KartRider: Drift
Dev Blog - Preseason revs up Jan. 11, 2023!
We’re excited to announce that KartRider: Drift will take its next drive into the world on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 (Pacific Time) with the start of Preseason!
We’ve put a lot of elbow grease into KartRider: Drift, as we created an environment where anyone can easily play on the device of their choice whenever and wherever they want. It's almost time for us to officially present it to all our Racers!
You can experience KartRider: Drift first with cross-platform play and progression on PC and mobile platforms through Preseason that starts on January 11, 2023 (Pacific Time).
Once we are ready, we will expand onto Xbox and PlayStation consoles, allowing you to encounter the game in its completed form with full cross-platform play and progression on PC, mobile, and console!
We would like to thank you on behalf of the entire development team. All of this was only possible due to the amazing support and patience of you, our Racers. In the meantime, the dev team will keep working to polish KartRider: Drift and prepare to meet you on the tracks.
See you on January 11, 2023 (Pacific Time) and get ready to race!
Thank you,
-JL & the KartRider: Drift Team-
Dev Blog - Global Racing Test Ends
We sincerely want to thank all the Racers who participated in the Global Racing Test over the past week from Aug. 31 to Sept. 6. Thanks to you playing KartRider: Drift in various environments and on different platforms, the development team is ready to make more improvements based on the data we now have.
We are dreaming of an environment for KartRider: Drift where anyone can easily play whenever and wherever on the device of their choice. We have invested a lot of time towards making that dream come true and we are filled with emotion as the day of the official release draws near. We believe that the time we’ve invested so far is precious and that our efforts to create an exciting, fast-paced game were not in vain.
Now that the Global Racing Test has ended, we will review the feedback you shared during the test period. Your valuable feedback will support us on our journey towards the launch of KartRider: Drift.
We hope you are as excited as we are for KartRider: Drift's release. Please make sure to pre-register for a special item when the game officially releases! We look forward to the day when we race on the tracks together again.
Thank you once again for participating in the Global Racing Test.
-JL & the KartRider: Drift Team-
Thank You for Racing!
We want to hear your thoughts on what's working and what could be improved, so head over to the KartRider: Drift Official Forums to give us your feedback.
Be sure to follow our official social media pages to stay up to date with the latest news and chat with your fellow Racers.
Thank you for participating in the Global Racing Test and enjoying KartRider: Drift. We can't wait to hear your thoughts and feedback as we race towards something awesome.
Join the August 31st Global Racing Test!
Thank you,
- The KartRider: Drift Team
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[Update 9:00 PM PDT AUG 29 - English Only]: Hello Racers,
We are aware of issues that are currently preventing pre-download of the Xbox Global Racing Test game client. We are working on resolving these issues, thank you for your patience, we will let you know when there are any updates.
Thank you,
- The KartRider: Drift Team
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It's been a long time since our last Closed Beta, but we're just about ready to roll with the latest version of this epic kart racer with a Global Racing Test! Join us from 6:00 PM PDT August 31st through 6:00 AM PDT September 6th for the KartRider: Drift Global Racing Test and get your hands on what we've been working on all year long!
The Global Racing Test Begins August 31st!
Get a look at everything we've been working on when the latest entry in this classic kart racing series begins a Global Racing Test on August 31st! There's no need for keys or sign-ups; everyone will be able to play in this open beta on any of the following platforms!
- Nexon Launcher (PC) - Pre-Download now available!
- Steam (PC)
- Xbox One - Pre-Download now available!
- PlayStation 4
- Android - Pre-Download now available!
Note: While Steam will be freely available to play during the Global Racing Test, the game client is not yet available for download.
Racers on iOS are able to sign-up for a special closed beta during the Global Racing Test, with 10,000 slots up for grabs. Learn more and sign up on the TestFlight iOS Closed Beta page!
Global Racing Test Schedule
- PDT (UTC -7): 6:00 PM Wednesday, August 31st - 6:00 AM Tuesday, September 6th
- CEST (UTC +2): 3:00 AM Thursday, September 1st- 3:00 PM Tuesday, September 6th
- AEST (UTC +10): 11:00 AM Thursday, September 1st - 11:00 PM Tuesday, September 6th
So, What's Changed?
