Test Drive Unlimited is an open-world lifestyle racing series with no comparable game on the market today. Sure, there’s your bread and butter open-world racing games like Forza Horizon and The Crew, but they don’t quite supply the same niche sim-like experience of car ownership that Test Drive Unlimited has always provided. TDU has always stood out from the crowd, possessing a special umami quality that few racing games can replicate, including the clear spiritual successor to TDU, The Crew. The newest Test Drive Unlimited aims to supply that amazing sense of car ownership the originals did, headed by the same lead director from TDU 2.
The newest entry in the series got delayed twice and is currently slated for a 2024 release date. Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown was first unveiled in 2021 and has been drip-feeding trailers, newsletters, and showcases ever since. But it’s been longer than usual since an update from the team, so fans have been wondering what the current status of the open-world lifestyle racer is. Recent retail listings and developer newsletters point to a showcase and release date being imminent, so let’s explore just what the hell is going on with the game.
The most reliable way to keep abreast of TDU:SC‘s development progress has been their ‘monthly’ newsletter. These Solar Club Newsletters, seven in total, detail various aspects of the game ranging from how car dealers/workshops work to the scope of Hong Kong Island’s 1-to-1 map. Fans have noticed that these newsletters stopped being updated on a monthly basis starting with the TDUConnect gameplay showcase last July. Since then, we’ve gotten a newsletter update every two months. That is, until the most recent newsletter on February 29th of this year, which outlined when they’d feel comfortable announcing the 2024 release date and their progress up to that point. It’s been radio silent since then, not counting the third playtest from April 22nd to April 24th, which is under NDA.
With summer approaching, the developers may be saving any further news until the official release date reveal on this year’s TDUConnect showcase in July. We’re betting on this year’s TDUConnect showcase to be the time they give us the last big updates and release date before launching the game in the Fall of 2024.
One of the main reasons TDU:SC seems primed for a late 2024 release date is that it’s already been delayed twice; once in 2022 and another time in 2023. Furthermore, KT is on the last stretch of development, mainly ironing out optimization and server stability. The last section of the Solar Club Newsletter #7 notes that they’re finished crafting the core game and are focused on optimization and server stability, “We’re working flat out on several aspects, including the stability of the server infrastructure and optimizing the game’s performance. When we feel like these two areas are stable, we’ll be delighted to share the long-awaited launch date with you, then cross the finish line and start our long adventure together.”
The latest newsletter also points out the recent ‘Explorer’ trailer’s lack of particle effects and gravel/dirt detail from tire spin, saying they’re, “… still working on integrating and optimizing these effects.” The scale of Hong Kong Island is pushing the small team to its limit as they try to optimize such high graphics and an acceptable framerate within an online infrastructure. Optimization is stated as the biggest reason the game hasn’t been getting many updates and still lacks a solid release date.
Server stability is listed as the other big hurdle in development. Yes, TDU:SC is an always-online car MMO. Their latest newsletter states as much, “For various reasons, these social features require an infrastructure that is constantly connected to online databases: leaderboards, races, inventories, moderation, live events, anti-cheat measures, and the overall game experience. An internet connection is therefore required to play TDUSC.”
To their credit, Test Drive Unlimited introduced the concept of a Car MMO to the industry when the original was released back in 2006. Still, The recent bricking of The Crew and its servers makes forced online a dicey proposition, despite them doing it first. It’s possible that the intensive server optimization along with the backlash The Crew garnered could compel KT to take a step back regarding always-online. After all, giving players the ability to play offline mitigates the circumstances of a rocky launch and would allow KT to release their game sooner. KT could backtrack on their always-online commitment, but for now, TDU:SC is certainly sticking to its car MMO DNA, offline mode or not. The silver lining is that KT is putting in considerable effort to avoid a rocky launch. They’ve launched three playtests so far, working on server stability as they anticipate real-world launch conditions, and have no problem waiting until it’s ready. But would it be harmful for them to wait too long?
It would be smart for KT to avoid releasing TDU:SC the same month as its competitors Forza Horizon and Need for Speed. We don’t have any info on release dates for Forza and NFS, but new entries are projected to be released soon due to a number of factors. Forza Horizon 5 was released back in November 2021 and already had two big expansions and boatloads of DLC. It would be unprecedented for Microsoft not to reveal the next major Forza Horizon game during its upcoming summer showcase this June. Need for Speed Unbound came out in November 2022, so that series is due for a new entry as well. However, it’s projected the next NFS will be released in 2025 and not 2024 due to their typical three-year cycle. KT is likely playing chicken with Microsoft in particular, waiting for their June presentation before committing to a firm release date for TDU: SC. One thing we do know for sure, every racing game (and every game in general) is trying to avoid releasing near GTA 6’s slot sometime during the Fall months of 2025.
It’s also worth considering that KT has another game slated for a 2024 release called MXGP: The Official Motocross Game. The publisher, Nacon, says MXGP will be launched in late 2024, which means KT may feel pressured to release TDU:SC a different month to avoid stepping on MXGP’s toes. We’re still thinking Forza Horizon is the main launch window that KT wants to avoid. Because of these reasons, we think the TDUConnect showcase this July will reveal the official TDU:SC release date.
The release date may still be speculative, but the price is not. Listings of TDU:SC have recently popped up on multiple retailer sites with a $59.99 price point instead of the typical $69.99. Here are the sites currently showing TDU:SC as a $59.99 game: Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart. The sheer variety of retailers listing this price makes it pretty set-in-stone that it’ll stick. Better yet, retailers typically don’t list prices unless the publisher is inching toward a release soon.
Based on all these factors, TDU:SC seems poised to launch in the Fall quarter of this year. KT is likely waiting for what Microsoft will reveal for Forza Horizon before making a firm release date commitment. The latest playtest in April probably gave the developers good server data and experience, and it’s even plausible that KT will reverse their position on having TDU:SC always-online due to the recent The Crew backlash, but we’re not holding our breath on that one. Even though most of this analysis is speculative, we hope you gained some new insight into the status of TDU:SC and can further prepare for its summer announcements and eventual release.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.