ACE | Assetto Corsa EVO abandons the original concept for its career mode

• The development plans for Assetto Corsa EVO's career mode in Early Access have changed.
• XP, in-game currency, and the economic progression system have been scrapped.
• The single-player mode will remain and be based on a completely overhauled driving school.
• The strategic realignment allows “more freedom” to focus on other features.

The planned career mode for Assetto Corsa EVO was significantly modified during Early Access. An official statement from publisher 505 Games and developer Kunos Simulazioni confirmed the changed approach on February 4, 2026.

At present, there is a basic driving school with license tests for each race track. However, it appears to serve little purpose, as in its current unfinished state these rewards do not unlock specific events or connect with other elements.

There are the foundations of a currency-based model for acquiring vehicles: you have to “buy” cars to add them to your own garage using the money earned in races, but this too is still incomplete. In addition, all content can be freely tested in “Open Mode”, and racing events can be completed.

The original plan was to establish a cohesive career structure in which licenses and economic aspects would be complemented by vehicle tuning and experience points. “After careful consideration and numerous internal discussions, we have decided to move away from the current career mode and the economic systems in the game,” the statement reads.

“This means that features such as XP, virtual currency, and economically based progression will no longer be part of the player experience. This decision was not made lightly, but it allows us to focus on developing a clearer, more authentic player experience that better reflects the values of our community and supports the game's long-term vision.”

Over the course of the game's various updates, the multiplayer mode – Daily Races were introduced in December 2025 – as well as the highly anticipated free-roam modes in Germany appear to have become priorities. The latter was presented last month in an impressive trailer showcasing detailed environments and dense NPC traffic. There are also plans to make further inroads into the competitive sim-racing market.

“We are investing in a range of competitive features and special events centered around online leaderboards, hotstints, and other focused game modes. These experiences are designed to provide clear goals, replayability, and healthy competition without the constraints of a traditional economic system.”

Outlook for Assetto Corsa EVO's single-player mode

The team emphasizes that although the original vision for the career mode has been discarded, players interested in the single-player mode outside of multiplayer will still have incentives to drive in EVO. “The single-player experience will be further developed through a completely overhauled driving school designed as a meaningful tool for learning, improving driving skills, and mastering vehicles and race tracks,” the statement says.

At present, the driving school still appears somewhat superficial, and this fleeting experience is one of the Traxion team's current criticisms of the Early Access title. Listening to feedback and addressing this area is a positive step. “Although the original career mode will not be part of the final direction, providing a meaningful structure for the single-player experience remains highly important. Our goal is to guide progression through skill, learning, and competition rather than through an artificial economy, while continuing to support popular features such as vehicle tuning.”

Focus on what matters

With the scope of the career mode reduced for the time being, Kunos claims that development of EVO “has never been more intense” and that it now has “more freedom to focus on what matters behind the wheel”. The main goals include renewed focus on improving and expanding the simulation systems, modding, multiplayer, competitive features, the user interface, and the aforementioned free-roam feature, complemented by “richer and more flexible single-player content”.

The next update is designated 0.5 and is expected shortly. The Watkins Glen Circuit, the BMW M2, and the Toyota AE86 have already been confirmed for integration, while further content and changes are expected to be announced before release.

Full statement on the Assetto Corsa EVO career mode

With the release of version 0.5, we would like to share important news about the direction of Assetto Corsa EVO, shaped by ongoing discussions and feedback from our community. After careful evaluation and numerous internal discussions, we have decided to move away from the current career mode and the economic systems in the game. This means that features such as XP, virtual currency, and economically based progression will no longer be part of the player experience.

This decision was not made lightly, but it allows us to focus on creating a clearer, more authentic player experience that better reflects the values of our community and supports the game's long-term vision. Rather than simply removing structures, this change allows us to replace the career mode with experiences that focus more directly on driving and improving driving skills.

The single-player experience will be further expanded through a completely overhauled driving school designed as a meaningful tool for learning, improving driving skills, and mastering vehicles and tracks. In addition, we are investing in a range of competitive features and special events centered around online leaderboards, hotstints, and other focused game modes. These experiences are designed to offer clear goals, replayability, and healthy competition without the constraints of a traditional economic system.

By simplifying the overall structure, we gain more freedom to focus on what matters most behind the wheel: driving quality, racing, and simulation depth. The team can also move faster and spend more time optimizing systems that matter greatly to many of you, including:

• Deeper racing and simulation systems
• Strong modding foundations
• Future community-driven multiplayer options
• More extensive and flexible single-player content
• Competitive features and special events based on leaderboards and time-based challenges
• Open development and ongoing improvements to the user interface

Although the original career mode will not be part of the final version, providing a meaningful structure for the single-player experience remains highly important to us. Our goal is to encourage progression through skill, learning, and competition rather than through an artificial economy, while continuing to support popular features such as vehicle tuning.

Outlook

The release of version 0.5 represents significant progress in terms of variety and usability, with new driving content, improvements to the user interface and performance, and the goal of laying the foundation for upcoming developments. Development of Assetto Corsa EVO has never been as intense as it is today, and with every Early Access update we aim to realize our vision of “Driving, Simulation, Evolved”.