Released in 2018, The Crew 2 is an open-world racing game with a massive map covering the entire United States of America to explore. Developed by Ivory Tower and published by Ubisoft, the sequel introduced boats and planes to the eclectic vehicle roster. You can switch between each vehicle type on the fly, allowing you to travel by land, sea, or air.
Because it's available on more platforms, The Crew 2 is a popular alternative to Forza Horizon. In fact, Ubisoft’s open-world racer was the most downloaded racing game on PlayStation in 2021. Frequent updates have kept loyal players coming back, but when is The Crew 3 coming out?
New rumours claim The Crew 3 has a new name and location
A new report by Insider Gaming claims The Crew 3 could be called Motorfest and set in Hawaii.
click to enlarge
+ 3According to the report, images taken from the new game engine reportedly show Motorfest logos on billboards, car number plates, and loading screens.
Notably, The Crew branding was not featured in the images, suggesting the next entry could be called Motorfest. Alternatively, it could be called The Crew 3: Motorfest, but we'll have to wait for official details from Ubisoft.
The images also reportedly show The Crew 3 will ditch the US map from the first two games and return to the Hawaii island of Oahu - the location of the original Test Drive Unlimited.
The Crew 3 rumoured to be in development
While Ubisoft hasn't officially announced The Crew 3, the sequel is reportedly in development.
In September 2021, fans discovered screenshots of a new project called Orlando set in Hawaii while datamining an update. The screenshots have since been removed online.
One of the datamined files referred to “a breathless crew vs crew race, up to 100 players, with vehicles switch along 3 different sections.”
click to enlarge + 3Project Orlando was reportedly planned as DLC for The Crew 2. However, a report by renowned leaker Tom Henderson via xFire claims that Project Orlando is a "completely new game" with a "new driving engine."
According to the report, Ubisoft's new racer has been in development for some time and could be revealed later this year.
Currently dubbed as "The Crew: Orlando," it's unclear if the next game in the series will be called The Crew 3 or be a reboot. According to Henderson, the team "weren't happy with The Crew 2" and is "overhauling everything. However, new rumours suggest The Crew 3 will be renamed to Motorfest.
When is The Crew 3 coming out?
Unfortunately, it could be a long wait for The Crew 3 to come out. Ubisoft hasn’t confirmed if The Crew 3 is in development.
In March 2022, Ubisoft announced plans to release more free content for The Crew 2 over the next year. Year 5 content started in July with three new seasons adding extra vehicles, challenges, and rewards.
click to enlarge + 3As a result, it’s unlikely that The Crew 3 will come out this year if it’s in development as Ubisoft will want to promote new content in The Crew 2.
The Crew games are usually announced at Ubisoft's E3 conference. The first game was revealed at E3 2013 in June and released over a year later in December 2014.
A few years later, The Crew 2 was announced in June 2017 at E3. It was then released a year later in June 2018.
According to Henderson, The Crew 3 could be announced later this year. The Crew 2’s Year 5 content ends next July, so this could pave the way for The Crew 3 to arrive in July 2023. Alternatively, it The Crew 3 could be announced next June at Ubisoft's E3 2023 conference.
However, a 2023 release would pit The Crew 3 against Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown currently slated for release in 2023 and Need for Speed Unbound.
We expect The Crew 3 will launch on the current-generation PS5 and Xbox Series X platforms, as well as PC. By 2023, developers should start phasing out releases on last-generation platforms. This means it's unlikely to release on PS4 and Xbox One, allowing the developers to create a more detailed open world on current-gen platforms.