The Crew Motorfest: Is It Still Worth Playing?

If you are looking for an open-world racing game that gives you more to do than simply win one race after another, The Crew Motorfest is worth a closer look. The game combines street racing, off-road driving, car collecting, exploration, customization, and competitive multiplayer in a Hawaiian setting. But with so many vehicles, playlists, activities, seasonal updates, and optional paid content, it can be difficult to know where to start.

The good news is that Motorfest has grown considerably since launch. Ubisoft currently lists more than 25 Playlists and over 700 vehicles, while ongoing seasonal content continues to add new ways to race and explore. (Ubisoft)

This guide explains what makes The Crew Motorfest different, how its progression works, which features matter most for new players, and what you should know before spending money on additional content. It also covers a few less obvious details that can make the early hours much more enjoyable.

What Is The Crew Motorfest?

The Crew Motorfest is an open-world arcade racing game developed by Ivory Tower and published by Ubisoft.

Unlike a traditional racing game built around a single championship, Motorfest is designed around the idea of a huge automotive festival. You can move between structured racing events and free exploration without feeling locked into one career path.

The game takes place primarily across a Hawaiian open world, with environments ranging from urban streets and mountain roads to beaches and volcanic landscapes. (Ubisoft)

That setting is important because the game is not only about lap times.

You can:

• Race on paved roads
• Drive off-road
• Explore the open world
• Collect and modify vehicles
• Complete themed Playlists
• Participate in competitive events
• Join other players
• Create and race custom tracks
• Take part in weekly and seasonal activities

The result is closer to a virtual car festival than a conventional racing career.

How Does The Crew Motorfest Gameplay Work?

One of the easiest ways to understand Motorfest is to think of its gameplay as having three main layers.

1. Playlists

Playlists are themed collections of events built around particular areas of car culture.

Instead of giving you a massive career menu with hundreds of disconnected races, Motorfest groups activities into recognizable themes.

A Playlist can introduce:

• Specific vehicle types
• Different racing styles
• Unique challenges
• Special events
• Rewards
• New cars or customization items

Ubisoft currently advertises more than 25 Playlists. (Ubisoft)

For new players, Playlists are probably the best place to begin because they gradually introduce different aspects of the game.

2. FreeDrive

FreeDrive is where Motorfest becomes much more relaxed.

You can simply choose a vehicle and explore Hawaii without worrying about finishing a championship.

This is particularly enjoyable when you want to experiment with cars rather than constantly chase rewards.

A useful approach is to occasionally stop following objectives and simply drive. The open-world environment is one of Motorfest’s biggest strengths.

3. Live and Competitive Activities

Once you become comfortable with the driving system, competitive activities give the game more longevity.

Motorfest includes multiplayer races, ranked events, Custom Show activities and other competitive formats. Ubisoft currently lists events supporting large player groups, including 28-player races and 32-player crew-based competitions. (Ubisoft)

This gives experienced players something to work toward after completing the introductory content.

What Makes Motorfest Different From Other Racing Games?

The biggest difference is variety.

A game focused purely on circuit racing can become repetitive if you are not interested in its core discipline. Motorfest constantly changes the type of driving you are doing.

One moment you might be driving a modern performance car through city streets. Later, you can switch to an off-road vehicle and attack a completely different environment.

That variety makes the game particularly suitable for players who enjoy automotive culture generally rather than one specific type of racing.

It Is More Than a Racing Game

Motorfest also treats cars as collectibles.

Ubisoft says the game features more than 700 vehicles from over 50 manufacturers. (Ubisoft)

That creates a second progression system.

Instead of thinking only:

“How quickly can I finish this race?”

you may eventually start thinking:

“Which car do I want to add to my collection next?”

That change in mindset is one reason Motorfest can remain interesting after the initial races stop feeling new.

Is The Crew Motorfest Good for Beginners?

Yes, although the sheer amount of content can initially feel overwhelming.

A common mistake is trying to understand every vehicle category, activity, upgrade and live event immediately.