The biggest change you'll find in KartRider: Drift since Closed Beta 3 is the addition of Mobile play! With its own control scheme designed to be used with Android and iOS devices, we hope to give you the same thrilling gameplay when you're on the go as when you're playing on your computer or console!
We've also been working hard to flesh out KartRider: Drift and taking your feedback from our previous betas into account. Our goal with this Global Racing Test is for the game you're playing to be as close as possible to what will be released later this year. New maps, new characters, new outfits, new features, and more, we hope you enjoy everything we've been working on in 2022!
Downloading and Launching KartRider: Drift
Follow the instructions below to download KartRider: Drift and get ready for fun when the Global Racing Test begins!
Nexon Launcher (PC):
- Download and install the Nexon Launcher (if you don't have it installed already).
- Launch the Nexon Launcher and sign into your Nexon account.
- Go to the "All Games" section and select KartRider: Drift.
- Click the Install button to begin to download and install the game client.
- When the Global Racing Test begins, go to the KartRider: Drift entry in your library and click "Play Now" to launch!
Steam (PC):
- Download and install Steam (if you don't have it installed already).
- Launch Steam and sign into your Steam account.
- Go to the KartRider: Drift Steam Store page and scroll down to the Steam Playtest section.
- Click on "Request Access" and then "Play Now" to begin to download the game client (Note: Pre-download is not available on Steam, the game client will be available when the Global Racing Test begins).
- When the Global Racing Test begins, go to the KartRider: Drift entry in your library and click "Play Now" to launch!
Xbox One:
- Turn on your Xbox and sign into your Xbox account.
- Open the Microsoft Store app.
- Press "Y" to open the Search bar.
- Search for "KartRider: Drift Global Racing Test".
- Select Get Free* and start downloading the game client.
- Once downloaded, launch KartRider Drift and join us on the track!
PlayStation 4 - New Players:
- Turn on your PlayStation and sign into your PSN account.
- Open the PlayStation Store app and search for "KartRider: Drift Global Racing Test".
- Select Download to begin downloading the game client.
- Once downloaded, launch KartRider Drift and join us on the track!
PlayStation 4 - Returning Players:
- Turn on your PlayStation and sign into your PSN account.
- Go to your Library and look for "KartRider: Drift Closed Beta", the previous name used by the game client.
- Press the Start button and select "Check for Updates" to begin updating the game client.
- Once updated, launch KartRider Drift and join us on the track!
Android:
- Launch the Google Play Store app.
- After signing into your account, search for "[Beta] KartRider: Drift". Make sure to select the "Global Test" version.
- Press the download button to begin downloading the game client.
- When the Global Racing Test begins, select the KartRider: Drift app and launch to play!
iOS:
- Go to the App Store and download the "Test Flight" application.
- Go to the Global Racing Test Test Flight page.
- Download KartRider: Drift through the Test Flight app. Up to 10,000 Racers can participate in the test, and when the number of participants hits that limit, the download button will be disabled.
- When the Global Racing Test begins, select the KartRider: Drift app and launch to play!
Pre-Register for Official Launch Rewards!
Sign-up today to receive the special Model Student Diz item when KartRider: Drift launches later this year, and learn about the unique platform-specific rewards that you'll earn when playing on Nexon Launcher, Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, Android, or iOS!
Learn more in the Pre-Register for Official Launch Rewards post!
Global Racing Test FAQ
Got questions about the Global Racing Test? Check out all the details, including some special info on all the changes we've been working on since the last Closed Beta and answers to many of the questions you've had all year long.
Check out the Global Racing Test FAQ!
KartRider: Drift Service Regions
Finally, we've updated the service regions for KartRider: Drift. Please make certain that we are able to support your region before downloading the Global Racing Test client.
Dev Blog - The Global Racing Test!
We're pleased to announce that KartRider: Drift will have a Global Racing Test starting at 6:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, August 31st and running until 6:00 AM PDT on Tuesday, September 6th.
This Global Racing Test will be a test of all platforms available before the official release of KartRider: Drift, with an open beta on PC, consoles, and Android devices and a closed TestFlight beta on iOS devices. Whether you play on PC, console, or mobile, you can enjoy the game anytime and anywhere no matter the location or platform!
