Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown release window and beta date revealed

pcgamesn.com:

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown gameplay is revealed for the first time, as Nacon and KT Racing also share the release window and closed beta dates for the return of the classic racing game, ahead of its launch on Steam. The first Test Drive game since 2012, and following in the footsteps (or rather, tire tracks) of the original TDU, as well as Forza Horizon, Need for Speed, and The Crew, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is drop-in-drop-out multiplayer racer, taking place across a 1:1 recreation of Hong Kong Island. We see the open-world exploration, the social hub, and of course the competitive racing itself. We’ve also got details on how to sign up for the first playtest.

Directed by Alain Jarniou, co-creator of the original Test Drive Unlimited games, Solar Crown focuses on the eponymous, in-universe racing tournament, and sees players compete across a gigantic, open-world map based directly on the real Hong Kong Island. Initially teased all the way back in 2020, though we’ve seen glimpses of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown in action, this is the first live gameplay footage ever.

It starts with all the players meeting in a luxurious, very well-appointed hotel. The social hub in Test Drive Unlimited can be accessed on foot, as you exit your vehicles to explore some of the glamorous interiors dotted around Hong Kong. Racers are broadly divided into two clans: ‘streets’ and ‘sharps,’ with each owning and gathering at their respective social venues. Once everyone has teamed up, they hit the road for some open-ended driving and exploration.

It’s fast. It’s vibrant. And there’s certainly an eye for environmental detail. The faster you go, the more you overtake, and the closer you skirt to other cars, the more you