Did Rennsport Deliver on its ESL Debut?

We’ve driven the latest build of Rennsport, around Spa-Francorchamps, plus visited the first ESL R1 round!
Watch as we take you behind the scenes of the LAN-based esports competition, speak to Rennsport CEO Morris Hebecker and ESL’s Head of Project Operations, Dennis Højgård Kristensen, plus test out the very latest sim racing platform build, using the BMW M4 GT3.
Traxion.GG’s very own John Munro was onsite in Poland, Katowice, inside the Spodek Arena, where the Intel Extreme Masters was held. Alongside the massive Counter-Strike Global Offensive event, was ESL R1, the first ever round of the new virtual motorsport championship.
Were you as impressed as us? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The latest Rennsport news: traxion.gg/category/games/ren...
Everything you need to know about ESL R1: traxion.gg/everything-you-nee...
------------------------
Join us on Discord: / discord
Read More on Traxion.gg: www.traxion.gg
Subscribe on KZbin: / traxiongg
Follow us on Twitch: / traxiongg
Follow us on Twitter: / traxiongg
Follow us on Instagram: / traxiongg
Like us on Facebook: / traxiongg
#ESLR1 #ESL #Rennsport

[@fan2hd277]

I’d say it was a great start for this game. 1) racing was awesome with real battles and door banging without massiv crashes 2) no exploits scandals or erratic car behaviors 3) no crashes like rF2 4) replay camera are great and fluid And this on an Alpha version. 👍 Now please add more car manufacturers to the lineup and open the beta!

[@racingsimaddicts7563]

I've been running an rF2 server for a group of friends for about 5 years and I don't ever recall the server application itself crashing. About once a month, someone gets disconnected. Glad to hear Rennsport made it through one test. I'm looking forward to playing it.

[@Gr00t]

I'm sure that door banging will will cause crashes when they aren't on LAN and netcode comes into play :(

[@fan2hd277]

@@Gr00t well we will see but i don't expect flying or invisible cars in this game ;)

[@GamerMuscleVideos]

Good job on the video guys :) - I'm still learning how a pen works

[@TraxionGG]

And I am learning how to hold a camera in a steady fashion. Maybe we can exchange some skills😂 Thanks, was great catching up.

[@Demps151]

event was good, Rennsport (the sim) ah ok i guess wasnt blown away we dint really learn much about the sim other than it can cope with 12 drivers on a lan connection with GT3 on the normal tracks, would have liked to learn more about the sim, I found out more about the sim in your video when u drive it and tell us what it feels like so thank you for that This event could have been held on any sim being ACC, IR, AC, or Rf2 and so on, Rennsport really dint show us anything new,

[@Scientist19exe]

They do tell us how it drives. Compares it to rf2 and Raceroom. It could not rf2 because it didnt crash

[@maximelauzon5129]

Great reporting on the R1 event. I am really looking forward to this game in the next couple years. In the meantime i ll continue working on my skills in IRacing.

[@TraxionGG]

Thanks Maxine! Exciting times ahead.

[@ART_Alex]

Great video guys. I look forward to more coverage through the next rounds.

[@TraxionGG]

Thanks Alex! You guys smashed it 🙌🏼

[@JaredPaul01]

As a big fan of RF2 I'm glad it drives similar, very interested to see how other cars outside of gt3 will feel.

[@LewisMcGlade]

WOAH who is that HANDSOME boio at 4:24!!!!! Great stuff as always John ;)

[@TraxionGG]

Cheers Lewis! No idea.

[@makl-the-oracle]

What a great video.. really solid content thanks man!

[@TraxionGG]

Glad you liked it!

[@TeamHorneyRacing]

Another great piece John, didn't realise you were there as well. I'm hoping the summit in May has a live audience as I want to go.

[@TraxionGG]

Thanks Nick! Was a great (and very busy) weekend. That would be wicked, maybe you should go to the Major (final round of the season) as that will be a LAN event I believe 😄

[@TeamHorneyRacing]

@@TraxionGG I’ll certainly try to get to something. I want to do the Sim Racing Expo as well.

[@punchawaterfall6302]

VERY excited to hear the pros compare it to RaceRoom as it's my favorite sim. The interesting thing about Raceroom is that different cars either can't handle slip angle or some of them absolutely need a little bit going into a corner to maximize the speed. GT3 cars can be slid into corners a touch to maximize speed so I feel like I can understand where they're coming from, but I actually haven't tried GT3's in Rfactor 2 yet, only the BTCC cars interestingly enough

[@nmelol]

R1 was great show. Really enjoyed it.

[@TraxionGG]

Good to hear!

[@robertbrown1778]

Do we know anything yet about the nuts and bolts of the physics e.g. who's doing it? Is it an empirical or physical/semi-physical tyre model?

