CarX Drift Racing Online 2 – Latest News And Release Date

Is CarX Drift Racing Online 2 more than just a PC port of CarX Drift Racing 3 on mobile? We explain everything you need to know about the upcoming game.

TL;DR - Latest Updates

• CarX Drift Racing Online 2 is set for Steam Early Access release in Q4 2025
• Full release is planned for the end of 2025
• Console versions scheduled to follow after the PC Early Access period
• Features include ultra-realistic damage physics and in-depth drift competitions
• Expected to be similar to CarX Drift Racing 3, with many improvements

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Introduction

CarX Technologies has announced CarX Drift Racing Online 2, the latest entry in its ever-growing drift racing series. It will be released on Steam Early Access in Q4 2025.

The announcement of CarX Drift Racing Online 2 (CDRO2) surprised fans, who were expecting news about the long-delayed console port of CarX Street.

Although not everyone was best pleased to hear there’d be further delays to Street, many drifting fans were happy to be treated to the reveal of a brand new title that promises to be the “next step for CarX Technologies and the Drift Racing series.”

The game is a direct sequel to CarX Drift Racing Online, which launched on PC in 2017 and then made its way to PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

This new installment represents the eighth game in the vast CarX series, following CarX Drift Racing, CarX Drift Racing 2, CarX Drift Racing 3, CarX Drift Racing Online, CarX Street, CarX Highway Racing, and CarX Rally.

Early teasers showcase the most in-depth damage physics we’ve seen yet (even better than Drift Racing 3!) alongside significant graphical improvements.

If the early teasers are anything to go by, CDRO2 doesn’t appear to be a basic PC port of CarX Drift Racing 3 mobile as many suspected, but a substantially improved version for more powerful hardware.

Here’s everything we know about CarX Drift Racing Online 2 so far.

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CarX Drift Racing Online 2 Release Date

CarX Drift Racing Online 2 is scheduled to arrive on Steam Early Access in Q4 2025. The full release is planned for “roughly at the end of 2025”, according to the team. You can wishlist the game now on Steam.

This relatively short (planned) Early Access period is much shorter than we’ve seen with other recent racing games that have also followed the current “Early Access” trend.

Although games like Wreckfest 2 expect a full year in Early Access (the original Wreckfest took four!), the CarX team seems confident they can wrap things up quickly.

If the development of previous CarX titles is any indication, we wouldn’t be surprised if we see some potential adjustments to the schedule!

Consoles are planned for release shortly after the Early Access period, but there are no specific release dates yet.

It’s yet to be confirmed which consoles will feature CarX Drift Racing Online 2, but PlayStation and Xbox are expected.

The original CarX Drift Racing Online game was also available for the Nintendo Switch, but it’s yet to be confirmed whether it’ll feature on the Switch or Switch 2 for CXDRO2.

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Early Access Details

Like other Early Access games we’ve seen recently, such as Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Assetto Corsa EVO, and Wreckfest 2, CarX Technologies intends to use the Early Access period to develop and refine the game based on real-world player feedback.

“We want to bring the game into the hands of players during the development so that their feedback allows us to make the best drifting sim”, states CarX on the Steam page.

Initial pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but it will increase near the end of the Early Access period. Early adopters will get a better deal than those who wait for the full release. So, if you intend to buy it eventually, it’s likely worth getting in there early.

During Early Access, they plan to release new locations and cars while expanding the range of supported devices.

They also plan to tweak the game balance based on player feedback, which could be important for competitive aspects like the new judging system.

For those wanting to share their input, the team is committed to regularly gathering player input through Steam discussions, their Discord server, and Facebook.

This should (hopefully) help them address the issues and implement requested features more efficiently than in previous releases.

Something important to note is this: “Please note that we will need to wipe players’ profile at least once before leaving Early Access to ensure stability and fairness.”

While we’re sure they have their reasons, this aspect will likely disappoint those who invest a lot of time during the Early Access phase, so it’s worth keeping in mind.

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CarX Drift Racing 3 vs CarX Drift Racing Online 2

Given the naming structures, the differences between CarX Drift Racing 3 and CarX Drift Racing Online 2 are confusing many fans.

In February 2025, CarX asked fans what the next game should be called on social media, stating, “It’s no secret that the PC version of CarX Drift Racing 3 is in development.”

