Game intel
The Crew Motorfest
Time to get ready for what's coming next, Festival-goers! With Ubisoft Forward fast approaching, we wanted to thank you all for an amazing first year, your co…
I’ve played The Crew since the coast-to-coast OG in 2014, lived through The Crew 2’s “everything on wheels (and wings)” era, and welcomed Motorfest’s pivot to a tighter, festival-style O‘ahu. Year 3 kicking off with Season 8 caught my eye because it finally tackles two things the community’s been chasing: proper stance customisation and a grittier street-racing vibe. Ubisoft Ivory Tower says we’re getting an underground “Street Riders” playlist on November 5, plus 40+ licensed rim models and full Steam Deck verification. That’s substance, not just a new coat of neon paint.
Season 8 launches November 5 with the Street Riders playlist-a “no-rules” street-racing track that leans into graffiti, beats, and after-hours energy across O‘ahu’s city routes. Motorfest has always been slick but safe; this is the series taking a swing at the underground fantasy that Forza Horizon flirts with without fully embracing. The vibe sounds right. The real test will be traffic density, route design, and AI aggression. If those don’t sell the danger and momentum, the mood board won’t matter.
Stance customisation is the other big win. The Crew community has begged for finer control over ride height and camber for years, and now it’s here—alongside over 40 licensed rims from BBS Motorsport, HRE, and OZ Racing. Rims are fully tweakable for color, materials, and size. That’s catnip for photo-mode diehards and livery makers, and it finally puts Motorfest closer to the street-culture toolset players expect in 2025. One open question: how much of the stance system touches handling (if at all), and what that means for PvP balance. Ubisoft calls it customisation, so expect mostly cosmetic impact—but clarity will matter.
On January 7, the BMW M playlist arrives, framed as a guided tour of the brand’s legacy with Marc Thiesbürger from BMW M Classic. Done right, this could be more than a museum lap. BMW’s catalog—from the E46 M3 to modern M hybrids—deserves event design that stresses why these cars mattered: balance, motorsport lineage, and, yes, that straight-six character. Please, no slideshow energy; give us time-attack challenges, point-to-point sprints on twisty elevation, and clean racing rules to match the pedigree.
That’s a healthy spread: modern AMG and hypercar metal, a beloved BMW era piece, a genuine endurance prototype, plus a proper hot-hatch classic. It’s the mix Motorfest does best—garage diversity over pure simulation depth.
Two platform updates matter more than they sound. First, Steam Deck verification means Valve has vetted controls, UI legibility, and compatibility. For a live-service racer, that’s huge. Caveat: The Crew remains always-online, so your “on the go” sessions still depend on a solid connection. That’s not a dealbreaker, just a practical limit on commuter races.
Second, the Friend Pass lets you invite up to three friends to play for free, with no time limits or content walls—so long as they’re in your crew. That’s basically social free-to-play by another name. Smart move: Motorfest’s best moments are cooperative sprints, photo ops, and chaotic playlist runs. I’m curious how progression and ownership convert for invited players, but if this sticks, expect a livelier server list and easier car-meet organization.
Ivory Tower has a track record of marathon support—The Crew 2 ran for years—so a third year for Motorfest isn’t surprising. The Year 3 Pass carrot (Ferrari 12 Cilindri and Zenvo Aurora Agil early access) is classic FOMO, but the base season additions look meaty without paying a cent: new playlist, stance tools, rims, and a steady vehicle drip. If you care about competitive play, there’s also a new Grand Race progression track on November 5 plus PvP quality-of-life updates. That’s overdue. Motorfest’s big-grid chaos is a riot, but persistence and reward clarity are what keep people queuing.
My skepticism sits with the word “underground.” If Street Riders is just night filters and a drum track, it’ll feel like dress-up. If it nails routes, risk, and pacing—and gives the community toys to express that style with stance and rims—Season 8 could be a genuine identity builder for Motorfest, not just another festival tent.
Season 8 kicks off Year 3 with a legit shot of street culture, long-requested stance tuning, and a friendly on-ramp via Steam Deck Verified and the Friend Pass. The car drip is strong, the BMW M spotlight has potential, and competitive tweaks are welcome. Now it’s on Ubisoft to make the “underground” feel more than cosmetic.
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