[@dimsoneill]

Loved this report and that was an impressive setup. Can’t wait to get my hands on Rennsport!

[@TraxionGG]

Thanks! I’m sure many others are in the same boat 😎

[@itsgeorgemorgan]

Fantastic video guys! Brilliant job! 👏

[@TraxionGG]

Thanks George!

[@bernardausterberry6174]

Excellent report. I wonder what hardware will be needed.

It's positive that this alpha build is stable and they can tour around the world with a LAN version but if the average user can't have it, how long will they wait? (Especially when new games or big updates coming until then). Checking the events for 1 year and then finally everybody can play? This is the good way? I am a professional marketer, but I don't understand the strategy behind the Rennsport now.

[@fan2hd277]

You are too negative. I think they have a good strategy since they try to polish the game basics by getting pro simracers onboard and with ESL you already one of the best partners possible for league racing. The learning curve will be steep from now on also with the coming online events. The game is brand new as well as the engine. So within 1 year they already convinced people with that event that its not a vapoware. If they can deliver a great racing title end of 2023 it will be very competitive against the dinosaurs from early 2010's still in place. I just hope for them that Asseto Corsa 2 will not steal their momentum and I don't see rF2 or iRacing doing a 3D engine revolution anytime soon. So I still have big hopes for this game.

[@Scientist19exe]

In the video, it is mentioned 1 week.

[@erikmerino1898]

What quick release are they using on the VRS wheel and base?

[@HowlerBikeVlogs]

just signed up for the beta waiting list. this looks like it'll be a refreshing alternative to ACC, do we know if any classes other than gt3 will be in the sim at some point?

[@rmpicky4849]

What was your impression of the new VRS wheel and what was the diameter? Cheers

[@MIK33EY]

Curious - what wheel base, wheel & pedals were Rennsport using in addition to the Samsung Odyssey G9 monitors?

[@ronbergsma2568]

VRS DirectForce Pro, VRS Steering Wheel and Pedals

[@alexachilles90]

Game looks great, event was well hosted and participated, overall a great positive event for the simracing community after all the negativity surrounding simracing recently. 👍 Any mention of online multiplayer for Rennsport or if future events will be online instead of an on-site event? Testing the game on LAN is one thing, being able to host a big event *ahem Virtual Le Mans ahem* online is another all together. But overall I see improvements to Rennsport and excited with the future launches!

[@TraxionGG]

The next rounds will be online, not LAN so you are right, it will be a big test! Let’s hope it carries the same positive momentum 👍🏼

[@magzire]

what engine is it using?

[@erice5025]

thank you so much

[@TraxionGG]

You’re very welcome!

[@alec7568]

Traxxion keeps telling us why these ESL events are so groundbreaking but I really don't see why I'm supposed to care about an esports event on a game which most of us probably won't get to play until next year.

[@AdamFunke94]

nice video, cant wait to drive it

[@TraxionGG]

I think the majority will be happy when they do 😊

[@jeffwertz2953]

Thanks for the report. When you're doing the demo, the frame rate looks terrible. Was that actually the case?

[@TraxionGG]

No worries Jeff! Some context, the video has been produced at 25fps, so it will look worse than it was in reality. There is actually an FPS counter on top of the screen, and you can see it wasn’t great (40-60fps). I wouldn’t worry too much though. The other version we have tried back at base had a more stable frame rate, and I have no idea what PC’s they were using at this event, but they also had OBS recording the whole ultrawide monitor. So it wasn’t a surprise to see below 60fps as a consistent rate.

[@tqracing]

@@TraxionGG That's abysmal performance even with OBS running.

[@Webzterr]

I enjoyed this. Game looks promising

[@TraxionGG]

I’m glad, and I agree!

[@jimmy-the-bear]

Wow the “TV” camera angles look as close to real as I’ve seen. The movement of the cars don’t look like a “video game”

[@matthewmabry5608]

What monitors are they using there?

[@Paradyski]

Cool, thanks

[@TraxionGG]

No problem!

[@therevjt85]

Any news on whether the grid will be increased from the current limit of 12? They're really going to struggle to make headway in eSports without increasing this imo.

[@Resapz]

What's the name of the monitor they use ?

[@chuckwagon7354]

What equipment did they use - wheel, wheelbase and pedals?

[@TraxionGG]

All VRS. - traxion.gg/vrs-directforce-pro-formula-steering-wheel-revealed-at-esl-r1-event/

[@Captivateitmedia]

Can anyone tell me what the white curved monitor used is? Thx a million.

[@fan2hd277]

Samsung Odyssey G9 (neo?)

[@epremz]

what setups are there racing with? Fanatec?

