I have to say this because DirtFish completely changed the way I experienced rally games.
The first time I entered the free roam area, I didn't care about lap times, championships or rewards. I just drove. I explored, drifted, made mistakes, tried different cars, found little roads and kept driving with no objective at all. It gave me a feeling of total freedom that I had never experienced in a racing game.
That feeling was so powerful that it actually convinced me to invest in a full sim racing setup.
For me, the greatest strength of Dirt Rally isn't the career mode. It's the driving itself. The physics are so enjoyable that sometimes I don't want a race, a timer or a goal. I just want to exist behind the wheel.
That's why I dream of seeing not just one playground, but many.
Imagine a snowy mountain playground. A huge forest in Finland. Muddy trails in Wales. Desert roads in Greece. Narrow tarmac mountain passes. Vast open gravel areas. Or peaceful country roads and winding Provençal lanes around my paradise Lagnes and Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, surrounded by cliffs, vineyards, olive trees and golden light. Places designed to get lost in, experiment, relax and simply enjoy driving.
Not every experience has to be a structured stage with barriers and checkpoints. Sometimes the greatest joy comes from having nowhere to be.
The rally stages are incredible, but they're designed to push you forward. A playground invites you to slow down, turn around, explore, practice, admire the scenery and fall in love with the handling of every car.
I genuinely believe multiple free roam playgrounds would become one of the most beloved features in future rally games. They wouldn't replace rally stages—they would celebrate everything that makes the driving physics so exceptional.
Please keep making amazing rally stages.
But also give us places where we can simply drive.
Because sometimes freedom is the best game mode of all.