Crew Motorfest Deluxe Edition Wiki - Complete Guide

Quick Facts

Developer: Ubisoft Ivory Tower

Publisher: Ubisoft

Release Date: September 14, 2023

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Amazon Luna

Genre: Open-World Racing, Action Racing

Game Mode: Single-player, Online Multiplayer (up to 6 players in co-op, up to 32 in PvP playlists)

Deluxe Edition Extras: Year 1 Pass, exclusive Ford Mustang Boss 302, three-day early access, exclusive outfits, and KT38 stickers.

Internet Requirement: Always-online connection mandatory

What Makes It Special

While The Crew Motorfest Deluxe Edition is the direct successor to 2018’s The Crew 2, it represents a massive paradigm shift for the franchise. Instead of attempting to recreate the entire United States, Ubisoft Ivory Tower narrowed their focus to a single, meticulously crafted location: the island of Oʻahu, Hawaii. This shift in scale allowed the developers to dramatically increase the density, variety, and sheer visual fidelity of the environment. Oʻahu is not just a backdrop; it is a character in the game, featuring dense jungles, volcanic ashy slopes, pristine beaches, and the dense urban sprawl of Honolulu.

The most defining special feature of Motorfest is its Playlists system. Moving away from a traditional open-world checklist of mundane events, the game structures its core progression around curated, themed festivals. These Playlists are essentially multi-stage cinematic campaigns that blend racing, exploration, and narrative flavor. For example, you might find yourself in the "Made in Japan" playlist, which acts as a love letter to JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) car culture, complete with neon-lit night streets and drift challenges. Alternatively, the "Hollywood Action" playlist throws players into the middle of a high-octane movie set, complete with explosions, jumps, and stunt driving. There is even a "Viking Heritage" playlist that trades asphalt for mud, putting players behind the wheel of heavily modified trucks tearing through rugged terrain.

The Deluxe Edition specifically elevates this experience by granting immediate access to the Year 1 Pass. This pass includes upcoming major content drops—such as the highly anticipated "Motorfest: Hawaiian Scenery" and "Motorfest: Khaki & Fashion" playlists—as well as bonus vehicles and cosmetic items. For players who want to dive deep into the game’s evolving ecosystem without paying microtransaction fees later, the Deluxe Edition is the definitive way to experience Motorfest.

How to Play

At its core, The Crew Motorfest retains the arcade-sim hybrid physics that the franchise is known for, but it has been significantly tightened and refined. The driving model strikes a delicate balance: it is forgiving enough to allow players to throw a 600-horsepower muscle car into a drift around a mountain hairpin without instantly spinning out, yet strict enough that upgrading your parts, tuning your vehicle, and mastering the braking zones yields a noticeable, rewarding difference in your lap times.

Vehicle Classes and Handling

The game features a massive roster of vehicles divided into distinct classes, each demanding a completely different driving approach:

• Street Racing: Low-slung supercars and hypercars built for pure speed and high-speed cornering on tarmac. Grip is king here, and mistiming a brake zone will send you into a barrier.
• Drag Racing: Straight-line acceleration monsters. Handling is intentionally sluggish, and gameplay revolves around perfecting your launch RPM and shifting at exactly the right moment.
• Drift: Lightweight, rear-wheel-drive cars that are inherently slippery. The physics engine changes subtly here, rewarding players for maintaining long, high-angle slides rather than traditional racing lines.
• Off-Road / Rally Raid: Heavily suspended vehicles designed to absorb massive jumps and navigate treacherous, unmaintained terrain. Momentum is your greatest asset; slowing down too much will leave you stuck in a ditch.
• Boats and Planes: Returning from The Crew 2, these disciplines offer a distinct vertical and horizontal gameplay shift. Boats require reading the waves, while planes require managing altitude, speed, and yaw to navigate through floating rings.

Progression and The Vehicle Fame System

As you participate in events, you earn Vehicle Fame. This is an individual progression metric for every single car, boat, and plane in your garage. Leveling up a vehicle's Fame unlocks specific performance upgrades (parts categorized by rarity, from Common to Legendary). This means you cannot simply buy a fast car and win; you must actively drive and race that specific vehicle to unlock its full potential. Furthermore, reaching certain Fame thresholds unlocks Gold and Platinum variants of that vehicle, which feature unique, often outlandish visual modifications to help you show off your mastery to other players.

The Deluxe Edition accelerates this process slightly by providing exclusive vehicles like the Ford Mustang Boss 302 right out of the gate, giving players a high-tier starting car to build their early Vehicle Fame around without having to grind for in-game currency.

World & Lore

The Crew Motorfest abandons the underground street-racing narrative of its predecessors. There is no shadowy organization, no deep-cut crime syndicate, and no brooding protagonist. Instead, the "lore" is entirely centered around the Motorfest itself—a massive, island-wide automotive festival organized by a charismatic host known simply as "Lucky."

Lucky is the unseen (or rather, unheard, as he communicates via text and UI prompts) mastermind who has brought the world's most diverse car cultures together in one place. The island of Oʻahu has been transformed into a playground tailored specifically to automotive enthusiasts. The lore is built through environmental storytelling and the Playlists themselves.

Key Locations on Oʻahu

• The Mainstage: Located on the southern tip of the island, this is your central hub. It is a massive, neon-drenched festival grounds filled with ramps, show cars, and other players. Here, you can test-drive new vehicles, access your garage, and launch into Playlists.
• Honolulu: The urban core of the map. It features wide boulevards, tight intersections, and heavy traffic. It serves as the primary battleground for Street Racing and Drag events.
• Koʻolau Mountain Range: The winding, cliff-side roads cutting through the lush, misty mountains. These roads are incredibly narrow and dangerous, making them perfect for point-to-point races and time trials.
• North Shore: Famous for its massive waves and surfer culture, the North Shore in Motorfest is transformed into an off-road paradise, with sandy trails leading directly onto the beaches.
• Volcanic Region: The ashy, barren slopes of the island's volcano. This area is exclusively used for high-altitude off-roading and features some of the most visually striking, apocalyptic-looking tracks in the game.

