You can’t play Crazy Taxi: World Tour until 2027. But you might be driving it in September.
Sega announced Tuesday that it’s running a closed network test for the multiplayer side of its new Crazy Taxi, and signups are open right now. Two modes, two maps, four characters, six cars with various tune-up options. That’s the whole package on offer, and it’s more than most publishers hand out 18 months ahead of release.
What you actually get to play
Pickup Race is the one that sounds closest to classic Crazy Taxi. Up to six players “compete with each other to drop off as many passengers as possible within a set time limit, earning as much crazy money as possible,” Sega said.
The other mode is Cops ‘N’ Cabbies, which splits six players into three two-person teams and sets them against each other. The police are presumably involved, and presumably not thrilled about how everyone’s driving.
Both modes run through either Ranked Match or Custom Match.
The dates you need, written down
The test runs from 5 p.m. PDT on Sept. 11 through 5 p.m. PDT on Sept. 13. Registration closes Aug. 31 at 11:59 p.m. PDT, and you sign up at the Crazy Taxi: World Tour website.
Cross-play is supported across PlayStation 5, Windows PC via Steam and Xbox, and Xbox Series X.
Note what’s missing from that list. Nintendo Switch 2 is a confirmed platform for the full release, but it’s not part of the network test.
IHOP is canon now
Sega also dropped a new trailer, and it’s a different vibe than you’d expect. Calmer. No Offspring blaring over it. Just a wander through the game’s West Coast map, which is Crazy Taxi’s take on San Francisco, with a look at some of the new fares you’ll be hauling around.
Two real businesses are confirmed to appear: IHOP and Amoeba Music. Neither shows up explicitly in the trailer, but Sega says they’re in.
The Pizza Hut question
Nobody knows yet whether Pizza Hut, KFC and Tower Records will make it into World Tour. Sega has only said that every location in the game will feature regional retailers and restaurants.
Which is a tell, if you’ve been paying attention to how Sega handles brands elsewhere. The Yakuza games are packed with real-world Japanese companies. If World Tour makes a stop in Sega’s home country, the odds of recognizable Japanese storefronts are good.
Crazy Taxi: World Tour arrives in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X. Until then, there’s a registration form and a deadline of Aug. 31, and roughly 48 hours in September where a handful of people get to find out whether the crazy money still hits the same.
