Following its announcement last March, CarX Drift Racing Online 2 has launched in Steam Early Access today (7th May). Originally planned for a late 2025 release, the drift racer costs £20.99/$24.99 on Steam.
A sequel to the widely popular CarX Drift Online Racing, the new entry represents a “new step forward for the series,” featuring an updated physics model created in collaboration with the CarX Motorsport team and a comprehensive damage system.
The latter seems to be an evolution from the extensive damage model introduced in the mobile-only CarX Drift Racing 3 last year.
Several game modes are available in the early access build, including career, single-player race and online multiplayer.
A career mode sees you start in a drift school before advancing to local street competitions and elite world championships. The first part of the drift school is available in Early Access alongside the first stage of the main competition, where you must choose a sponsor and complete objectives.
Outside the single-player campaign, online multiplayer supports up to 16 players, custom lobbies and ranked duels in Early Access.
In a first for the Online Drift Racing series, players can burn rubber on laser-scanned licensed tracks, including the Nürburgring, Fuji Speedway, Ebisu complex, ADM Raceway and Dominion Raceway. These locations carry over from CarX Drift Racing 3.
The Early Access launch features 14 fictional cars, each inspired by real-world models such as the Ford Mustang GT, Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 and BMW M3 E46.
Tuning and customisation options are also “significantly expanded,” with the ability to upgrade components such as the suspension, gearbox and ECU.
CarX Drift Racing Online 2 is expected to leave Early Access at the end of 2026, with console versions set to follow. In the meantime, the Early Access build will expand with new locations, cars and supported peripherals after its initial launch.
It marks the eighth entry in the long-running CarX series following CarX Drift Racing CarX Drift Racing 2, CarX Drift Racing 3, CarX Drift Racing Online, CarX Highway Racing, CarX Rally and CarX Street.