THQ Nordic
Now that we’re finally moving beyond 2020 (which is one of the worst recorded years in human history), it’s time to get familiar with 2021.
And by the looks of things as far as gaming goes, gamers are in store for some quality releases in the coming months. On the racing side of the spectrum, some big-name franchises and entirely new IPs will be tackling the digital open roads. With last- and current-gen consoles both on the market, there’s a bunch of racing games set to take advantage of the hardware offered by both machines. Gamers were treated to several notable racers in 2020, such as DiRT 5, Hotshot Racing, F1 2020, etc. And now it’s time to go into the new year with a bevy of standout racers to enjoy.
Here is a full list of all the racing games you need to play in 2021.
Taxi Chaos
Developer: Team6 Game Studios
Publisher: GS2 Games
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Release Date: February 23
Crazy Taxi was and forever will be one of Sega’s greatest franchises. The simple joy of picking people up all over a rambunctious city in your cab and delivering them to their desired locations is still worth going back to. Thankfully, a spiritual successor to that amazing IP is arriving and it looks like the Crazy Taxi follow-up everyone has been crying out for. Taxi Chaos sticks to the same “pick up and deliver” mechanics Crazy Taxi is known for. And as you fulfill your assorted taxi cab driver goals, you’ll get your hands on new rides, get acquainted with new drivers, and get to explore a massive city with plenty of traffic to maneuver. Crazy Taxi fans have finally had their prayers answered with this one.
Monster Jam Steel Titans 2
Developer: Rainbow Studios
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam), Google Stadia
Release Date: March 2
2019’s first installment within this off-road racing franchise was definitely a good time. The game’s healthy collection of trucks, stadiums, and professional events gave it the horsepower needed to enrapture Monster Jam fans. With the arrival of Monster Jam Steel Titans 2 comes more of everything players loved and then some. Five new tracks based on fans’ favorite truck designs have been thrown in to add a bit of fantastical flair to the proceedings. The total truck count will now be increased to 38 and include faves such as Sparkle Smash and Backwards Bob. And for the first time ever, online multiplayer will be enabled and allow up to six players to engage in some intense stadium races, freestyle competitions, and waypoint challenges.
Buy Monster Jam Steel Titans 2 here.
Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 4
Developer: Milestone S.r.l.
Publisher: Milestone S.r.l.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, PC (Steam), Google Stadia
Release Date: March 11
It’s time to indulge in another serving of motorbike shenanigans with a new Monster Energy Supercross installment. The fourth game within the series is coming in 2021 and features all the exciting stadium competitions and varied track races fans have come to enjoy. The newest feature coming to this upcoming sequel is a brand new change to the traditional Career Mode. Players can now begin their motorbike journey from the Supercross Futures and make their way up to the 250SX and 450SX leagues. The all-new Compound allows for some new free-roaming fun, plus the celebrated Track Editor comes back with even more improvements to boot. Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 4 is upping the ante for its fanbase in a myriad of ways for the new year.
Buy Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 4 here.
MotoGP 21
Developer: Milestone S.r.l
Publisher: Milestone S.r.l.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
Release Date: April 22
MotoGP 21 is here to offer motorbike racing fans their latest batch of two-wheel entertainment. The power of next-gen consoles is set to make every race look and feel as fast and fluid as possible. This series entry offers an improved rendition of Managerial Career mode that lets you better simulate a racing team’s rise to excellence on and off the track. Other fresh features for MotoGP 21 include the ability to manually reclaim your bike after falling off, brake temperature monitoring, the presence of a long lap penalty feature, and a revised bike suspension system. And as always, you’ll get to zip across each and every track at breakneck speeds as you contend with a formidable lineup of AI rivals.
F1 2021
Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, PC – Steam
Release Date: July 16
Noted racing game development studio Codemasters is now a part of Electronic Arts. And for its first of many projects with the juggernaut video game publisher, it’s doing it big with the latest entry in the F1 series. F1 2021 will retain all of the elements that fans adore and introduce a host of new features that are sure to keep those same fans entertained. A brand new story mode called “Braking Point” will be included alongside a co-op-enabled Career Mode and a new approach to competing entitled “Real Season Start.” Those fresh elements will also be joined by a bunch of familiar ones, such as My Team Mode, casual racing options, a full online multiplayer suite, etc. F1 2021 is definitely shaping up to be a must-have by the looks of it.
RiMS Racing
Developer: Raceward Studio
Publisher: Nacon
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC – Steam
Release Date: August 19
RiMS Racing is looking to take the top spot in the motorcycle racing sub-genre. This new franchise features a top-notch mechanics management system that lets you tinker around with every part of your ride in an effort to maintain/upgrade it after each race. 600+ officially licensed parts will be available to players who are definite gear nuts that want to make sure their motorbike performs at the highest level. RiMS Racing also offers a super realistic physics system, iconic racing circuits, an incredibly immersive Career Mode, and so much more. This motorbike sim looks, sounds, and will most likely feel amazing in action.
