We want to give you an overview of upcoming changes arriving in KartRider: Drift over the next few weeks. The first series of updates will arrive on Wednesday, February 15 (PT), with more following at the start of Season 1 on Wednesday, March 8 (PT). We've also prepared a Q&A based on some of the questions our Racers have been asking.

Please see below for details!

Feb. 15 (PT) Minor Update

• License Improvements
  • 12 missions in the B2, B1, and L3 Licenses will be removed.
    • Rewards from removed missions will be redistributed to other missions.
  • 2-Star Difficulty tracks will no longer be locked behind licenses.
  • A guide to encourage new Racers to play License mode will be added.
• Practice Mode Improvements
  • An option will be added to Practice Mode to have no AI Racers when matchmaking.
  • Practice Mode will be changed to “ON” by default.
    • This setting can be changed at any time.
    • A guide about Practice Mode options will be added.
• Racer Name Change Feature
  • A confirmation step when creating your Racer name will be added.
  • Name Changes are being added to KartRider: Drift.
    • Your first name change is free. Additional name changes will cost K-Coin.
    • Accounts will only be able to change names every 15 days.
• Kart Racing Balance Changes
  • Overall balance will be adjusted to be increased.
  • Actual use of all karts will be balanced in accordance with the Play to Win service direction.
• Beginner Racer Guide Addition
  • In-game guides for beginner Racers, such as an item guide for Item Mode, will be added.
• Custom Race – Random Track Addition
  • A "Random Track" option will be added for Custom Races.
• New Track Addition
  • Two new tracks will be added.
    • One World Tour themed Speed Mode track
    • One Forest themed Item Mode track.

March 8 (PT) Season 1 Update

• Platform
  • Console support will be added
    • Full cross-platform play, including console, will be available.
• Collaboration
  • Special collaborations will be launched with the start of Season 1
    • One collaboration will include new Karts, while the other will include new characters.
    • Look forward to new collaborations in the future as well!
• Grand Prix
  • Grand Prix mode for Item and Speed mode will be added with rewards based on your rank for the season.
• Kart Upgrades
  • Karts will be able to receive upgrades by spending Lucci to improve performance, handling and other stats.
    • Karts will be upgraded in tiers with the current maximum tier being Rare.
    • Additional tiers will be released in future seasons.
    • All Kart Upgrades have a 100% chance of success.
• New Theme and Track
  • A new track theme and eight additional tracks will be added.
    • Four Tracks will be Factory Themed.
    • Four Tracks will be World Tour themed.
• Racing Pass and Shop
  • Season 1 Racing Pass will be added.
    • Characters new to the KartRider franchise will be introduced as part of the Season 1 Racing Pass.
  • Season 1 item update in the Item Shop.
    • New items purchasable with both Lucci and K-Coin will be added.
• Observer System
  • An observer system will be added.

Developer Q&A

Q: Will ping issues be improved?

A: Ping issues are continually being monitored for future improvement.

You can improve the stability of your gameplay by setting your matchmaking to prioritize nearby players. To enable this, follow the menu to Matchmaking Latency: [Settings > General > Matchmaking Latency > Optimal].

Q: Will there be more updates to the game modes?

A: We're adding a new game mode in Season 1 called the Grand Prix. Additional game modes will be added in future seasons.

Q: When will new tracks get added?

A: We're adding two new tracks with the February 15 (PT) update, and an additional eight tracks when Season 1 begins on March 8 (PT).

Even more tracks will be added with future updates.

Q: Can I share my Livery with other players?

A: Ultimately, our goal is for decals and wraps to be sharable with other players, and we are currently working on a feature to enable that.

However, since action needs to be taken in response to inappropriate designs, this system is being prepared with that in mind.

Q: Will it be possible to get the Bunny Buggy kart again?

A: There were a few Racers who couldn't get the Bunny Buggy during the Lunar New Year weekend, and we are looking for an opportunity to make the kart available again in the future.

Q: Are there plans to add a chat system?

A: The chat system was excluded due to various negative experiences that tend to occur in competitive games. However, since many Racers want it, we are reconsidering it carefully, and will inform you once we have a solid plan for it going forward.

Q: Why isn't my Start Boost as fast as my opponents'?

A: The speed differs based on the timing of the Start Boost.

Use Start Boost at the exact moment “Go!” appears on screen. Your character will cheer and the word “Go!” will flash blue. This means you achieved a perfect Start Boost!

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We are reviewing feedback from Preseason to understand what our Racers feel are lacking or need improvement.

Things that we can quickly improve will be changed first, and we're planning out additional updates down the line to address more and more of your feedback.

Finally, we would like to show our thanks to all the Racers who played during Preseason with a 5,000 Lucci coupon available for everyone after the February 15 (PT) maintenance!

We'll have more details for you at a later date, so thank you for racing!

The KartRider: Drift Team