The latest content drop for EA Sports WRC is lining up to be released on March 25, 2025. We had a chance to play the Hard Chargers DLC early - here's what we found!
The 2025 World Rally Championship season is three events old, and EA Sports and Codemasters have new content alongside a new update up their sleeves: The Hard Chargers DLC is releasing on March 25, adding six new cars and 12 new stages, six each for Rally Sweden and Rally Acropolis in Greece. A total of 18 new liveries will also be added, as are 16 new challenges in Moments mode.
Additionally, a number of fixes and adjustments are implemented as part of update 2.3.1 - check out all the changes here!
Unlike the previous Le Maestros DLC, Hard Chargers is less focused on a particular topic - Le Maestros was clearly inspired by the careers of Sebastién Ogier and Sebastién Loeb. As a result, we have a bit of a mixed bag on our hands content-wise, but the new stages and cars are a welcome addition nonetheless.
This is even more true since the Hard Chargers DLC is included in the WRC 24 Expansion Bundle, so if you own that already, you should be all set to try out the new content. For everyone else, it is a relatively safe bet to assume that it will be priced similarly to the Le Maestros DLC, which is €9.99.
That said, let's dive into the new cars of the EA Sports WRC Hard Chargers DLC!
Hyundai i20 Coupé WRC '21
An addition to the WRC 17-21 class, the Hyundai i20 WRC 21 slots right in with some of the fastest cars in WRC history. Before the current Rally1 regulations, the cars had developed quite impressive aerodynamics that allowed them to go extremely fast. For the high-reving Hyundai, this means that it is a very fun and rather rapid experience any time you get behind the wheel.The real i20 Coupé won three times in 2021, with Ott Tänak taking the victory at Rally Finland and Thierry Neuville victorious at Rally Belgium and in Spain. In the end, Neuville finished third in the overall standings, with Tänäk in fifth. Part-timers Dano Sordo (sixth) and the late Craig Breen (eigth) also finished inside the top 10.
Image: EA Sports / Codemasters
Ford Focus WRC '99
If you are getting Colin McRae Rally 2.0 throwback vibes from this car, you are on the right track: It was the cover car for the classic game, and as such, the Ford Focus WRC '99 as piloted by Colin McRae himself is a classic in its own right. It stood out among its competitors like the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI or Subaru Impreza WRC with their characteristic, clearly defined lines with its rather round shape, which was not all that common in the late 1990s.McRae managed to score two victories with the '99 Focus (in Kenya and Portugal), but only finished one more rally after that, resulting in P6 in the overall standings. It also did not help that both works Fords were disqualified at Monte Carlo for using an illegal water pump. Still, the car is remembered fondly by many rally fans.
Image: EA Sports / Codemasters
Ford Escort RS 1600 MK1
Speaking of fondly-remembered classics, the Ford Escort RS 1600 MK1 has had a seat at that table for decades. This version slotting into the H2 RWD class is from 1973, which coincides with the inaugural season of the World Rally Championship. Battling the likes of the Alpine A110 1800 or Fiat Abarth 124 Rallye, among others, the Escort RS 1600 won twice that year - both times in the hands of Timo Mäkinen, who was victorious in Finland and Great Britain.And in case you are wondering: No, Timo Mäkinen is not related to four-time World Rally Champion Tommi Mäkinen, although their 26-year difference in age could have easily meant that Timo was the father of Tommi. And that's your fun coincidental fact for today!
Anyway, in the end, Ford came third in the manufacturers' championship behind Alpine and Fiat, with no drivers' championship being awarded - that was only introduced in 1979.
Image: EA Sports / Codemasters
Renault Clio Rally3
On to a car that is a bit more tame, the Rally3 version of the Renault Clio. Keeping the Ford Fiesta Rally3 company, it may look unassuming at first glance, but despite not being the most powerful rally car out there, it is, in fact, a pleasant surprise. The Clio features four-wheel drive, which makes it relatively fast and controllable, but not fast enough for you to get into big trouble like the big WRC cars could.Renault Clio Rally4 & Opel Corsa Rally4
One step below even the Rally3 cars, the Rally4 versions of the Clio and the Opel Corsa can be found. Very much aimed at beginners, they are still fun to chuck around, and as they are probably among those cars that are not unrealistic for people to actually race themselves if they want a bit of a rally experience, it is good to have them in the game.EA Sports WRC: New Stages In Hard Chargers
Like in the previous DLC, Hard Chargers also comes with new stages for locations that are already in EA Sports WRC. Again, there are 12 new routes in total, although they also follow the known scheme of taking one long stage, running it in reverse and halving it to create two additional routes, meaning six stages each for Greece and Sweden are the result.Umea, Rally Sweden
In Sweden's case, this was much needed, as the stages already in the game were not from the actual location at Umea, but rather the event's previous home in Torsby, Värmland. In this case, we get the 2024 version of the real Umea stage that was shortened a bit for 2025, even finishing at the Red Barn Arena. That area could have used more of a crowd to generate more atmosphere, but that is something that we already pointed out as a general problem in EA Sports WRC.The stage is generally fast, but frequently has right-angle corners following long straights, which is not all that inspiring to drive. However, with this being an actual real-life stage, this is not a design choice, so jumps and fast sweepers are reserved for other stages. Still, the fact that it is an authentic stage adds quite a lot to its feel.
Harvati, Rally Acropolis, Greece
This is also true for the other new stage, Harvati in Greece, which was used in this form in 2022. A complete 180 from Umea, this stage is much more technical and also rather scary when racing alongside the cliffs that are just waiting for you to tumble down them for that nice terminal damage screen. A few water crossings spice things up as well.For Emily, as you can see in the video above, Harvati is the better of the two stages, as she feels it more fun to drive. This is down to individual tastes, of course, and while I found it fun to run a full Rally Acropolis on stream a while ago (the VOD of which has sadly been lost to time), it was also extremely exhausting due to the tricky nature of the stages.
Liveries & Moments
There are a few more content pieces in the EA Sports WRC Hard Chargers DLC. Players get 18 new liveries - which include the new cars' designs - that feature Marcus Grönholm's 1999 Peugeot 206 and the 2008 Ford Focus designs for Grönholm and Matthew Wilson as highlights.Meanwhile, 16 new Moments are also on board, including a Kenya one that uses McRae's 1999 Ford Focus, plus one featuring Game Designer and real-life rally racer Jon Armstrong being rather quick in Sweden in 2022.
Verdict
The third content drop for EA Sports WRC, as far as we understand, is also the final one to be part of the WRC 24 Expansion Bundle - which makes sense considering that we are three months into 2025 now. However, with EA Sports WRC not being a yearly release, it begs the question of whether or not there is going to be more DLC down the line for the game. Could there be a follow-up title in the works? Time will tell.The new stages are good and always a nice addition, as rally lives by not learning every millimeter of any track, (or, well, stage) by heart - so the more, the merrier. Add in the cars, liveries and Moments, and you get quite a good amount of content for the supposed price of the pack.
For now, the Hard Chargers DLC is a nice addition, though not that different from what has already been there. Overall, we rate the pack 3.5 out of 5.
What do you make of the EA Sports WRC Hard Chargers DLC pack? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our WRC forum!