[@TraxionGG]

VRS rigs, wheels and pedals. 😊

[@pasteghost428]

When he said, "supermuch drama", I immediately thought of that cult b movie, The Room. Tommy Wiseu 😆

[@SpatialDragon]

It looks good. Much better than rF2. I did not see the cars dying at the first nudge like iRacing and there looked to be some grip. You can do wide screen and probably triples, so that is good. It really looks like an improved ACC. Not something I am interested in since it is GT3. Maybe when FORD and Chevy get in there it would be of some interest to me, but I am not a modern GT3 racer. Still it looks good. Hopefully it replaces rF2. I never liked that game and I owned it for several years.

[@JPKelly-xr7tr]

Deliver on what, exactly - ? A marketing campaign in the guise of a closed eSports event for a literal handful of sim racers playing a game that has not been released. How does that have any literal impact ('deliver') on sim racing as in the hobby itself - ?

[@TraxionGG]

In my opinion, it’s about opening up sim racing to the wider gaming space, showcasing how exciting it can be and getting fans onboard with their favourite drivers and teams. More eyes and engagement means more people will be likely to pick up the hobby themselves and give racing games a try. More people playing racing games will be good for the industry, which will, in turn, result in better games. There is a long way to go, but this was a positive start. The game delivered as a platform despite being in alpha, which facilitated an exciting event. 😊 Let’s see what happens next….

[@JPKelly-xr7tr]

@@TraxionGG I've been sim racing since 1996 and I certainly agree with all the points you expressed regarding growth for the hobby. Concurrently, I stand by my original comments.

[@fan2hd277]

@@JPKelly-xr7tr its a first step in the right direction. Lets see end of 2023 if they can deliver or not.

[@JPKelly-xr7tr]

@@fan2hd277 I hope they can.

[@Ikirupp9994]

please dont pan the camera that fast at 24fps your viewers will get motion sickness

[@cat-yi9cg]

I wish esl would of been racing in VR. I can't wait till a league is all in VR. That would be so much better

[@fan2hd277]

I'm a big VR enthousiast but I think unfortunately that Rennsport will get the same type of implementation as ACC. It was promised from the start to be a real VR experience but since its not part of the initial development I fear it will be just a "patch". Maybe UE5 is as badly suited for VR as UE4?

[@mrmidnight32]

My biggest red flag is the fact their focusing on the e sports guys. And not GT3 drivers and actual race teams. Making me worry they’re going to focus on being a esports video game rather than a sim we all actually want. Because one thing we’ve seen with esports is they don’t care about realism but exploits to win titles and events. “Grass dipping” and “brake dragging” controversy for two major examples.

[@mrm7]

Can they really do any worse than RF2? Not sure if it's even physically possible

[@tigerbalm666]

I wonder how much each rig cost...$15K+???

[@GamerMuscleVideos]

You can build a rig like the ones in this event for under 5k - Wheel on a desk is totally fine for Simracing though and can do that for £200-£400 - Even racing GT / Dirt Rally / Forza with a gamepad is really fun and great for getting into simracing.

[@Clumrat]

@@GamerMuscleVideos Very true, and a high end setup won't get you high end speed. You can be very competitive on a stock G29

[@stickdeath1980]

Get preview but it was a Lan event not using internet so clean racing in Lan yes but I wanna see it actually work on the internet and grids of 12 😂 what puts me off is esports in a nutshell no interest what so ever I just wanna race

[@TraxionGG]

Hopefully putting the game to the test in this environment will lead to a better driving experience for you in future! And yes you are right, we are yet to see how it performs outside of a LAN setup. That will be a big, important test!

[@IamMichaelFu]

Wow, that's a lot of manual labor to set up all those rigs. Lots of credit to the people in the background to put it all together. I hate any time I have to make any adjustments to my rig when it comes to my Odyssey g9. I always think I'm going to break it...

[@TraxionGG]

The rigs were all VRS, and they had staff at the event to set up and look after them throughout 😊

[@Sapjee123]

The fps isnt looking that great to be honest

[@u982245]

He sounds just like that drivetribe dude

[@TraxionGG]

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@gru0058]

Next weeks? Hope it doesn’t get too long. Game looks good, but seems like their problem is releasing it

[@simracingjunky9679]

But will it have the best looking VR graphics/performance out there? If not, there is absolutely no reason for me to try this sim. I want somebody to build a sim with VR in mind from the start.

[@tqracing]

I think these guys are more into the esports thing, rather than simracing. I mean, they're running this event on single screens, with terrible performance to boot. Doubt this will be playable in VR, even if they add support.

[@agmink]

@@tqracing I'd be kind of surprised if they don't at least support VR. Seems like table stakes for simracing at this point.

