JDM: Japanese Drift Master Delayed Again, Now Targeting May Release

Although JDM: Japanese Drift Master is facing (yet) another delay, there’s a good reason for the wait…

TL;DR

• JDM: Japanese Drift Master is now expected to arrive on May 21, 2025
• Developer Gaming Factory cites the delay is due to needing extra time to “polish the fine details”
• The previous prologue was delisted from Steam for the same quality reasons
• Initial PC release in May (Steam, GOG, Epic) with console versions to follow after

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JDM: Japanese Drift Master has been delayed again. As fans began the final countdown for the game (due to arrive in less than a fortnight), the release has been pushed back from March to May 2025.

Developer Gaming Factory explained their decision in today’s devlog, stating, “Quality is king.” The team elaborated, “Because of this mindset and after very careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to move the launch of JDM: Japanese Drift Master.”

This follows the same reasoning behind why the JDM: Rise of the Scorpion prologue was delisted from Steam in February. The developers felt it “no longer represents the final experience and quality” they aim to deliver.

The game’s journey has been winding. After an initial delay to 2025, followed by an updated March 26 release date, we’re hoping it’ll now (finally) drift onto PCs on May 21, 2025.

“Our goal is to ensure that the product you buy not only meets your expectations but exceeds them,” the team shared. “We want you to have a seamless experience from the get-go and the additional time will help us polish the fine details of the game.”

Thankfully, Gaming Factory won’t leave the fans completely in the dark until then. “We will be showing more of the game’s features in the upcoming weeks, including a deep dive into our tuning system. We also have a few surprises lined up for you…”

In an era where far too many new games launch with problematic releases or disappointingly barebones Early Access versions, it’s hard to complain when the developers request more time to deliver a quality final product.

We respect that they’re acknowledging the current build isn’t up to the high standards they’re setting for themselves.

We can’t argue that JDM has shown visible improvements with every new trailer (and there are plenty of them.) Although we were looking forward to playing it soon, if they keep improving at this pace, the wait until May will be worth it!

When it (eventually) arrives, JDM: Japanese Drift Master will bring a Japanese-based open-world experience with over 250 km of the fictional “Guntama prefecture” to explore.

The game centers around the fictional Haikama Lake, delivering a touge street drifting experience inspired by Japanese drift culture.

Gaming Factory has promised an in-depth manga-based storyline, realistic physics, and licensed vehicles from Mazda, Nissan, Honda, and Subaru (so far!) It will also feature extensive customization options alongside immensely varied dynamic weather and day-night cycles.

When released, it will initially be available on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store.

Further good news is that in the YouTube responses to the updated release date, the team confirmed that console versions (expected to be Xbox and PlayStation) will also arrive after the PC release.

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