Codemasters has finally confirmed that the next chapter in the Dirt franchise (which is now known as Dirt 3) will arrive May 24th, 2011. The franchise, while popular in the past, seems to have hit its stride with its last release, known as Dirt 2, which received excellent reviews and a good boost in sales over previous versions.

As for what Dirt 3 will offer, perhaps the best way to describe it is “more of everything” including cars, events, locations, and routes. It will feature racing across three continents, including new locations such as Finland, Kenya, Norway, and Michigan. With new locations come new driving challenges with ever changing weather conditions that are actually imagined in the images within the game.

Perhaps the biggest news is that fans who complained that the last release had gone too Hollywood will be happy to know that the simulation options and controls that they enjoy are back as a part of Dirt 3. That’s not to say from what sources tell us, that things that made Dirt 2 fun to pick up and play, as well, will be back.

The game will be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC when it hits retailer shelves.