The KartRider: Drift development team has put all their effort into creating a cross-play game. The goal has always been for an environment where anyone can easily take to the tracks and race on the device of their choice.
Please join us on this next step towards the release of KartRider: Drift, and we hope to see all of our Racers on the tracks in the Global Racing Test!
Thank you,
-JL & the KartRider: Drift Team-
PS:
Racers! Have you pre-registered for the official release of KartRider: Drift? The official release of KartRider: Drift is just around the corner, and you can claim a special item for when KartRider: Drift finally arrives! Pre-register here!
Global Racing Test FAQ
A: We've had a few Closed Betas already, but as we get KartRider: Drift ready to go live later this year, there's a few things that we want to give a thorough look to make sure everything's ready. This is the first time that KartRider: Drift will be playable on Mobile, and while we're confident in the gameplay in iOS and Android, we want to get your impressions on it while we can.
We're also looking to give our servers a bit of a stress test. While there's ways to simulate large crowds playing an online game, a lot of players having fun as they pound on the servers remains one of the best ways, so please tell your friends and help us put some real stress on KartRider: Drift's systems all around the world!
Q: When is KartRider: Drift going to be released?
A: We're not quite ready to announce a final release date quite yet. We want to make sure that KartRider: Drift is ready to go and that it's fun to play, and meets the goals we have been working on for the last few years. We hope to have something for after this Global Racing Test is complete, so stay tuned for more!
Q: Who can join and play the Global Racing Test?
A: Anyone that has, or can create, a Nexon account and is in one of the countries noted in the Service Regions article will be able to download and play KartRider: Drift during the Global Racing Test on Nexon Launcher, Steam, Xbox, PlayStation 4, and Android, no need for keys or invitations! Racers that want to play on iOS during the Global Racing Test, please go to the iOS Test Flight page for more details on how you can sign-up to join in.
Q: Will I be locked to a platform?
A: No! As long as you link your Nexon Account to the account you use on your platform, your progress and claimed items will freely transfer from account to account, allowing you to play on whatever system you feel like!
Q: What are the system requirements?
A: We recommend that PC players have at least the below specs. Computers that do not meet the recommended specs may cause latency issues for the match as a whole, and we will be working to improve upon this situation as KartRider: Drift approaches its official release.
[table][tr][th]Category[/th][th]Minimum[/th][th]Recommended[/th][/tr][tr][th]Processor[/th][td]Intel 1st Gen i3 or higher[/td][td]Intel 4th Gen i7 or higher[/td][/tr][tr][td]AMD FX-6000 Series or higher[/td][td]AMD 1st Ryzen 5 or higher[/td][/tr][tr][th]Memory (RAM)[/th][td]8 GB[/td][td]8 GB[/td][/tr][tr][th]Graphics Card[/th][td]GeForce GTX 760[/td][td]GeForce GTX 780TI[/td][/tr][tr][td]AMD Radeon HD 7950[/td][td]AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT[/td][/tr][tr][th]Storage[/th][td]30 GB of free space[/td][td]30 GB of free space[/td][/tr][tr][th]Operating System[/th][td]Windows 10 or higher (64-bit)[/td][td]Windows 10 or higher (64-bit)[/td][/tr][/table]
Additionally, we suggest that mobile players use the below devices or better:
[table][tr][th]Category[/th][th]Minimum[/th][th]Recommended[/th][/tr][tr][th]iOS[/th][td]iPhone 8 or higher[/td][td]iPhone 13 or higher[/td][/tr][tr][th]Android[/th][td]Samsung Galaxy S7 or higher equivalent[/td][td]Samsung Galaxy S22 or higher equivalent[/td][/tr][/table]
Q: What new tracks, karts, and characters will the Global Racing Test contain?