The world-building is highly focused on vibes rather than narrative depth. By separating the island into distinct zones, each tailored to a specific type of car culture, the game creates a living museum of automotive history. Driving a neon-painted Nissan Skyline through the Honolulu night feels entirely different from tearing through the mud in a customized Jeep Wrangler on the North Shore, and that environmental contrast is the true heart of the game's setting.

Getting Started Guide

Jumping into The Crew Motorfest Deluxe Edition can be overwhelming due to the sheer volume of cars and activities available. Here is a step-by-step guide to getting your bearings and maximizing your first few hours.

1. Claim Your Deluxe Bonuses Immediately

Before you do anything else, navigate to the "My Crew" or Rewards section of the menu and claim your Deluxe Edition vehicles. The Ford Mustang Boss 302 is an incredibly capable early-game car that excels in both street racing and drifting. Having this car in your garage from minute one prevents you from being stuck with a low-tier starter car during your first few Playlists.

2. Complete the Opening Playlists

Do not ignore the introductory Playlists. While you might be tempted to free-roam immediately, the opening scenarios serve as an interactive tutorial. They will walk you through the basics of different vehicle types, teach you how the fast-travel system works, and unlock the various hubs around the island. More importantly, completing these early Playlists grants massive batches of Vehicle Fame and currency, giving you a strong financial foundation.

3. Focus on One Vehicle at a Time

Resist the urge to buy ten different cars right away. The Vehicle Fame system punishes spread-thin players. Pick one car that you enjoy driving—like your Deluxe Edition Mustang—and stick to it. Enter every event that the game allows you to use that car in. By funneling all your early Fame into one vehicle, you will quickly unlock its Gold and Platinum tiers, netting you high-end performance parts that will make subsequent races much easier.

4. Learn the Smart Steering and Assists

If you are new to arcade racers, familiarize yourself with the driving assists. Motorfest features a "Smart Steering" option that subtly adjusts your car's trajectory to prevent you from slamming into walls at high speeds. It does not drive the car for you, but it provides a safety net. As you get more comfortable, consider turning this off, as it can sometimes interfere with advanced drifting techniques by "correcting" a slide when you actually wanted to hold it.

5. Collect Continental Coins and Sinkholes

While free-roaming, keep an eye out for glowing collectibles scattered across the map. "Continental Coins" are hidden in obscure locations and are used to purchase exclusive, high-tier vehicles from the Legendary Motors dealership. Additionally, look for "Sinkholes"—massive, swirling vortexes scattered around the map. Driving into these triggers a short, high-speed point-to-point delivery challenge that rewards you with massive amounts of cash and parts upon completion.

6. Understand the Currency Economy

The game features two primary currencies: Bucks and Crew Credits. Bucks are earned by playing the game and are used to buy standard cars, parts, and cosmetics. Crew Credits are the premium currency (often bought with real money, though small amounts can be earned in-game). As a Deluxe Edition owner, you want to hoard your Crew Credits. Do not spend them on standard cars; save them for exclusive vanity items or specifically to bypass the most grueling late-game grinds if you choose to.

Common Questions

Do I need to have played The Crew or The Crew 2 to understand this game?

No. The Crew Motorfest is a soft reboot of the franchise. It features an entirely new setting, a new progression system, and a new thematic structure. There are no narrative ties to the previous games, making it completely accessible to newcomers. If you played the previous games, you will notice the refined physics and UI improvements, but you won't be missing any story context.

Is the game always online? Can I play it solo?

Yes, The Crew Motorfest requires a constant internet connection to play, even if you never intend to interact with another human being. You can absolutely play 100% of the game's core content solo. However, because it is online, you will frequently see other players driving around the open world. You can ignore them, or you can matchmake into co-op sessions for events to earn slight multiplayer bonuses.

What exactly does the Year 1 Pass in the Deluxe Edition include?

The Year 1 Pass grants you access to two major vehicle passes (such as the recently added "Hollywood Vehicles" and "JDM Vehicles" packs) and two upcoming themed Playlists. It essentially future-proofs your game, ensuring you get the first year of substantial DLC drops without having to purchase them individually. It does not include every minor cosmetic item released in the in-game store.

How does the game handle microtransactions?

The game features an in-game store where players can buy vanity items (outfits, stickers, car wraps) and occasionally specific vehicle bundles using Crew Credits. While the presence of microtransactions is notable, the core gameplay loop is not pay-to-win. All performance-enhancing parts must be unlocked by actually playing the game and earning Vehicle Fame for your cars; you cannot simply buy a faster engine with real money.

How big is the map compared to The Crew 2?

The map in Motorfest is significantly smaller geographically than the miniature USA map in The Crew 2. However, smaller does not mean less content. Because Ubisoft Ivory Tower did not have to spread their resources across deserts, snow-capped mountains, and swamps, the island of Oʻahu is incredibly dense. The roads are more varied, the environmental details are much higher, and the transition from a city street to a jungle trail feels much more organic. Most players find the smaller, denser map to be far superior for arcade racing.

Can I use a steering wheel to play?

Yes, The Crew Motorfest supports a wide variety of popular racing wheels on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. However, because the game is fundamentally an arcade racer, the force feedback and wheel support are functional rather than sim-quality. Do not expect the nuanced, heavy steering feel of Gran Turismo 7 or iRacing. It is highly recommended to use a controller for the optimal experience, as the game's forgiving drift mechanics and high-speed jumps are specifically designed for thumbstick input.