Ossu!
The playtests we held last week were a success. The system didn’t crash and you were enjoying drifting with friends on Guntama roads for the first time in the history of the game! That’s what you call a perfect birthday present! You’ve encountered smaller issues and provided feedback for QoL features that we’re already working on - continue reading to learn more. Thank you to everyone who participated in the test - you’re the backbone of the community and we are deeply humbled by your passion and engagement for JDM!
That said, let’s talk about the future of multiplayer in JDM.
Yes, multiplayer launches for Steam on June 11!
GoG and Epic will follow with the multiplayer launch in the upcoming weeks.
Consoles are scheduled for Q3 2026 - we’ll keep you informed on the progress.
Scope of the multiplayer
For now, we’re opening the open world sandbox only (similar to the playtests). We’re working on bringing you specific game modes for a more streamlined experience. They will be added later this year.
In multiplayer you will be able to host or join sessions for up to 8 players in the lobby.
In terms of quality of life improvements, we are currently working on:
Player colour coding - each player in the lobby will be assigned a colour for a clearer outgoing communication.
Marking locations on the map - you will now be able to ping a location on the map. A colour coded marker assigned to you will appear on the map for all players in the lobby to see.
Command text chat - using a radial system players will be able to send simple commands via text chat for better in-game communication.
Opening the doors for the Tuning and Paint shops in multiplayer sessions - Now you will be able to visit the shops without being disconnected from the session.
Ghost Mode - when hosting a multiplayer session you will be able to turn this feature on or off. It disables car collisions, making it easier to roam around together and learn how to drift in a tandem.
These features should be readily available for you on June 11. If anything changes we will let you know in the next devlog.
The voice chat tested last week will also remain in the game. Remember that you have to turn it on first from the game menu. The ‘push-to-speak’ button will now also work as intended.
We’ve also fixed some additional issues that have been reported during the playtests.
Multiplayer FAQ
Why is there a delay for the multiplayer launch between specific platforms?
Each platform needs a dedicated build and additional development, as well as further testing of each of them. We are working as fast as we can but we remain a small team and we just can’t do everything at the same time.
Why stagger the release of the multiplayer game modes?
We wanted to push out the multiplayer as fast as we could, as it remains THE most requested community feature and we just didn’t want you to wait for it longer. Releasing new features for the system in specific updates also gives us more control over the stability of the entire system.
Will there be cross-play?
Yes, you will be able to play between PC platforms (Steam, GoG, Epic) when all of them launch.
We are working to provide a full cross-play experience between consoles and PC.
What’s ahead for JDM?
We’ve already covered multiplayer additions, but let’s summarize them neatly here:
Open World multiplayer launches on Steam - June 11
Open World multiplayer launches on GoG and Epic - soon after Steam. Think a couple of weeks.
Multiplayer launches on Xbox and PlayStation 5 - Q3 2026
Multiplayer Game Modes - will be added as soon as possible - expect updates not long after the feature’s launch (sorry for being cryptic here but we’re still not ready to assign a release date to them. We will keep you updated!)
So what’s happening with the single player?
The second DLC for the game - The American Classics - is scheduled to launch on June 25. It introduces six new, non-licensed American Cars to the game. With a 5.99 USD price set, it will launch on all platforms simultaneously.
Alongside the paid DLC, we will also release new JDM cars for free, available to all owners of the game.
More details on specific models soon.
In the upcoming months we are also planning to release the next Side Story Campaign for the game. We also have a surprise lined up for the community, so please stay tuned!
As always we invite everyone to join our Discord channel, where a sprawling community of car enthusiasts partake in all manner of discussions daily.
Let’s Drift Together!
The Gaming Factory Team