Hey there, Racers!

Let me introduce myself for the first time through this Dev Blog. I'm JL, a KartRider: Drift developer.

If you've experienced KartRider in the past or in the present, I imagine you remember the game well and are familiar with it. But most of you may be encountering the game for the first time.

KartRider is an online casual racing game that has been played in the Asian market for 15 years. The game's entertainment value has been verified with players over the last 15 years, and is still loved by many today.

Whenever I introduce the original KartRider, I introduce it as a game that generates countless stories in the short 3 minutes of gameplay in a match. It may be a short amount of time, but because it's a racing game during which you compete and work with one another while driving on the track, the narratives of each of the 8 players come together to give birth to various stories.

KartRider's gameplay may be short, but it can be played over a long time. With KartRider: Drift, we'd like to further the entertainment value of the original KartRider so the game can be played by people from all around the world and stories can be written together globally.

KartRider: Drift will now come to you as a Closed Beta between December 5th and 8th. We won't be able to show you everything about KartRider: Drift during this Closed Beta, but we'd like to present players with a joy of racing like they've never experienced before, and write new stories together.

I consider this Closed Beta to be an important opportunity to introduce KartRider: Drift to all players around the world. During this first encounter with players, I'd like to find out if we'll be able to carry over and advance the original KartRider's drive to have everyone enjoy the fun of racing. I'd also like to continue to produce a game that can be played together over a long time, based on players' stories, not just those of the KartRider: Drift developers.

I'd like this game to be built by both the KartRider: Drift developers and the players. So please, I hope a lot of you will participate in Closed Beta and provide lots of feedback.

Don't miss out on the chance to compete with racers from all over the world!

See you on the track!
JL

Get ready for KartRider: Drift, the only free-to-play, cross-platform kart racer where arcade thrills, drift fueled competition, and deep kart and character customization in stunning Unreal® Engine 4 graphics awaits you on the track. With the Closed Beta, our announcement at Microsoft's X019 event, upcoming livestreams and more, there's plenty to see as we race towards release!
Connect with other players excited about the upcoming KartRider: Drift on the official forums! These forums will remain with us through the official launch, featuring sub-forums for suggestions, events, bug reports for when the Closed Beta begins, language-specific forums, and more. We'll be keeping a special eye out for feedback on how the beta plays there, so head on over, create an account and start posting!
KartRider: Drift might not be peeling off the starting line until next year, but you can get a sneak preview and help us with the tune-up during the December 5 - 8 Closed Beta, available on PC and Xbox One! You can learn more at the Closed Beta FAQ, but be sure to sign-up before 11:00 AM PST on Tuesday, December 3!

• PST (UTC -8): 11:00 AM Tuesday, December 3
• EST (UTC -5): 2:00 PM Tuesday, December 3
• CET (UTC +1): 8:00 PM Tuesday, December 3
• AEDT (UTC +11): 6:00 AM Wednesday, December 4

• PST (UTC -8): 5:00 PM Thursday, December 5 - 5:00 PM Sunday, December 8
• EST (UTC -5): 8:00 PM Thursday, December 5 - 8:00 PM Sunday, December 8
• CET (UTC +1): 2:00 AM Friday, December 6 - 2:00 AM Monday, December 9
• AEDT (UTC +11): 12:00 PM Friday, December 6 - 12:00 PM Monday, December 9

KartRider: Drift was announced at Microsoft's massive X019 event in London, showing off the trailer, giving the attendees a sneak preview of this new kart racing experience and more. You can follow along with the presentation, and get a good look at what it's like when two experts put their skills to the test!

Attendees at X019 are able to test-drive KartRider: Drift on the show floor, so be sure to try it out if you're there, and keep an eye out for what other people are saying about KartRider: Drift on social media! We'll also be on the official Mixer Panel in the Copper Box Arena from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM GMT (2:30 - 3:30 AM PST) on Friday, November 15 if you're eager to see more!


Excited by KartRider: Drift and looking forward to showing your drift skills off to the whole world? Apply for the KartRider: Drift Pit Crew, a collection of players, content creators and influencers that will help drive KartRider: Drift forward!
If you miss out on the Closed Beta, you'll still be able to get a sneak preview of KartRider: Drift! Closed Beta testers won't be under any sort of NDA, and will be free to show off their skills on their streaming platform of choice.

You can also join KartRider: Drift's Community Manager Liltya for a pair of special livestreams during the Closed Beta, as we show off the game and take on testers on the track! Keep an eye out on our social media pages for more information as the Closed Beta approaches!
You can stay up to date with the latest news as KartRider: Drift races towards release by following our social media pages!

• Discord: https://discord.gg/kartriderdrift
• Twitter: @kartriderdrift
• Instagram: @kartriderdrift
• Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/kartriderdrift
• YouTube: KartRider: Drift's YouTube Channel
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kartriderdrift

Racers, become part of the driving force behind this passionate team of content creators for KartRider: Drift! Pit Crew members are eligible for special rewards, giveaways, social promotions, and more!

So on your mark, get set, APPLY!
Livestreamers:

• Must average 45+ concurrent viewers or 100 peak viewers in the last 30 days
• Must have a minimum of 10k followers
• Must stream a minimum of 10 hours in the last 30 days

Video Creators:

• Must have 3k+ average views on your video content in the last 30 days
• Must have 1k+ subscribers
• Must have one of the following public social channels (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and/or TikTok) to post and share your video content

*Consideration does not automatically guarantee membership. Applications will be reviewed and measured against content quality and activity.

You and your channel, services, and content must accede to the following:

• Comply with, and not violate or promote the violation of, KartRider: Drift's Terms of Service.
• By becoming a Pit Crew member, you will comply with, and not violate or promote the violation of, Nexon America's Influencer Policy.
• Not promote or contain content that Nexon deems as illegal, racist, sexist, hateful, pornographic, or otherwise offensive.