A: The following has been added to KartRider: Drift for the Global Racing Test:
- Characters: Airi, Ethen, Keffy, Kris, Mos, and Uni (13 characters total now available to play)
- Appearances: Fifteen new alternate appearances have been added, bringing the total up to 21 for the Global Racing Test
- Karts: Fire Engine, Luna, New York Muscle, New York Taxi, NYC Tour Bus, Titan, and Western Wagon (21 karts total now available to play)
- Tracks: Desert: Abandoned Oasis (1 Star), Glacier: Shark's Wake (1 Star), World Tour: London Night (2 Stars), World Tour: Rio de Ja-nitro (3 Stars), World Tour: SF Seaplane Base (3 Stars), Forest: Zigzag Timberland (4 Stars), World Tour: New York Rally (4 Stars), World Tour: Terracotta Twister (4 Stars), Glacier: Snowbound Slopes (5 Stars), and Mine: Winding Slopes (5 Stars). A total of 36 tracks will be available for Speed Mode, and 21 for Item Mode.
- And more!
Q: Can I capture video and/or stream gameplay from the Global Racing Test?
A: Absolutely! Record it, stream it, get screen grabs and show off your times to your friends, whatever you want! Feel free to hop on the official KartRider: Drift Discord's #fanart-and-screenshots and #livestreams-and-videos channels to show them off with your fellow Racers!
Q: Where can I provide feedback on the Global Racing Test?
A: You’ll be able to provide feedback in the official KartRider: Drift Discord, as well as on the official KartRider: Drift forums once the Global Racing Test begins. We’ll also send out an email survey afterwards for additional thoughts.
Q: When I connect to KartRider: Drift on Xbox/PlayStation, a page asks whether I want to link it to a Nexon account. What does "link to Nexon account" mean?
A: KartRider: Drift supports a feature where you can connect to various platforms with just one Nexon account. If you link your Xbox or PlayStation account and Nexon account, your gameplay record is shared with other platforms linked to your Nexon account. As an additional feature, you can make friends and play with people on other platforms.
Q: I entered the Racer name in the search window to add a friend, but the result is that the name doesn't exist. Is this a bug?
A: In order to add a friend through the search window, both the player sending the friend request and the player receiving the friend request need to link to a Nexon account. Also, you need to search by the Racer name (the nickname when connecting from a PC) of the player to whom you're sending a friend request. Xbox Live's GamerTag and PlayStation's Friends search are not supported. If you want to add friends between Xbox or PlayStation players, please use your console's friend system.
Console Account Linking
KartRider: Drift supports multi-platform gameplay, on Xbox, PlayStation 4, iOS, Android, Steam and Nexon Launcher, through the use of your Nexon account. Once you have linked your Xbox and/or PlayStation account with your Nexon account, your gameplay records, items, and stats will be archived on all other platforms. In addition, players that have linked their Xbox, PlayStation and Nexon accounts will be able to friend each other and race together regardless of their preferred platform!
If you do not wish to link your Nexon account to your Xbox and/or PlayStation account, you can still enjoy the game but should note the following:
Note:
- By playing on an Xbox or PlayStation account that has not been linked to a Nexon account, you will not be able to see your in-game information on other platforms such as Steam and/or Nexon Launcher.
- For players with separate accounts (on Xbox and/or PlayStation without a Nexon account link, and one Nexon account), if you ever decide to link up these separate accounts, your game data on your newly-linked Console account will be reset because the data on your Nexon account will overwrite your initial gameplay data.
- If you have an Xbox or PlayStation account that has been linked to your Nexon account, you will be able to access all of your gameplay data when you play KartRider: Drift through Nexon Launcher or Steam (available when the game is officially launched).
Please note that ALL game data and account progress will be wiped once the Global Racing Test ends.
Dev Blog - Pre-Registration Starts for the Official Launch
The KartRider: Drift dev team has been going all out on development, crafting an environment where anyone can freely play on any device wherever they are with a single account. As our development work has progressed, we’re proud to announce that pre-registration for the official release of KartRider: Drift starts today!
Very soon you will be able to go beyond PC and console and play KartRider: Drift whenever and wherever you wish, even on Android and iOS devices. We hope Racers around the world will participate in the global Pre-Registration Event, and receive the special Model Student Diz item that we are offering as a reward for signing up.
KartRider: Drift is a true cross-platform game that will challenge your driving skills and draw out your competitive side as you race across players all over the world! Our development team looks forward to meeting all of our Racers on the track soon!