[@tqracing]

@@agmink They'll probably support it but with terrible performance. I mean, the framerate is already abysmal in this video - with single ultrawides.

[@agmink]

@@tqracing Yeah, I was thinking the framerate seemed iffy too, but wasn't sure if it might be some artifact of filming it.

[@fan2hd277]

VR will be supported but not from the start which is a shame and not what they initialy advertised! IMO Unreal Engine 5 is not suited for VR same as Unreal Engine 4. But lets see if they can do a proper integration.

[@noduj]

I've never seen a other game, where the Dev's work so close together with the community and thats why i think its gonna be a huge success. I can't wait to get my hands on it and i'm super hyped for the next Event, thank you Rennsport!

[@pedrosilvamusician]

Lots of games did that. Especially a company like Blizzard where you could literally talk to the lead of a certain project directly in a forum and he would reply to you. Hopefully, they will do this with Rennsport. Seemed interesting to me as well

[@tigerbalm666]

How many sims can exist? There are only a handful of tracks that EVERY SIM recycles!

[@nmelol]

In competitive aspect there is only iRacing and ACC. Nothing else matters. Both have flaws so there is no reason not to try new thing.

[@imJGott]

Great show BUT you can’t make an esport game the community makes that decision.

[@fan2hd277]

interessting take. They flipped the switch lets see how it turns out. I prefer a game taylored for competition as a real driving simulator than a casual game patched to do the same.

[@imJGott]

@@fan2hd277 Flipped what switch? The community has always made a game (real or virtual) into a real thing. These companies have no say so as to what we call or a esport or not. Remember Overwatch? What’s going with their esport scene or lack there of.

[@Xzibitfreek]

The fact that it wasnt a catastrophe is a success in itself. However one has to question the priorities and what can realistically be achieved. First off I think it is simply wrong to prioritize eSports over the actual game as pretty much every single eSports has its main audience being actual players. So to have a sustainable eSports scene with consistent viewership, you first need to have a successful game that many people play. My guess is this is ESL flexing a little with their endless pit of money to try to be the frontrunner for simracing eSports. Apparently they see an untapped market as the current leader is iRacing which gatekeeps a lot of potential fans with its high price tag. However I really dont see this untapped market. If were being completely honest, simracing will NEVER be as big as a game like CSGO, no matter how hard you would try. Due to requiring expensive and dedicated hardware, the playerbase will always be limited, simracing offers few opportunities to offer any rewards outside the actual gameplay and in many popular games, the rewards for playing are as important as the fun of the actual gameplay. Simracing is exclusively about the gameplay and for many that will not be enough. If you try to adopt this kind of system in simracing, where playing gets you rewards, people might not be happy about it. For example in popular games, you get chests that might contain a skin, for a champion, for a character or whatever. You cannot do this in simracing because this is a thing that is traditionally free in simracing. You do not buy a skin in iRacing, you simply create it with a photoshop program for free, so not allowing this feature is a step backwards that people will not accept. Ill happily try Rennsport when its available to the public and I want the game to be great but I do have to question if their goals can even be achieved. To me their goals are beyond best case scenario. ACC is already an extremely good GT3 sim and yet it barely touches iRacing in terms of playerbase despite the much lower price. Even the very popular AC is struggling to reach the numbers iRacing does, so its not like simracing is lacking good competition to iRacing

[@TheHungryHorace]

I'm confused why they're making this. Is there anyone out there who is really missing a GT3 simulator in their life? If it turns out the handling is more realistic or more fun than anything else then of course I'll get it. But either way I don't NEED this. And eSports - meh.

[@annonimus1234]

Go play tennis

[@Ivanoskyao]

I hope it brings some competition to Iracing. Iracing is too comfortable. Monopoly is never good in anything.

[@Hardcaslte]

I mean... do we really need to go with this repeated HRHenShport pronunciation? I understand if you're in the country where it was created or a native that makes sense, but as an English speaker can we not just be like OK it's Rennsport. It's not uncommon to pronounce things phonetically based on your native language. It just sounds so forced every time you say HRHenSHport

[@Toastzz]

if only you could actually play the game, than this whole situation wouldn't be such a pile of garbage

[@TraxionGG]

11:53 - Sounds like a 'sporting product' will be available for the community in coming weeks/months

[@tqracing]

As long as esports events like these run sim racing on single screens, I'm afraid I have to consider it a bad joke. It also does more harm than good. It's the equivalent of running CSGO on tiny screens with stretched resolution. Sim racing should not work towards normalizing that, but rather towards VR and triple screens.

[@FlameBot]

Why do they wear cloves which covers their wrests and almost the half of their underarm? 🤦 Absolut nonsense and unnecessary. they forgot wearing helmets too LOL