A Revolutionary Visual Overhaul
Dive into an unprecedented immersive experience with Tour de France 2025, now powered by Unreal Engine 5. This transition marks a turning point for the franchise, offering stunningly enhanced graphics and ultra-realistic lighting effects. Ride through legendary roads such as the Champs-Élysées, the Trouée d'Arenberg, Mont Ventoux, and the Mur de Huy, all recreated in breathtaking detail. The game's visual overhaul sets a new standard for cycling simulations, making every race feel more lifelike than ever before.
The Journey to Unreal Engine 5
This transition to UE5 has been years in the making. After many seasons relying on in-house technology, it was clear that a new engine was necessary to meet modern expectations. While our proprietary tool had certain advantages, it was limiting the game's evolution, particularly in visual fidelity. In 2018, we began exploring external solutions, initially opting for another engine. However, an acquisition and subsequent redevelopment forced us to rethink our approach, delaying our plans for a next-gen Tour de France game.
By 2022, Unreal Engine 5 had evolved significantly, addressing many of the challenges that initially made it unsuitable for our needs. Thanks to the support of Nacon, our publisher, we secured the resources to fully commit to UE5 in 2023. Though this meant another technological shift, it ultimately positioned us to deliver a vastly improved experience.
New Gameplay Features and Strategic Depth
Beyond its graphical evolution, Tour de France 2025 introduces exciting gameplay innovations:
Create Your Own Competitions and Challenge Your Friends
For the first time, players can create private games and race against friends. Customize your races by selecting the stage type, length, and conditions. Whether you're chasing a sprint victory or the coveted Yellow Jersey, each competition is an opportunity to prove your dominance.
A New Refueling System for Tactical Racing
Energy management becomes more strategic with a revamped refueling system. Riders now start each stage with only one type of energy refill. Upon reaching designated refueling zones, players must choose between Energel for sustained energy or Turbogel, which provides a brief window of stamina-free attacks. Choosing the right moment to refuel could mean the difference between victory and exhaustion.
New Races to Conquer
Two exciting new races make their debut in Tour de France 2025:
La Flèche Wallonne: Tackle this legendary Ardennes Classic and conquer the infamous Mur de Huy.
Circuit Grand Est: A brand-new race designed to test your climbing and time-trial skills.
Every victory brings you closer to building your legend and cementing your status as a professional cyclist.
The Road to a Unified Cycling Experience
A major goal of this transition was to unify Tour de France and Pro Cycling Manager under a single technology. Previously, the two games operated on different engines, meaning improvements in one did not benefit the other. With Unreal Engine 5, future updates and enhancements can now be shared across both titles, improving efficiency and ensuring a more consistent experience for players.
Graphical and Gameplay Enhancements
With UE5, Tour de France 2025 delivers:
- Reworked 3D assets: Enhanced realism through advanced lighting and textures.
- Improved environmental effects: More dynamic weather, lifelike water surfaces, and detailed vegetation.
- Realistic race stages: Panoramic views of vast landscapes, rich in detail and atmosphere.
- Smoother navigation: Better peloton interactions and reworked sprint AI for more realistic competition.
- New accessibility features: Colorblind-friendly options and an optimized user interface.
However, this transition also required sacrifices. Due to UE5's technical constraints and our approach to dual image rendering, Splitscreen mode is no longer available. Making it compatible with UE5 would have required significant additional development time, so we made the difficult decision to suspend it for now.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Tour de France 2025
The shift to Unreal Engine 5 is just the beginning. Upcoming improvements include:
- Enhanced cyclist models and animations for even greater realism.
- Advanced weather effects that impact gameplay and add to the immersion.
- The return of the Stage Editor, a vital tool for modders, rebuilt from the ground up to support the new engine.
A Long-Awaited Leap Forward
After nearly six years of development and two years dedicated to transitioning to Unreal Engine 5, the Tour de France series has entered a new era. While the transition is not yet fully complete, the groundwork has been laid for years of improvements to come.
Sharpen your strategies, challenge your friends, and prepare to conquer the most legendary roads in cycling history. Tour de France 2025 launches on June 5 on Steam, get ready for the ultimate cycling experience!