Thank you,
-JL & the KartRider: Drift Team-
Pre-Register for Official Launch Rewards!
Model Student Diz Pre-Registration
You can sign up today and claim Model Student Diz to use when KartRider: Drift launches later this year! This most studious appearance is completely free and available to anyone who signs up on the Model Student Diz Pre-Registration site, so check it out today!
Special Platform Items
When KartRider: Drift launches, you'll be able to claim special items for the platform you're playing on. Each platform, including Steam, Nexon Launcher, Xbox, PlayStation, Android, and iOS, will have their own set of unique styles for Brodi or Bazzi, plus a kart, that you'll get entirely for free, just for playing!
Pictured Left to Right:
- Nexon Bazzi and Kart, awarded while playing on Nexon Launcher
- Comet Brodi and Muscle, awarded while playing on Steam
- Cosmic Brodi and Muscle, awarded while playing on Xbox consoles
- Quantum Brodi and Muscle, awarded while playing on PlayStation consoles
- Able Brodi and Kart, awarded while playing on iOS devices
- Play Bazzi and Kart, awarded while playing on Android devices
Note: Each item can only be used when playing on its specific platform, and Racers on other platforms will only see the default style.
We have much more to share with you soon, so keep your eyes here for more information on KartRider: Drift!
Dev Blog - Mobile Added to Cross-Platform Play
The KartRider: Drift dev team has been going all-out with development while envisioning a gameplay environment where anyone can freely play on any device with a single account, no matter where they are. We’ve previously shared that you’ll be able to play KartRider: Drift on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC with a single account, but now we have expanded that to include iOS and Android as well! We've created a single gameplay environment for all our Racers, no matter the platform.
Play on your PC or console device at home, and then take KartRider: Drift with you on supported mobile devices when you’re on the move! Go beyond the platform barrier to enjoy KartRider: Drift wherever and whenever you want. Now that this gameplay environment has been created, we are finally able to say that this a true cross-platform game.
We wanted to give you this news earlier, but we were concerned about promising something that wasn't yet complete. Now that we've surpassed the final roadblocks to this challenge, we're thrilled to share this news with you!
When we race together next time, it won't just be on PC and console devices. Put the pedal to the metal wherever you are, as you play easily even on mobile devices (but no racing while you drive!)
We know you’re all eagerly waiting for more information, but bear with us a little longer as we have a lot more to say coming this summer.
Thank you,
-JL & the KartRider: Drift Team-
Dev Blog - Moving Forward after Closed Beta 3
After the third Closed Beta ended, we felt that we're on the right track to reach a level of quality that will satisfy our Racers, although there's still work ahead. This Dev Blog was delayed as we gave much thought to that, and we apologize for not being able to provide you with any news. We know our Racers have been waiting!
Because we’re developing KartRider: Drift as a global, multi-platform game that can be easily accessible to play by anyone in various platforms and environments, we're doing our best to go beyond East and West with the goal of all Racers playing together globally. As you can imagine, this is a challenge that sparks many difficulties.
While discussing internally with the development team and looking back at the results of Closed Beta 3, we made sure to set clear principles and criteria for moving forward. With that as a foundation, we reflected on what was lacking from the game and mulled over our progress on developing KartRider: Drift for Racers to feel the essential fun of racing – while also competing and playing with others on a global scale.
In order to cater to the varied skill levels of Racers around the world, we are developing the version of KartRider: Drift that you will experience in the future to be true to the fundamental gameplay and sheer joy of racing. In order to do that, we are seeking to support Racers who are experienced with the KartRider series to compete based on their current experience, as well as helping newer Racers get started with tracks and a more approachable AI system that helps beginning Racers learn the ins and outs (and painfully difficult shortcuts) of the track.
We are also preparing new features and content, but our main priority right now is polishing the racing experience, on which many of you provided feedback. We believe it’s necessary to perfect this core experience first as it will impact all Racers (both new and experienced).
We are grateful for all of the suggestions and feedback Racers have shared so far after Closed Beta 3 because it shows how many of you love this game! In return, we will do our best to deliver news more frequently, and the dev team will put in the effort to polish KartRider: Drift and make it even better when we meet on the track again.
Thank you,
-JL & the KartRider: Drift Team-