite easily. On the flip side, the M4 may be heavier and therefore a bit less agile, but it did feel a bit more manageable when trying to hold a drift, in my experience. Mind you, I rarely ever dabbled with drifting, so those of you who have more experience with it will most likely have better results.
Unfortunately, the drift part of RaceRoom does not come with an automated scoring system – yet, as Christian Wacker-Baur, Director of Sales & Strategy at RaceRoom, explains: “We are talking to a few promoters of real drift competitions who are looking to hold digital events, but with scoring done by humans. So it was not a priority for us thus far, but that does not mean that we are not working on it.”
As of the release of the update due in the morning of February 26, 2025, there is no drifting AI either, although it is possible to hit the Drift Area with them if you want to.
The main idea behind the point-to-point track, however, is its use for Hillclimb events. At an impressive 17.3 kilometers in length, Genting poses quite the challenge, and when running it in the Hillclimb Icons class cars that have already been in RaceRoom for quite some time, a run up the entire length of the highway took between 7 and 8 minutes. For those who are looking for more bite-sized hillclimb experiences, there are two shortened layouts as well.
And for those who like their racing to be really frantic, it is also possible to tackle the hillclimb track with up to nine opponents at the same time. While not entirely realistic, this is part of RaceRoom’s strategy to change things up a bit and “play with race formats”, according to Wacker-Baur. “We want to move away from having only circuit-based racing in RaceRoom and offer more exciting championships in the future. It is time to dare something.”
In true RoC fashion, cars start parallel to each other, but on straights that are in different parts of the lap. One lap, and you are done, with the time difference being very visible as both cars approach the finish line.
Like in the Race of Champions, this allows for a tournament tree, for instance, to determine the fastest out of a pool of sim racers. Track knowledge is extremely important as a result, as is car control when both competitors are behind the wheel of identical vehicles. And if a one-lap blast is not enough for you, you can also set more laps to run.
The Macau refresh is free for anyone who owns the track already. The February Fun Fest update will deploy in the morning (UTC) of February 26, with no specific time given.
What do you make of the RaceRoom February Fun Fest update, and what is your favorite part? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our RaceRoom forum!
There is no doubt that KW Studios ended 2024 on a high note for RaceRoom: Following the big September update, another well-received update added more historic content and continued the improvements started in early September. How to follow that up, though?
Three new disciplines within the sim should do, don’t you think? That is what KW Studios have concluded, anyway, and with the freshly-launched February Fun Fest Update, drifting, hillclimb racing and head-to-head competition arrive in RaceRoom. That includes content for these disciplines, of course.
RaceRoom Drift Content
Let’s start with drifting: Announced to be implemented into RR in October 2024 already, fans of going perpetually sideways will be pleased to find two new cars and a bespoke drift location in the sim now. Not only do the BMW E30 M3 Drift and BMW G82 M4 Drift, as run by the Drift Brothers, make their debuts, there is now a playground for them as well. As an additional layout of RaceRoom Raceway, the Drift Area offers plenty of space to chuck your car sideways in a nice setting.And this is trickier than it may sound. While the M3 is the lighter of the two cars and therefore easier to kick the back out with, it can also overrotate quite easily. On the flip side, the M4 may be heavier and therefore a bit less agile, but it did feel a bit more manageable when trying to hold a drift, in my experience. Mind you, I rarely ever dabbled with drifting, so those of you who have more experience with it will most likely have better results.
Unfortunately, the drift part of RaceRoom does not come with an automated scoring system – yet, as Christian Wacker-Baur, Director of Sales & Strategy at RaceRoom, explains: “We are talking to a few promoters of real drift competitions who are looking to hold digital events, but with scoring done by humans. So it was not a priority for us thus far, but that does not mean that we are not working on it.”
As of the release of the update due in the morning of February 26, 2025, there is no drifting AI either, although it is possible to hit the Drift Area with them if you want to.
RaceRoom Hillclimb: Genting Highlands Highway
The Drift Area within RaceRoom Raceway is not the only playground for the new cars, though. With the addition of Genting Highlands Highway, sim racers can slide their way up Malaysian a Malaysian highway, including plenty of varied turns to challenge them. Looking at a map, it appears to be based on the real Jln Utama Genting Highlands road located to the northeast of Kuala Lumpur.The main idea behind the point-to-point track, however, is its use for Hillclimb events. At an impressive 17.3 kilometers in length, Genting poses quite the challenge, and when running it in the Hillclimb Icons class cars that have already been in RaceRoom for quite some time, a run up the entire length of the highway took between 7 and 8 minutes. For those who are looking for more bite-sized hillclimb experiences, there are two shortened layouts as well.
And for those who like their racing to be really frantic, it is also possible to tackle the hillclimb track with up to nine opponents at the same time. While not entirely realistic, this is part of RaceRoom’s strategy to change things up a bit and “play with race formats”, according to Wacker-Baur. “We want to move away from having only circuit-based racing in RaceRoom and offer more exciting championships in the future. It is time to dare something.”
Head-to-head at Twin Forest
The Twin Forest circuit certainly falls into the same category. Already announced on February 25, the head-to-head track is inspired by the circuits used in the Race of Champions, but this one is not set inside a stadium. Instead, it is located in the British countryside, so it is not as tight as the layouts you may have seen motorsport greats battle it out on over the years.In true RoC fashion, cars start parallel to each other, but on straights that are in different parts of the lap. One lap, and you are done, with the time difference being very visible as both cars approach the finish line.
Like in the Race of Champions, this allows for a tournament tree, for instance, to determine the fastest out of a pool of sim racers. Track knowledge is extremely important as a result, as is car control when both competitors are behind the wheel of identical vehicles. And if a one-lap blast is not enough for you, you can also set more laps to run.
RaceRoom Porsche Cup North America Liveries
On the more traditional side of racing, RaceRoom also has something in store for sim racers. A livery pack for the Porsche Carrera Cup North America arrives alongside the other new content, and it is quite the selection: A total of 42 liveries from the 2024 grid makes for plenty of choice.RaceRoom Macau Update
Finally, as was already announced on February 24, Macau is getting a makeover in the new RR update. Almost 10 years after first appearing in the sim, the historic Guia Circuit is reworked to be in line with the more modern content, making the famous street circuit look more contemporary. We found it looks particularly nice in the sunset, which adds a golden hue to the circuit, adding to its atmosphere.The Macau refresh is free for anyone who owns the track already. The February Fun Fest update will deploy in the morning (UTC) of February 26, with no specific time given.
RaceRoom February Fun Fest Content Prices
- BMW E30 M3 Drift: €5.98
- BMW G82 M3 Drift: €5.98
- Genting Highlands: €6.98
- Porsche 911 GT3 Cup North America + all liveries: €9.77
- Twin Forest: €6.98
What do you make of the RaceRoom February Fun Fest update, and what is your favorite part? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our RaceRoom forum!