🖐What’s up, drivers!
It’s no secret that the PC version of CarX Drift Racing 3 is in development.

❤️ We invite you to help choose a name for the new game!

❗️ You can vote at this link:https://t.co/JCAC5d3isb pic.twitter.com/bVb3H9A9Ut

— CarX Technologies (@carx_technology) February 19, 2025

This appears to be where they came up with the “CarX Drift Racing Online 2” name, though it’s unclear why they couldn’t simply continue with “CarX Drift Racing 3” across all platforms.

Following the poll, the team went silent before teasing a countdown to the “huge announcement” on their social media channels.

However, as most fans prepared for news about the long-delayed console port of CarX Street, they were surprised by the announcement of CarX Drift Racing Online 2.

What’s up, drivers!

🔥We are thrilled to announce that CarX Drift Racing Online 2 for PC and consoles is the next step for CarX Technologies and the Drift Racing series.

❗️CarX Drift Racing Online will be released in Early Access on Steam in Q4.

We can’t wait to tell you… pic.twitter.com/3gp4Nr6rxS

— CarX Technologies (@carx_technology) March 27, 2025

The initial tweet was vague and left more questions than answers. However, a few days after the announcement, things became clearer as the first teasers emerged.

CarX Drift Racing 3 was released for mobile devices in December 2024, while CarX Drift Racing Online 2 is its PC/console counterpart.

While there are rumors that the two games will be identical, early teasers suggest it’s not just a simple port but a more in-depth, enhanced version for more powerful PC/console devices.

The mobile version already blew people away with its never-seen-before damage modeling system for a dedicated drifting game.

However, based on the initial teasers, CDRO2 intends to take this further with more detailed physics, enhanced visuals, and improved handling – particularly for steering wheel users.

So far, both games feature the same laser-scanned licensed tracks, including Ebisu Circuit, Nürburgring Nordschleife, Dominion Raceway, and ADM Raceway.

Given their capabilities, we expect the PC/console version to bring superior-quality environments, too.

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Features

From what we’ve seen so far, the damage system is CarX Drift Racing Online 2’s standout feature. From what we’ve seen, it looks to be getting even closer to what we’ve seen in the hugely popular BeamNG.drive crash simulator.

The teaser showcases a Toyota GR Supra replica with incredibly detailed damage modeling. It appears to have destroyed suspension components, deformed panels, and shattered lights. Even the roof appears slightly misaligned from the blows it’s clearly taken on the track.

If we see these features in the actual game, it’ll improve on what we saw in CarX Drift Racing 3 mobile by going even further with the detailed structural component damage.

Thankfully, the fan-favorite abilities to receive chassis damage, lose body panels, and leave dents in opponents’ doors all remain.

Based on the screenshots (assuming they’re in-game since they show buttons), the graphics also appear to have received a noticeable upgrade. The lighting, reflections, and environmental details all show improvements over previous titles in the series.

The team stated that the gameplay physics have been enhanced in collaboration with the CarX Motorsport team, pro drifters in the RDS series. While we’re yet to see this in action, it could mean that the new game is more of a simulator rather than the usual ‘simcade’ vibe we’ve had from previous titles in the series.

As with Drift Racing 3, the tire model has been specifically refined to create a more realistic experience.

The developers say these improvements make the game “a perfect fit for steering wheel setups and other game controllers”, which is ideal whether you enjoy playing on your sim rig or from a controller with the comfort of the sofa!

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Game Modes

CarX Drift Racing Online 2 offers several single-player and multiplayer game modes.

Much like CarX Drift Racing 3, the career mode follows a clear progression path. It starts with drift school, where you’ll need to learn the basics and then master advanced drift techniques.

From there, you’ll rise through the ranks from local street contests to elite world championships, competing in various competitions and securing sponsorship deals.

The multiplayer mode features several options for competitive players, including duels, Top 32 tournaments, freeride, and gymkhana events. It also features skill-based matchmaking and a rating system to ensure balanced competition.

Judging systems for solo and tandem battles will be based on regulations from real-world drift championships. Whether this will differ from Drift Racing 3 is yet to be seen.

