A free version of DriveClub was intended to be distributed to PlayStation Plus subscribers alongside the title’s retail release, but almost nine months later it still hasn’t materialized. However, Evolution Studios has given word this week that it will be hitting the PlayStation Network sooner rather than later.

Director Paul Rustchynsky keeps an active Twitter presence, discussing the game with fans as well as posting news and images of upcoming content. Yesterday, he gave a surprisingly frank response to a question as to when the PlayStation Plus version of DriveClub was going to see release.

Rustchynsky replied that the team at Evolution Studios are ‘in the final stages of development now’. While that’s far from a solid release date, it’s a good indication that we’re going to see some movement in the coming weeks, even if it’s just a firm announcement of when the game is set to launch.

With the timing of this comment so close to E3, it seems very likely that we’ll hear more word of plans for the PlayStation Plus version of DriveClub as part of Sony’s conference presentation. It might even turn out that we see a surprise release during the event itself.

DriveClub quickly became one of the most hotly anticipated PlayStation 4 exclusives upon being announced, but continuous delays and a disappointing release soured many fans. As recently as February, Sony stated that the planned PlayStation Plus release might never happen.

Since then, the game has changed its fortunes considerably. Patches and new content have made the experience much better for players, and a significant upgrade to its servers was put in place to make sure the PlayStation Plus release would go without a hitch.

Now, we’ll see whether Evolution Studios has done enough to appease fans. DriveClub still has the potential to become a long-running and successful franchise, but the title will have to fight an uphill battle to win back players spurned by its rocky road to release.

DriveClub is available now for PlayStation 4. Game Rant will keep you posted on its PlayStation Plus release as more information becomes available.