KartRider: Drift News

Racers,

The next Closed Beta is only a week away, on June 3rd. Thank you, everyone, for submitting your questions for the livestream. We've gathered all your questions and we're ready to answer them.

On May 28th at 1:00 PM PT, LAMBCOOK will be joining me for the KartRider: Drift Q&A livestream! You’ll be able to watch us on Twitch, Mixer, YouTube, Steam, Facebook or Twitter - basically, just about anywhere!

There's still time to sign up for the Closed Beta before it begins on June 3rd!

We’re looking forward to answering your questions!

Hey there, Racers!

I'm JL, a KartRider: Drift developer.

The long-awaited Global Closed Beta 2 schedule has been made public. We'll be accepting new sign-ups through 11:00 AM PDT on Monday, June 8 (8:00 PM CEST June 8, 4:00 AM AEST June 9). Invites will be sent out on June 1 and 2, after the Closed Beta's pre-download is available, with additional invites being sent out until sign-ups end.

The Global Closed Beta 2 will be from 4:00 PM PDT June 3 (1:00 AM CEST June 4 / 9:00 AM AEST June 4) to 6:00 AM PDT June 10 (3:00 PM CEST / 11:00 PM AEST).

I hope many Racers get to participate in the long-awaited Global Closed Beta 2, experience how KartRider: Drift has changed, and talk about that experience.

KartRider: Drift isn't only developed with what we have in mind. It's a game that is made with feedback from you, the Racers. Based on your valuable feedback from the first Global Closed Beta, various development changes and improvements were made. You can check the results yourself.

Share your feedback via our Discord server, and please also participate in the survey after the beta ends.

We hope you check out how your valuable feedback gets developed and applied.

I look forward to much participation and interest in the Global Closed Beta 2, and stay tuned for more on KartRider: Drift.

-JL-

It's been a bit since our Closed Beta back in December. We've been hard at work making KartRider: Drift better and better ever since it ended, and we're ready to show you exactly how far we've come with the KartRider: Drift June Closed Beta!
[h2]Closed Beta Begins June 3![/h2]
Get a sneak preview of this new entry in the classic Kart Racing series by joining us for KartRider: Drift's June Closed Beta! You can sign up on the KartRider: Drift website here, but there's two notable details for those that took part in the December Closed Beta.

• All players that joined us in the December Closed Beta will be included in the June Closed Beta! We want to hear your thoughts on the improvements we've made to KartRider: Drift.
• We're also doing away with the platform restriction for this Closed Beta, as all invited Beta Racers will be given access on Nexon Launcher, Steam and Xbox One!

We'll be accepting new sign-ups through 11:00 AM PDT on Monday, June 8 (8:00 PM CEST June 8, 4:00 AM AEST June 9). Invites will be sent out on June 1 and 2, after the Closed Beta's pre-download is available, with additional invites being sent out until sign-ups end. Make sure that you live within our service regions in order to sign up and play, and sign up today to join us in the next Closed Beta.

June Closed Beta Schedule

• PDT (UTC -7): 4:00 PM Wednesday, June 3 - 6:00 AM Wednesday, June 10
• CEST (UTC +2): 1:00 AM Thursday, June 4 - 3:00 PM Wednesday, June 10
• AEST (UTC +10): 9:00 AM Thursday, June 4 - 11:00 PM Wednesday, June 10

[h2]Ultimate Gaming Gear Giveaway (USA & Canada Only*)[/h2]


We have a special giveaway for our American and Canadian* players, where you can win high-quality gamer gear from our friends at HyperX Gaming, ViewSonic and DXRacer! Seven lucky beta racers will be chosen to receive a ViewSonic ELITE XG270QG Gaming Monitor, a DXRacer OH/FH11 Gaming Chair, or a HyperX Headset, Keyboard, Mouse and more!

See the full rules for the Ultimate Gaming Gear Giveaway for more information, and join us during the Closed Beta for your chance at some fantastic prizes!

*: Not available in Alaska, Hawaii and Quebec.
[h2]Race to Closed Beta Event[/h2]


Hyped for the Closed Beta? Spread the word and qualify for some fantastic prizes thanks to the Race to Closed Beta event! You could win real-world prizes, including KartRider: Drift hats, pins, or an Alloy Origins mechanical keyboard from HyperX Gaming, so head over to the Race to Closed Beta Event page to learn more!
[h2]White Cloud Balloon Reward[/h2]


We want to get as much feedback from as many people as possible on the progress of KartRider: Drift, and so we're giving out a prize to everyone that joins in! Everyone that plays this Closed Beta will be given a special White Cloud Balloon cosmetic item to follow you around as you race around when KartRider: Drift is officially released!
[h2]So, What's Changed?[/h2]
We've been working hard over the last few months to improve KartRider: Drift based on the feedback of our Beta Racers, and the answer is, well, a lot. There are some major additions coming, including a new character, new skins and new tracks, but we've also revamped the User Interface, racing physics, improved the tutorial, and more to create a better racing experience. We'll be unveiling more details about the changes as we approach the start of the Closed Beta, and you can catch up on the changes at the posts below!

