Nacon and KT Racing promised before that an update on the development of the upcoming open-world racing game Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown will be coming around this time of the year, but it’s not the one fans wanted to hear.
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is now delayed and targeting a 2023 release instead of the initial September 2022 release window.
In addition, the delay has also meant that the game won’t be a cross-gen release, with the PS4 and Xbox One versions effectively canned. This is in line with the trends of many other publishers putting Late 2022 as the cutoff point between the last-gen PS4 and Xbox One consoles and the next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles.
It’s unclear yet if the Nintendo Switch version will also be cancelled as a result of this move.
The announcement post on Steam did give new details on what to expect from the successor to the Test Drive Unlimited series. While the developers may have only inherited the series and IP, they understand the core features and little details that fans wanted.
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown will feature a 1:1 scale recreation of Hong Kong Island that includes 550km worth of roads. It isn’t as huge compared to TDU1’s Oahu island (1,600 km of roads), or TDU2’s Ibiza but Hong Kong Island should still be of decent size compared to other contemporary open-world racing games.
Solar Crown will feature two different clans bringing two different vibes to the city, both representing the wealthy car enthusiasts that are racing and partying on the island.
The Streets are more underground with their nightclubs made from old buildings and are based in Wan Chai, whilst The Sharps prefer the high-rises and luxurious buildings found in the Western District. Players loyal to one of the clans get access to the VIP area.
In addition, closed beta testing will be happening for Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, so there is still a chance to get your hands on the game, albeit in a still-in-development-form, soon.
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is now targeting a 2023 release date and is coming to PS5, PC (Steam, Epic Games Store) and Xbox Series X|S.
Source: Steam