You don’t need to.

A better beginner strategy is:

1. Pick a Playlist that interests you.
2. Complete its early events.
3. Learn how the handling feels.
4. Upgrade a small number of vehicles.
5. Explore FreeDrive between races.
6. Gradually experiment with other vehicle categories.
7. Start looking at competitive activities once you understand the basics.

This approach prevents your garage from becoming a collection of cars you barely understand.

A Useful Tip: Don’t Upgrade Everything

This is one of the less obvious lessons for new players.

Because Motorfest gives you access to a large collection, it is tempting to spend resources upgrading every interesting vehicle.

That can spread your progression too thin.

Instead, choose a few vehicles that cover different purposes.

For example:

• One strong road-racing car
• One off-road vehicle
• One vehicle suited to a favorite Playlist
• One car you simply enjoy driving

This gives you a practical garage without constantly spending resources on cars you may stop using.

The best car in your collection isn’t necessarily the one with the highest theoretical performance number. A vehicle that you can control consistently can be much more useful than a faster machine that feels unpredictable.

What About Car Collection Import?

Players coming from The Crew 2 have an important advantage.

Motorfest includes a Collection Import feature that allows eligible vehicles from The Crew 2 collection to be brought into Motorfest without having to unlock those vehicles again. Ubisoft describes this as a free way to bring almost all unlocked vehicles across. (Ubisoft)

This is especially valuable for returning players.

It means your previous investment in the franchise can have practical value instead of forcing you to rebuild your garage completely from scratch.

For a new player, however, this feature obviously does not matter as much.

How Customization Works

Customization is another major part of Motorfest.

The game lets you personalize vehicles rather than simply selecting from a fixed collection of factory appearances.

For players who enjoy car culture, this can become almost as important as racing.

You might spend an evening tuning the appearance of a vehicle and then take it to the Custom Show instead of entering another race.

That is where Motorfest’s festival concept makes sense: your car is not merely a tool for winning. It is also part of your identity within the game.

TrackForge Changes the Experience

One of the biggest newer additions is TrackForge, a tool that lets players create and share custom tracks.

Introduced with Season 9, TrackForge allows creators to design different types of racing experiences, ranging from more authentic motorsport layouts to intentionally chaotic coaster-style tracks. (Ubisoft)

This matters because user-created content can solve one of the biggest problems in racing games: repetition.

Once you have completed many official events, community-created tracks can provide completely different challenges.

Season 10 expanded TrackForge with Street and Touge elements and additional drift-focused event types. (Ubisoft)

Why TrackForge Is More Important Than It Looks

A less obvious benefit is that TrackForge isn’t only for experienced creators.

Trying other people’s tracks can teach you things about racing lines, braking points and vehicle control without feeling like formal practice.

In other words, custom content can function as entertainment and informal driving practice.

What New Content Has Been Added?

Motorfest has continued receiving substantial post-launch content.

Season 9 introduced NASCAR-themed content, RC vehicles, a new playground area and TrackForge. (Ubisoft)

Season 10 subsequently introduced a new Playlist called The Motorfest Late Show, expanded TrackForge and added the Hawaii Grand Tour. (Ubisoft)

The Hawaii Grand Tour is particularly interesting because it turns the open world itself into a long-form driving challenge rather than simply using the map as a collection of disconnected race locations.

Season 10 also added 18 new vehicles across its content cycle. (Ubisoft)

This ongoing support means the game you play today is considerably broader than the original launch experience.

Is The Crew Motorfest Worth Buying?

That depends heavily on what you want from a racing game.

Motorfest is a good choice if you enjoy:

• Open-world driving
• Large vehicle collections
• Arcade-style handling
• Different racing disciplines
• Car customization
• Exploration
• Seasonal content
• Multiplayer activities
• Community-created tracks

You may prefer another racing game if you want:

• Extremely realistic simulation physics
• A traditional motorsport career
• Highly technical competitive racing
• A game centered almost entirely on circuit racing

Motorfest deliberately sits closer to accessible arcade racing than hardcore simulation.