• Dev Blog - Kart Physics Improvements
• Dev Blog - User Experience Improvements
• Dev Blog - Racing School
• Dev Blog - Focus Group Test Results

[h2]Closed Beta FAQ Updated[/h2]


We've also updated the Closed Beta FAQ. Check out all the details, including a new feature we're running to help you make sure that your PC is equipped to run KartRider: Drift, as well as giving us a more accurate view on the types of hardware that we need to be optimizing for.

Check out the Closed Beta FAQ, now with the Nexon PC Checker!
[h2]KartRider: Drift Service Regions[/h2]


Finally, we've updated the service regions for KartRider: Drift. Please make certain that we are able to support your region before signing up for the Closed Beta.

Hey there, Racers!

I'm JL, a KartRider: Drift developer.

I’ve talked about what is being developed after the first Closed Beta through the previous dev blogs.

Today, I would like to talk instead about the interim check we performed to gauge the improvements and advancements made to KartRider: Drift. Based on the feedback and gameplay data of Racers collected from the first Closed Beta, and the Focus Group Test results of pro gamers and influencers, the developers have been working on improving KartRider: Drift for the next Closed Beta.

We thought it was important to have a process where the developers could check if KartRider: Drift is changing in a way that Racers want, and review if the game is good enough to present to the Racers in the next Closed Beta. To do so, we had a second test with many of the same pro gamers who participated in the first focus group.

We wanted to find out in this check whether the things we talked about in our previous dev blogs were improved, and to receive feedback about what else needs to be worked on.

Now I would like to introduce the results of the second Focus Group Test to the Racers.
1. "Dev Blog #1: Kart Physics Improvements" Application Interim Check
We improved the angle adjustment upon collision of the wall and kart body for each situation so that they are more natural, and we confirmed that it functioned similarly to the drift in the original KartRider.

We received additional feedback that it was still hard to predict the movement of the kart body after the collision. Further improvements will be made to the reaction force after collision and angle recovery.


2. "Dev Blog #2: User Experience Improvements" Application Interim Check
The difficulty of checking your driving situation due to the wide viewing range has been improved. We confirmed that Racers' eyes were moving naturally within the necessary range without disrupting their attention.



The interim check showed that both the direction of our overall improvements and the developed content are going in the right direction.

Although some parts of the game are still lacking, we are excited to see that the sensation of driving is getting closer to that of the original KartRider, and we feel more confident that we're finding the right balance to improve the fun of racing.

We will do our best during the time remaining until the next Closed Beta to make improvements to the other parts of the game.

We will see you Racers again soon with these improvements and more. Please stay tuned for more news about KartRider: Drift!

-JL-

Hey there, Racers!

I'm JL, a KartRider: Drift developer.

Improvements to the driving physics and the in-game UX were introduced in our first two Dev Blogs. Today, I want to talk about something new that we’re preparing. As we compiled your feedback, made changes, and continued development after the December Closed Beta, we also analyzed the gameplay data from the Closed Beta period.

Based on your feedback and gameplay data, we have been working on ways for you to get used to KartRider: Drift and have fun playing it, and we are applying those changes during the development process. As a part of these changes, I would like to talk about the Racing School system today.

A preview of the Racing School menu, showing a list of Beginner tests. These include tests for using the Water Wisp and Water Bomb items, activating the Booster and (selected) using the Missile and Magnet items. Successfully completing the selected test will reward you with various items.

The Racing School has two purposes:

1. Act as a guide for Racers new to KartRider and KartRider: Drift.
2. Provide a challenge for Racers who have experience with the original game and want to test their skills on their own.

To elaborate, the Racing School system acts as a general guide to KartRider: Drift as well as an environment for Racers to work on improving their skills while playing solo. This allows Racers to check their skills while challenging each stage of the Racing School, and provides a goal of accomplishment as well.

As we analyzed the gameplay data from the Closed Beta, we found out that Racers who were new to KartRider had trouble drifting. Many Racers also tried to improve their skills through external videos and guides, and there was a lot of feedback concerned that much of the game lacked the elements to aid beginners.

We think it’s a must to have a system that helps you learn how to play KartRider: Drift and feel the joy of driving. Rather than a simple tutorial, we felt that a system where Racers could test their own skills and set new goals for themselves while taking on challenges would work the best.

To provide a new practice space for improving your skills on your own in the next Closed Beta, we are giving our all in developing the Racing School system so that you can improve and take on new challenges.

We hope you’re excited about this new feature, and that it helps you hone your driving skills!
-JL-