Ossu!
It’s already been a year since JDM initially launched on PC - what a ride it has been! There’s no words to really describe how blessed we feel having a community as dedicated as you are. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the critique, constructive feedback, words of encouragement, requests, ideas and for just giving the game a chance and enjoying the tale of Touma and friends roaming the roads of Guntama prefecture. You’re truly the best!
We’re a small 30-ish people studio so we’re not as fast in providing updates like some of our colleagues from big companies but we’re hard at work everyday to expand our dream project and push it even further than it is today. With that, let’s see what’s happening on our side of the monitors and what we’re cooking for JDM in the upcoming weeks and months!
Multiplayer Community Tests
It’s finally happening! The feature most of you requested for a long, long time. We’ve been working on this from scratch, slowly building up the code and developing the backbone of a system, which we will be able to expand on in the future.
Starting today, we’re opening a separate Steam branch for everyone that has the game in their libraries. In this build of the game you will be able to host and join multiplayer sessions. For now, it will only cover the Open World - no events, no additional game modes. We need to test matchmaking, game stability, check for any issues and bugs that may occur. We cannot do it alone. We need your help, pushing the system limits, joining friends from other regions for sessions and messing around in the open world, checking if the system will be able to handle your shenanigans.
This is how the feature works in action:
(fully captured in-game, with one of us capturing footage with a free cam)
Scope of the multiplayer test build
The tests will be open for a week, beginning today and ending on May 28th. The multiplayer mode for the tests is limited to open world roaming, with up to 8 player lobbies. You will be able to create private rooms and invite friends via generated codes or through a ‘quick join’ option where you will be added to an open room session and paired with people from your region randomly.
You will be able to host or join a multiplayer session directly through your in-game smartphone - in your single player game session just open the smartphone and navigate to the multiplayer icon. Follow the instructions from there.
Multiplayer sessions will also feature a built-in voice chat, so that you can coordinate car meets and more freely engage in whatever activity you want :) The VOIP feature is disabled by default and needs to be turned on from the pause menu.
Specific multiplayer game modes are under development and they will be gradually added to the public version of the game in the weeks and months after launch.
Multiplayer mode will first launch on Steam and will soon be followed by other platforms.
We will be providing more information on multiplayer details in a separate devlog, detailing our plans and answering any questions that may arise (like, whether the game will host cross play from launch on day one - we’re working on this but don’t yet know how fast we can make that a reality). Please look forward to more info soon.
How to opt into the tests
To access the game’s beta branch you will need to set it up in your Steam client.
First things first though, the beta branch of the game will create a copy of your save file, so you will retain all of your progress from our public, default branch of the game, while safeguarding your original save file from any unforeseen issues that may arise.
Note that any progress you make in game on the beta branch will NOT be transferred to your original save file. If you want to continue playing in single player, please remember to switch back to the default version of the game!
We don’t expect anything wrong to happen with the save files, but better to be safe than sorry during the test stage of this feature.
OK, with that out of the way, it’s time to set-up the multiplayer branch:
Open the Steam client and navigate to your Library
Select JDM and right click on the game
Go to Properties > Game Versions & Betas tab
Enter the following code:
DriftTogether
Press “Check Code”
Press the "Opt in to the Playtests_Multiplayer build"
Great! You’re in!
The game should automatically update for you and you can immediately start playing.
The build name on Steam (right next to the green Play button) should state: “Playtests - Multiplayer”
Have fun!
If you encounter any issues or have feedback, please reach out to us on Discord. We’ve also prepared a specific section on our server dedicated solely to the multiplayer tests, please visit it here: Discord.
Known Bugs
It wouldn’t be a test if there were no known issues at its start :)
There is nothing serious though and you should be able to quite comfortably play the game.
Here’s a few bugs that we are aware of:
The player will see on-screen user names in Photo Mode. This will of course be remedied for launch but for now please bear with us!
The push-to-talk button mapping is not working as intended. The open-mic feature works fine however, so you will be able to converse with other players without the need to use external VOIPs. Sorry for the inconvenience!
The car logo and the car parameters UI in the Change Car menu don’t align properly. Again, sorry for the inconvenience!
If you run into issues while typing the code to join a multiplayer room using a gamepad, please switch to keyboard and mouse for a second to complete the process. We’re investigating this issue.
If you encounter any synchronisation issues while using the Tuner Shop during a multiplayer session, just leave and re-enter the garage. It should fix the problem.
Your map and smartphone may lock when disconnecting from a multiplayer session while you are parked on a garage POI prior to unlocking your first garage. It’s a mouthful, however if you’ve previously played the game and unlocked a garage this bug should not influence you.
Of course if you find more problems, please do share them with us!
The American Classics DLC
After weeks of teasing, we’re finally ready to announce the launch of our second DLC - The American Classics! Please enjoy the video!
The American Classics DLC will launch on June 25th for all platforms simultaneously.
For 5,99 USD players will receive access to six new, unlicensed, American inspired cars: Ironvale Hauler F84, Ironvale Stallion (2024), Roebuck Striker, Roebuck Jetstream (1959), Roebuck Reaver (1969), Roebuck Reaver (2024).
After purchasing the DLC the cars will be available at the Car Dealer, like any other car in the game.
Updated Development Roadmap
We’re continuing the development of JDM.
Alongside the premiere of the DLC on the 25th of June, we will also be launching new JDM cars.
We’re also working on the next Side Story Campaign for the game.
The new JDM cars and the story expansion will come to the game as free additions for all JDM owners. More details coming soon.
We promised the new livery and sticker system by the end of Q2 2026 but unfortunately we won’t be able to keep this promise. The system requires more work and polishing - with so many car parts being interchangeable and their influence on game performance, we are still looking for the best implementation solutions that will not impact your driving experience. We’re really sorry for this - we’re fully committed to bringing liveries to the game as soon as we’re happy with the outcome!
JDM Sale
To celebrate our one year anniversary with the community we’re putting the game on the largest discount to date!
Beginning today, May 21st, until June 4th (2 weeks) players will be able to purchase JDM: Japanese Drift Master on Steam 45% off.
There are also ongoing sales for JDM for Xbox and PlayStation.
This is it for today and sorry for the long devlog - we’ve been more on the quiet side lately but that’s because we’ve been hard at work to bring you all of the new content.
Like always, you can find us on Discord.
Let’s Drift!
The Gaming Factory Team