WRC 10
Developer: KT Racing
Publisher: Nacon
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam, Epic Games Store)
Release Date: September 2
IT’S CELEBRATION TIME, FOLKS! WRC 10 is doing it big by celebrating the 50th anniversary of the World Rally Championship. This sequel’s History Mode will take you on a playable learning experience that tests your driving skills across 19 real-world events. Racing buffs will most certainly get a kick out of checking out WRC 10’s throwback content as well as its brand new features. And when it comes to new stuff, there’s gonna be four new 2021 rallies, six retro rallies, 120 special stages, 52 official teams from the 2021 season, and 20 legendary cars from a wealth of famous manufacturers. WRC 10 is building itself up to be a feature-rich racer that sim fans will surely adore.
Cruis’n Blast
Developer: Raw Thrills
Publisher: Raw Thrills
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: September 14
You’ve most likely walked into a Dave & Busters at some point to indulge in some alcoholic festivities and get into some fun arcade gaming at some point. And the game you and your homies probably went crazy over is Cruis’n Blast, which is the arcade follow-up to Cruis’n Exotica. It may have taken forever to get a home port of wild arcade racer, but now it’s finally on its way to the Switch. This home conversion is feature-rich, to say the least – you’ll be treated to 30 tracks, 23 vehicles (one of which is a unicorn!), and up to four-player multiplayer competitions. Prepare yourself for one of the wildest racing game experiences when Cruis’n Blast lands on the Switch!
Hot Wheels Unleashed
Developer: Milestone S.r.l.
Publisher: Milestone S.r.l.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
Release Date: September 30
The Hot Wheels toy car brand has remained a hot item since its inception. Forza Horizon linked up with the popular license to offer a DLC expansion full of outlandish tracks and signature cars to enjoy. Plus Hot Wheels has pushed out a few decent games of its own. The latest high-octane Hot Wheels gaming experience to look forward to is Hot Wheels Unleashed, which is a racer full of track customization and vehicle collecting. This digital recreation of the Hot Wheels experience lets you go head to head with a friend via a 2-player split-screen mode and 12-player online competitions. Get ready to get caught up in some wild loops and zip across the track with boosters in this fast and furious Hot Wheels simulator.
Forza Horizon 5
Developer: Playground Games
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC (Steam, Microsoft Store)
Release Date: November 9
The next generation of Forza open-world racing has finally arrived! And this time, you’ll get to speed through the sunnyside locales of Mexico. Just like previous entries in the series, you’ll employ all manner of car classes as you compete against a highly competitive pack of AI and human racers. The beauty of Mexico will be on full display here as you venture through rocky terrain, sandy beaches, and so much more. The implementation of wild minigames that let you crush pinatas and even go bowling adds that extra fun factor for arcade racing game fans. Open-world racing has never looked so good. Welcome back, Forza Horizon.
Circuit Superstars
Developer: Original Fire Games
Publisher: Square Enix Collective
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
Release Date: TBA
Square Enix Collective is a new arm within the legendary video game publisher/development company that goes out of its way to bring indie games to a wider audience. This welcome initiative is working closely with the development studio Original Fire Games, which is surprisingly comprised of just six talented individuals. The studio’s passion project is Circuit Superstars, a top-down racer that combines the best elements of arcade-style racing and more simulation-like driving physics. The visuals may be too simple for some, but Circuit Superstars’ well-tuned gameplay and quality tracks should be enough to get racing game fans to give it a look.
KartRider: Drift
Developer: Nexon Korea Corporation
Publisher: Nexon America Inc.
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC (Steam)
Release Date: TBA
2019’s Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled gave kart racing fans a quality experience to stay busy with all year and into 2020. Nexon’s about to throw their name into the kart racing hat with their cutesy take on the genre with KartRider: Drift. The game’s big head mode enabled avatars can engage in speed demon races filled with plenty of chances to drift, boost, and take down each other with all sorts of zany items. Like most kart racers, there’s a ton of customization items to acquire and place on your favorite racers. And just like CTR Nitro-Fueled, players can look forward to seasonal updates and even more items to tinker around with over time. By the looks of it, KartRider: Drift could possibly end up being the Xbox brand’s premier kart racer for 2021.
And here’s a few racing games that were released years prior, but are now making their way to certain consoles for the first time in 2021:
• MXGP 2020 (PS5): January 14
• Ride 4 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S): January 21
• Renzo Racer (PS5): January 27
• #DRIVE (Nintendo Switch): February 16
• Forza Horizon 4 (PC – Steam): March 9
• PACER (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): March 9
• GENSOU Skydrift (PS4): March 9
• WRC 9 (Nintendo Switch): March 11
• Monster Truck Championship (PS5, Xbox Series X|S): March 16
• Can’t Drive This (PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch): March 19
• Wreckfest (PS5): June 1
• Art of Rally (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC – Windows 10, xCloud): TBA
• DiRT 5 (Google Stadia): TBA
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