Nacon and Big Ant Studios have decided to rename Rugby 24 and now call it Rugby 25 as it enters Steam Early Access for PC today. The full game will make its way to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One and PC later this year.
Why the change? The simple fact is that, while the game was originally set to release in the 2023-2024 season, delays have meant that the focus for all future licensed content will be on the 2024-2025 season. As is the case for all sports games, it should be named after the upcoming season.
The game will launch in Steam Early Access and will be a preview of the game mechanics, with the aim of working with the player base to refine the rugby gaming experience as much as possible, before the full launch later this year.
Rugby 25 Early Access will feature 21 countries, including the Australian and French teams, with full photogrammetry to capture their likenesses. Future updates will add other major countries including New Zealand, South Africa and England, and there will be more than 150 club teams from 11 competitions such as the URC, English Premiership, French Top 14, MLR and Super Rugby.
Source: press release