Assetto Corsa EVO has rolled out its sizeable 0.9 update on PC, with KUNOS Simulazioni putting competition at the centre of the latest Early Access overhaul.

The update adds a new Special Events mode, persistent worldwide leaderboards and mandatory pit stops for multiplayer races, alongside three new cars from Audi and Mazda.

Special Events can now be accessed directly from the main menu and pair particular cars and tracks with specific objectives. Results are uploaded to persistent online leaderboards, giving players a new asynchronous way of competing for the fastest times without needing to be racing one another simultaneously.

It should also give Assetto Corsa EVO drivers considerably more reason to revisit particular car and circuit combinations as KUNOS expands the selection of available challenges.

Assetto Corsa EVO finally gets mandatory multiplayer pit stops

One of the biggest additions in Update 0.9 is the arrival of mandatory pit stops in multiplayer.

Race hosts can now require drivers to make a stop, introducing considerably more strategy around fuel consumption, tyre wear and deciding exactly when to enter the pits.

Players can adjust their plans during a race through the on-screen MFD, including selecting replacement tyres, changing tyre pressures and choosing how much fuel to add.

That also opens the door to proper undercut and overcut strategies, meaning outright pace is no longer necessarily enough to win longer multiplayer races.

Three cars have joined the Assetto Corsa EVO roster as part of the update:

  • Audi R8 V10 performance quattro
  • Audi R8 LMS GT2
  • Mazda RX-7 FD Spirit R (Type A)

All three have been recreated using real-world vehicle data.

The Mazda RX-7 is probably going to be the one that immediately catches the eye of a lot of players, although the R8 LMS GT2 should give anyone interested in more serious circuit racing something new to get their teeth into.

Slick tyres and force feedback have also been reworked

Update 0.9 isn’t just adding new modes and cars. We are getting new improvements to force feedback and input alongside a new Racing Slick Tyre model for its GT cars.

The new tyre behaviour applies across vehicles ranging from the Mazda MX-5 Cup to the Ferrari F40 and is intended to improve the consistency and fidelity of Assetto Corsa EVO’s handling.

There are also further performance optimisations, fixes and quality-of-life changes included in the complete 0.9 patch.

Assetto Corsa EVO remains in Early Access on PC, with the devs continuing to build out the racing sim ahead of its eventual full release.

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