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Looking to find out the Rugby 24 release date? You’ve come to the right place as all eyes in the world of rugby will be fixed on the World Cup. France is set to play host this year to rugby’s greatest event, and with Antoine Dupont leading the side, they will fancy their chances on home soil.
Reigning champions South Africa will be among the favourites once more, and you can never write off New Zealand with the depth of talent at their disposal. All these teams and many more will feature in this year’s game, so it should be a cracker!
Find out the Rugby 24 release date below, as well as all the latest news regarding the game.
Rugby 24 release date
After a delay, the Rugby 24 release date is now set for January 30, 2024. There are no details regarding an early access period, but pre-orders are live. Rugby 22 had no bonus or limited edition versions of the game, so we do not expect there to be on this year for Rugby 24.
Nacon and Big Ant Studios are putting the game together, and the studio has confirmed the reasons for the delay.
“Ever since we began developing the game Rugby 24, our goal has been to create the best simulation and most complete game possible. The team has been working hard to adjust the gameplay, represent the sport as accurately as possible and integrate all the officially licensed teams, which include over 130 countries and 15 leagues.
“With this massive expansion in content, the development of the game has taken more time than we originally planned, and we have also had difficulty gaining access to some of the top teams’ players to capture 3D photos (photogrammetry) prior to the World Cup. As we want to bring the most authentic and complete rugby game to date, we have taken the difficult decision to push back the Rugby 24 release date to 30 January 2024, on the eve of the Six Nations tournament.
“This extra time will also aid development and allow us to further enhance gameplay. While it is truly heartbreaking to miss the Rugby World Cup, we are convinced that this is the right decision, one that will enable you to experience your passion in a great game. Thank you for your understanding, patience, and support. See you soon with more information about Rugby 24.”
Rugby 24 platforms
Upon the full launch of Rugby 24, the game will be available across all consoles and PC. This means that PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S players will all be able to get stuck into the action. PC players will also have access to the game from launch.
There is no mention of the game coming to Nintendo Switch just yet, but if Cricket 24 is anything to go by it could arrive at a slightly later date than full release.
Licences
Rugby 24 will feature the main event, the Rugby World Cup! There will be a total of 130 national teams to choose from. Whether you take one of the rugby powerhouses to glory, or lead a minnow to the tournament for the first time, the choice is yours.
Alongside the World Cup and plethora of national teams, Rugby 24 will also include teams from the United Rugby Championship (URC), Top 14, and Pro D2. There is no sign of Premiership Rugby in the early stages, so the English clubs may miss out this year.
Game modes
There has been no announcement regarding game modes in Rugby 24 just yet, but the favourites will likely remain. Quick Match will obviously be available, while training and challenges should also help players get to grips with the controls.
Seeing as its a World Cup year, and the World Cup is licenced in the game, there will surely be a World Cup mode. Whether this is effectively a tournament mode we aren’t sure, but a Lead Your Country Mode would be a nice addition.
Big Ant Studios is introducing an Ultimate Team style mode to Cricket 24, so that is another option for the game. Assembling the best players from world rugby into one team to challenge players online would go down well with fans.
Here are the modes we expect to see in Rugby 24:
- Quick Match
- Career
- League
- Training
- Challenges
- My Squad
- Solo
- Collection
Will there be a Rugby 24 game?
Rugby 24 will release on January 30, 2024, featuring the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Is there a rugby game coming to PS5?
Rugby 24 will be available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC from full launch.
