Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown: Everything coming in Year 2

Set to launch later this month, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown’s Season 4 update will mark the return of the casino from Test Drive Unlimited 2. It also adds five new cars, new Stock Race events and an overhauled map UI.

Beyond that, KT Racing is committed to supporting Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown for at least another year, with four additional seasonal updates set to launch from October 2025 to July 2026.

Previewed in an extensive developer diary, these live service updates will attempt to recapture the spirit of the first two Test Drive Unlimited games by focusing on the series’ signature lifestyle elements.

This will include classic driving missions and the long-awaited return of purchasable houses, along with a significant graphics update.

Season 5 (October 2025)

Launching in October 2025, the first Year 2 update, Season 5, will add taxi missions. Last seen in Test Drive Unlimited 2, the new contract mode will see players deliver clients to locations. According to Nacon’s Racing Content Manager Alexander Arthur, aka Alex VII, these will be “similar to taxi missions in Test Drive Unlimited 2,” but have “a lot more depth.”  

During taxi missions, clients may ask you questions, such as rolling down the window or turning on the radio or require you to dress in a certain way. Following the road rules and speed limits will increase your rating.

Alongside taxi delivery missions, Season 5 will also introduce significant updates to KT Racing’s proprietary KT Engine, bringing enhanced visuals including water shaders, reflections, shadows and lighting, as well as performance improvements. Hong Kong Island will also benefit from a reworked time cycle.

Furthermore, Season 5 will rebalance the economy in response to community complaints about the slow progression. Levelling and Solar Coins will increase by at least 50% and rewards will be adjusted depending on race positions. More XP will also be rewarded for finding collectibles and speed traps, with more economy improvements planned for future seasons. .

Season 6 (January 2026)

For Season 6 in January 2026, KT Racing is letting players vote between four mission types returning from previous games: Detective, Package Delivery, Photography and Adrenalin.

Similar to Test Drive Unlimited 2, Adrenalin missions see players fill a meter before time runs out by hitting top speeds, performing jumps or dodging traffic.

Photography missions will presumably require players to photograph specific map locations, while Package missions require you to deliver a package to a location before other players. Meanwhile, Detective missions require you to follow a target car while avoiding detection, similar to tailing missions in the Driver games.

Voting for missions in Season 6 will be open for a couple of weeks, with the results to be posted in an upcoming Solar Crown newsletter.

Year 2 will add five new car brands, with Pagani, last seen in Test Drive Unlimited 2, returning in Season 6. A Pagani Huayra was briefly teased in the developer diary as the first confirmed Pagani coming to Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown.

Season 7 (April 2026)

In April 2026, Season 6 will introduce Official Racing Centers. Located around Hong Kong Island and Ibiza city, these dedicated events will serve as a hub where players can gather in a new interior space and find ranked and unranked races in an advanced search system. Live events and the Solar Pass will also be revamped to “improve the gameplay loop.”

In response to community requests, Season 7 will also add Asian brands to the roster. These brands are being kept under wraps for now, but Arthur teased some “surprises” that “a lot of players will be happy to see.”

Season 8 (July 2026)

Finally, Season 8 will introduce by far the most requested feature: the return of houses and houses and real estate.

“This is a highly requested feature coming in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown,” said Arthur. “Although it’s the last season of Year 2, it’s going to be worth it. It’s going to have a lot more depth compared to what we had planned in previous instalments.”

Houses can be purchased with in-game currency in “various sizes.” Like in previous Test Drive Unlimited games, players can invite friends to their house, display cars in garages or gardens, and design interiors with furnishings and decorations.

“They’re [houses] a lot more improved compared to what they were in previous instalments,” Arthur teased. “We want to evolve what TDU was and improve the DNA.”

In addition to houses, Season 8 will also add new ‘Extreme missions’ and a Passenger mode, presumably allowing players to travel together in the same car.

No plans to expand Ibiza map

KT Racing also hinted at other improvements and new features planned for Year 2, including the ability to sell cars, new customisation options and brand collaborations including Puma and Michelin.

Meanwhile, motorcycles, first teased in the ‘Season 2 & Beyond’ developer diary, are still planned, but “might not be Year 2.”

Despite requests from players, the Ibiza Town map, introduced in Season 2, also won’t be expanded – at least not in Year 2.

“It’s not something we’re going to focus on at the moment,” said Arthur. “Before we expand the map, there are things we need to improve in terms of the content. So, if we ever do expand the map, we can fill it with things like housing, more missions, more content, so it’s not just an expansion of the map for no reason.”

Cross-region multiplayer is a “priority over crossplay,” offline mode to be added “likely at the end of the game’s life”

Additionally, KT Racing is working on other requested long-term improvements, such as crossplay and cross-region multiplayer.

Currently, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown’s sessions are restricted to eight players. Not only that, but each session is region-locked, making you less likely to encounter other online players when driving around the map. During the media briefing, KT Racing confirmed it is “actively working” on implementing support for cross-region multiplayer and sees it as “a priority over crossplay.”

A single-player offline mode is another highly requested feature and a hot topic among the community. Although Season 3 added a solo mode allowing players to only race against AI opponents instead of mixing online players, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown still requires an online mode to access the game.

As a result, the game boots you back to the main menu if the servers are offline. Currently, the online connection requirement means the game will be unplayable like The Crew if the servers are permanently closed in the future, raising concerns about preservation.

“It’s something we’re looking to do,” said Arthur, referring to adding an offline mode. However, he went on to add that this won’t happen “immediately,” but “more likely at the end of the game’s life.”

“In order to create an offline mode for this game, we have to devote a lot of developer resources to it. Unfortunately, to create that feature for TDU, it’s not something we can work on yet.”

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Year 2 roadmap overview

• Season 5 (October 2026): Taxi missions, KT Engine enhancements, rebalanced economy, New Solar Pass and Live Events.
• Season 6 (January 2026): One of four missions voted by players: Detective, Package Delivery, Photography and Adrenalin. New cars including the return of Pagani. New Solar Pass and Live events.
• Season 7 (April 2026): Official Racing Centers, Asian vehicles, enhanced Solar Pass and Live Events.
• Season 8 (July 2026): Houses, real estate, enhanced Solar Pass and Live Events.
• Car selling: TBA
• New customisation options: TBA
• Brand collaborations including Prima and Michelin: TBA
• Motorcycles: Still planned, but not expected in Year 2.
• Crossplay and cross-region planned – cross-region is “a priority over crossplay.”
• Offline mode will be added “likely at the end of the game’s life.”