If you’re a fan of racing games, you’ve probably checked out at least one of Ubisoft’s The Crew games, the first of which was released all the way back in 2014. The original The Crew was a massive open-world racer that was undeniably ambitious, but arguably suffered from a map that was slightly too big and a lack of diversity in terms of activities.
In 2018, Ubisoft followed its first Crew game with a sequel, appropriately titled The Crew 2. That game allowed you to control several different vehicles in addition to cars, and also featured multiple hub worlds, so it was clear that Ubisoft wanted to double down on the size of the original The Crew rather than scale it back.
Following these two projects, in 2023, Ubisoft officially revealed The Crew Motorfest, the latest title in what is now officially the Crew franchise. Motorfest looks to be scaling back the immense, well, scale of the previous two games a little, and it’s apparently taking direct inspiration from a certain rival racing franchise as well. Here’s what we know about The Crew Motorfest so far!
The Crew Motorfest release date – when is the game coming out?
Ubisoft has officially announced that The Crew Motorfest will be released across current-gen consoles and last-gen machines on September 14th. Happily, this means that even if you’re playing on PS4 or Xbox One, you’ll still be able to enjoy the game, so it seems like the previous generation of consoles isn’t being counted out just yet.
Delays to the release date are looking pretty unlikely at this stage as well. At time of writing, we’re around five or six weeks away from The Crew Motorfest’s launch, and any delays at this stage would likely prove catastrophic to the game’s marketing push. Expect The Crew Motorfest to release exactly when Ubisoft says it will.
The Crew Motorfest trailers – what have we seen so far?
Naturally, in order to hype up the game, Ubisoft have released a number of The Crew Motorfest trailers, each spotlighting different elements and aspects of the open-world racer. Here’s a quick look at the trailers we’ve seen so far.
The Crew Motorfest teaser trailer
First, on January 31st this year, we got a first look at The Crew Motorfest via its debut teaser trailer. This trailer doesn’t give too much about the game away; it features a quick look at the setting of O’ahu in Hawaii and promises an “unparalleled diversity of game modes and immersive driving experiences”, but this is very much an announcement to get you hyped for the game rather than anything particularly informative.
The Crew Motorfest cinematic introduction
The next major trailer for The Crew Motorfest was a cinematic showcase of the game’s setting and aesthetic. It also revealed the release date of September 14th, as well as giving us a look at the various different kinds of cars we’ll get to drive across O’ahu, including vintage vehicles, electric supercars, and even a brand new Lamborghini.
The Crew Motorfest gameplay premiere trailer
On June 12th, during its Ubisoft Forward presentation, Ubisoft gave us a first look at The Crew Motorfest’s gameplay. The trailer emphasised the game’s bright colours and festival atmosphere, causing many to draw comparisons to Playground’s Forza Horizon franchise.
The Crew Motorfest festival program trailer
Later on in June, we got a trailer giving us a look at the titular Motorfest, which will be the principal setting in The Crew Motorfest, as well as the source of the game’s challenges. Much like in Forza Horizon, we’re here to enjoy a festival celebrating all things vehicular, so you can expect plenty of “tailor-made races, themed events, and other unique challenges”.
Bonus: The Crew Motorfest Behind the Wheel series
As well as the aforementioned trailers, Ubisoft has also been periodically releasing a series known as Behind the Wheel, in which the developers of The Crew Motorfest discuss the process of creating the game and the decisions that have gone into its production. Make sure to watch this if you’ve got any interest in a behind-the-scenes look at The Crew Motorfest!
The Crew Motorfest gameplay – what are the features and details we know so far?
Until we get our hands on The Crew Motorfest, it’s difficult to get a full picture of what the game will offer. However, here’s what we know about it so far.
- Playlists. Ubisoft is calling the main campaign feature of The Crew Motorfest “Playlists”, and each one is intended to celebrate a different facet of car culture. It sounds like more will be added as the game’s development progresses, but 15 will be available at launch.
- Hawaiian open world. The game takes place in O’ahu, which Ubisoft describes as “the jewel of the Hawaiian archipelago”, and as such, the scenery takes in everything from volcanoes through to neon-lit city streets.
- Live service events. Like Forza Horizon, The Crew Motorfest will offer a series of revolving and rotating live service challenges, meaning you can always head into the game to discover something new.
- Single-player or multiplayer. You can either take on the challenges of The Crew Motorfest solo or hop into them with a friend depending on your personal preference.
Over 600 vehicles. The car selection in The Crew Motorfest looks pretty impressive; you can choose from tons of different kinds of vehicles, and we’re expecting that more will be added post-launch as well.
