With two weeks to go until Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown finally launches, KT Racing has detailed its plans for the game’s first year — which include a surprise return to Ibiza.
The first year will be split into four “seasons”, roughly corresponding to three months apiece, and the theme for all four has been revealed in the “post-launch content” trailer.
Naturally everything begins on launch day, on September 12 — although we’re going to assume that players with early access will be able to get going up to a week sooner — with the initial gameplay. This will consist of the Solar Crown competition, as players seek to gain Solar Points from completing races and challenges to ascend the leaderboard.
There’s some insight into how the game will function here, with players facing 60 levels of progression through the ranks of Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Solar Court, up to the very highest rank of Solar King or Queen. Each rank (except the last) appears to have four levels of reward appropriate to progress.
Additionally there’s 50 levels of progression in each of the two clans — Sharps and Streets — along with a 25-level Solar Pass that brings cosmetic rewards and an exclusive car for completion. Notably this Solar Pass is stated as being “free” at this point, while those of other seasons are not specifically mentioned in this manner.
The big change comes with the first major update in December, bringing season two. This adds an entire new environment as Ibiza returns to the TDU series.
Recreated in a similar manner to the core Hong Kong location, players will be able to drive the island’s capital of Ibiza Town, and the outskirts, with a series of new challenges that include 20 clan progression levels exclusive to Ibiza.
Ibiza will also feature unique clothing stores — with both Sharps- and Streets- exclusive items — as well as unlocking two new vehicles and five “Selene” (Selene being the Greek moon goddess, equivalent to the Roman “Luna”; we see what you did there) Edition vehicles which are tuned models based on existing game cars. The Solar Pass is also reset with new levels and rewards.
March 2025 brings the third season, and a “Clan War”. This will see the Sharps and Streets clash in both Hong Kong and Ibiza. The precise nature of this is under wraps for now, but suffice to say you’ll be engaged in more racing and challenges, with 30 new clan progression levels and another Solar Pass.
The final action of Year 1 will come in June 2025, with the return of the Casino. This features yet more player levels, as well as the chance to earn in-game currency through casino activities like poker and slot machines. You’ll also be able to win exclusive new vehicles as well as other cosmetics.
KT Racing is looking beyond just year one though, aiming to keep the content coming “for years” — and it’s given some insight into these plans too.
The recent open and VIP betas have given the team some feedback which it will be working on over the coming months. Improving the steering wheel animation and game cameras are within its short- to medium-term plans.
However, longer-term, there’s other features and content coming too. This includes the ability to purchase real estate, for which KT Racing is working on integrating the concept from previous TDU games with Solar Crown — the former being a more solo experience, at odds with TDUSC’s more MMO ethos.
KT Racing has also highlighted the desire to bring motorbikes to the game too. This is something with which it has experience thanks to bike racing titles in Nacon’s broader catalogue and will almost certainly be coming to Solar Crown too.
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown launches for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series on September 12, with early access beginning September 5 or September 10 for Gold and Silver edition players respectively.
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