That isn’t a weakness if you understand what the game is trying to accomplish.

Do You Need the Year Passes?

Not necessarily.

This is one area where new players should slow down before purchasing additional content.

The base experience already contains a large amount of content, including hundreds of vehicles and numerous Playlists. (Ubisoft)

Paid passes mainly become attractive when you already know that you enjoy Motorfest and want additional vehicles, Playlists and premium experiences.

A sensible approach is to play the base content first.

If you find yourself regularly returning to the game and wanting more, then additional content becomes easier to justify.

Buying every pass immediately can be unnecessary for someone who has not yet decided whether Motorfest fits their taste.

Common Mistakes New Players Make

Spending too much time chasing the fastest car

The fastest vehicle isn’t automatically the best choice for every event.

Different activities reward different handling characteristics.

Ignoring handling settings

If a car feels uncomfortable, don’t immediately assume that the vehicle is bad.

Small adjustments to handling and driving preferences can make a significant difference.

Trying every activity at once

Motorfest has enough content to distract you constantly.

Pick a direction and progress naturally.

Treating FreeDrive as wasted time

Exploration isn’t pointless.

Learning the roads, shortcuts and terrain can make later events easier.

Buying premium content too early

Play first. Spend later.

That simple rule can save you money and prevent buying content you don’t actually need.

A Better Way to Progress in Motorfest

If starting today, a practical progression route would look like this:

First: Complete introductory events and learn the handling.

Second: Choose a Playlist that matches your preferred car culture.

Third: Build a small, versatile garage rather than collecting everything immediately.

Fourth: Explore the Hawaiian map and learn major routes.

Fifth: Experiment with different vehicle categories.

Sixth: Try multiplayer and seasonal activities.

Finally: Explore TrackForge and community-created events once you want something beyond the standard progression.

This approach gives you a reason to explore nearly every major part of the game without turning your first few hours into a checklist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Crew Motorfest an open-world game?

Yes. Motorfest is built around an open-world Hawaiian environment where players can freely drive between activities. The world includes urban areas, mountains, off-road terrain and other varied environments. (Ubisoft)

How many cars are in The Crew Motorfest?

Ubisoft currently lists more than 700 vehicles from over 50 manufacturers. The collection continues to grow through seasonal updates and additional content. (Ubisoft)

Can you play The Crew Motorfest with friends?

Yes. Multiplayer is an important part of the game, with competitive races, crew-based activities and other social features. Some race formats support large groups of players. (Ubisoft)

Is The Crew Motorfest realistic?

Motorfest is primarily an arcade-style open-world racing experience rather than a hardcore racing simulator. It focuses on accessibility, variety and fun while still offering vehicle handling that can reward practice.

Can The Crew 2 cars be transferred to Motorfest?

Eligible vehicles from The Crew 2 can be imported through Motorfest’s Collection Import feature. Ubisoft says almost all unlocked vehicles can be brought over for free. (Ubisoft)

Is The Crew Motorfest still getting updates?

Yes. The game continues to receive seasonal content. Season 10, released in July 2026, added new activities, TrackForge features, stories, a major Hawaii driving challenge and additional vehicles. (Ubisoft)

Conclusion

The Crew Motorfest has evolved into much more than a straightforward open-world racing game. Its biggest strength is the freedom to choose how you want to experience automotive culture: race competitively, collect cars, explore Hawaii, customize vehicles, play with friends or create your own tracks.

For beginners, the smartest strategy is not to chase everything immediately. Build a small garage, learn the handling, follow a few Playlists and gradually explore the wider game.

For returning players, the continuing seasonal updates, new vehicles and TrackForge provide additional reasons to come back.

Ultimately, Motorfest works best when you treat it less like a race you need to finish and more like a huge automotive playground. That freedom is what makes it appealing—and what can keep the experience fresh long after the first few races.