The team is eager to promote the “real competition format and a judging system of modern drift championships”. They also mention that “a series of cybersport tournaments around the world is the primary goal of this project”, which provides hope that it might be a little more in-depth for the PC/console game.

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Car List

The complete car list for CarX Drift Racing Online 2 hasn’t been officially revealed yet, but we’ve already seen the following cars in the teasers.

Of course, they will be unlicensed, but they’ll be ‘replica’ versions of the following:

• Ford Mustang RTR
• Subaru BRZ/Toyota GR86
• Toyota GR Supra
• Toyota JZX100

Given the similarities to what we saw in CarX Drift Racing 3, we’d be surprised if the game’s full lineup doesn’t make its way to CarX Drift Racing Online 2.

During Early Access, the developers mentioned they plan to release new cars, so they’ll likely trickle out over time. This follows the pattern of the original game, which started with a modest selection before expanding to over 100 cars after many updates.

As you’d expect from CarX, there will again be an advanced tuning system where you can fine-tune the suspension, gearbox, ECU, and much more.

We expect the same (or slightly improved) tuning system from Drift Racing 3, where the realistic damage requires you to repair and maintain your car’s essential components and wait for them to be fixed.

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Tracks & Locations

Several laser-scanned licensed tracks carry over from CarX Drift Racing 3.

The confirmed tracks so far include:

• Ebisu Circuit, Japan – The legendary drifting venue best known for Minami circuit and its ‘drift jump’
• Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany – One of the most challenging and famous racetracks in the world
• Dominion Raceway, USA – A modern American motorsport complex
• ADM Raceway, Russia – A real-world track that regularly hosts RDS GP drift competitions

Early teasers have already shown glimpses of Ebisu and a gymkhana course.

The team plans to release additional locations during Early Access, so the track roster will likely expand over time.

If CarX Drift Racing Online 2 follows the pattern of other games in the series, we may also see street and touge mountain courses alongside the licensed tracks, including updated fan favorites from previous games.

Given the popularity of recent open-world drifting games, with JDM: Japanese Drift Master offering an open-world Japanese drifting experience and many fans expecting Forza Horizon 6 to follow suit by (hopefully) finally venturing to Japan, it’s a popular choice right now!

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Technical Information/Specs

CarX Drift Racing Online 2 will require more powerful hardware than its predecessor.

According to the Steam page, the minimum system requirements include:

• OS: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-4460 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200
• Memory: 8GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1060 / Radeon RX 590 (at least 4GB VRAM)
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 10GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible

For optimal performance, the recommended specifications are:

• OS: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
• Memory: 16GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia RTX 2070 / Radeon RX 6750 XT (at least 8GB VRAM)
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 10GB available space (SSD highly recommended)
• Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible

It’s not guaranteed to work with Intel HD Graphics and AMD HD Radeon onboard graphics cards, so a dedicated GPU is strongly recommended.

It will work with most steering wheels, gear shifters, gamepads, and other common controllers for controller support. A racing wheel with force feedback support is recommended for the best experience.

They plan to expand device support during Early Access. Eventually, most or all devices should be compatible.

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CarX Drift Racing Online 2 FAQs

This answers your questions about the upcoming newest addition to the CarX series.

Is CarX Drift Racing Online 2 available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch/Switch 2?

Console versions are planned to follow after the PC Early Access period, but confirmed platforms are yet to be announced.

How much will CarX Drift Racing Online 2 cost?

Exact pricing hasn’t been announced, but the price will increase toward the end of Early Access so that early adopters will get a better deal.

How long will Early Access last?

The team plans to fully launch the game by the end of 2025, in which case the Early Access period will only be a few months.

Will my progress carry over from Early Access to full release?

The developers said they intend to “wipe” player profiles at least once before leaving Early Access “to ensure stability and fairness.”

Is this game related to CarX Drift Racing 3 for mobile?

CarX Drift Racing Online 2 is the PC/console version of CarX Drift Racing 3, but it brings enhanced features over the mobile game.

Can I use a controller, or do I need a steering wheel?

The game supports multiple control methods, including controllers, keyboards, and steering wheels. For the ultimate experience, a racing wheel with force feedback is recommended.

What about CarX Street on consoles?

For now, CarX Street fans are still waiting for a console announcement, but the team has teased that it’s coming soon, stating, “stay tuned for the news.”

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