Codemasters reveals some details about the career mode of DiRT 5, as well as new screenshots. DiRT 5 launches from October for Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam, and for Google Stadia in early 2021.
The player is dropped into a world-renowned off-road racing series that delivers constant extreme action, continent to continent, in all manner of amplified events. As you begin to get your feet wet and make a buzz in the racing scene, you catch the eye of Alex Janiček – better known as AJ, voiced by the legendary Troy Baker. An undisputed superstar and fan favourite in the world of DIRT, AJ quickly takes you under his wing, showing you what it takes to rise to the top of the sport he has dominated for years.
You’re not the only new racer making a splash, though. Enter Bruno Durand – the ultra-competitive, cold, calculated veteran, voiced by none other than Nolan North. A champion in other off-road disciplines, Bruno’s talent and star power mean a clash with AJ is inevitable, but the fallout from an epic race between these two icons lays the foundation for you to create your own legacy in the sport.
The entire story, your journey, and much more are covered in depth by the DIRT Podcast by Donut Media, hosted by James Pumphrey and Nolan Sykes from the Donut crew. Their energy and excitement match the vibe of DIRT’s racing world, and between events they react to all the key moments of your story, with special guests including AJ and Bruno, W Series champion Jamie Chadwick, and gaming and car culture personality SLAPTrain.
All of this comes together for a deep, narrative-driven mode that sees you rise from obscurity to infamy in an amplified racing world. Well, only if you’ve got what it takes…
CHOOSE YOUR PATH
So that’s the story – but how will you experience it?
The Career is split into five chapters to cover the key moments in the narrative. Each chapter offers multiple paths for the player to take, meaning you can choose which events you want to participate in through the chapter. If you want, you can still race in everything there is to offer, which is over 130 events across nine different race types, featuring every location in DIRT 5.
Complete races to open new events in the chapter; the higher you place, the more Stamps you will earn. A certain amount of Stamps are needed to unlock the Main Event of each chapter, so the better you perform, the quicker you can progress. Main Events are the conclusion of each chapter and a tougher test for the player. Finish third or above to move onto the next chapter.
But that’s not all. Complete certain objectives throughout Career events to unlock secret Throwdowns, where you go one-on-one with a fierce challenger in epic events.
REPRESENT THE WORLD’S BIGGEST BRANDS
To travel the world, race incredible vehicles and be part of this vibe, you’ll need sponsors. As a highly-touted rookie, the world is watching – and there are some major names that would like to speak with you…
20 real-world brands are available to sponsor you in Career mode, including the likes of Monster Energy, Sparco, Michelin, Fatlace and, yours truly, Codemasters. Each sponsor will have unique rewards when you sign with them, including an exclusive livery of that brand, stickers to use in the livery editor, and a currency signing bonus. Each sponsor will have objectives, both long and short-term, that they want you to hit in your Career. Do that and you’ll increase your Reputation Rank, which leads to an ultimate reward once you hit the top rank.
Players can switch to a new sponsor whenever they want in Career, though the earlier you leave a sponsor, the less rewards you may receive, especially if you don’t meet your sponsor’s minimum race contract. So, will you stay loyal to one brand, or see what multiple sponsors have to offer along your journey in Career? The choice is yours.
SHARE THE JOURNEY
Wanna take some of your friends along for the ride? DIRT 5’s split-screen mode for up to four players is included in Career mode!
For any of the Career events that feature multiple cars on track, each additional player takes the spot of an AI driver. They’re not just there to cheer you on, either; the highest finishing position of any player is the one that’s counted in Career, meaning you could earn more Stamps, more sponsor bonuses and more currency by teaming up. Whilst those rewards earned only count for the host player, each additional player will receive XP and currency rewards for their own accounts, which they’ll have whenever they next play DIRT 5 as the host player.
Finally, the split-screen integration is a drop-in deal – so your pals can jump in or out of your Career journey whenever you want, without it halting your progression.