The Crew Motorfest’s track creator is “the biggest feature we’ve ever developed in the entire franchise”

Season 8 of The Crew Motorfest is underway, introducing new, long-requested customisation options, including branded wheel rims, 21 additional cars, and two themed playlists that focus on street racing and BMW’s legacy. It’s the first of three seasons planned for the open-world racer’s third year of live service updates.

Next year’s Season 9 update promises to be even more eclectic. Launching in March 2026, the next update will bring remote-control cars and officially licensed NASCAR racing. 

But the biggest surprise is the track creator, teased in last month’s Showcase event. Dubbed ‘Track Forge’, it’s an audacious feature Ubisoft Ivory Tower has been working on for over a year since last summer.  

“It’s the biggest feature we’ve ever developed at Ivory Tower in the entire Crew franchise,” The Crew Motorfest’s Creative Director, Julien Hummer, told Traxion proudly.

Track Forge is reminiscent of Wreckreation’s LiveMix tool and Trackmania. As Ivory Tower demonstrated in a hands-off gameplay session, the editor lets you create traditional tracks or rollercoaster-style circuits elevated above an island.

This island is a new location in Season 9, serving as a backdrop for the track creator, though it’s smaller than the existing Maui and Hawaii maps. Filled with huge jumps, boost pads and loops, the stunt-filled playground appears to be inspired by Forza Horizon 5’s Hot Wheels expansion.

Ivory Tower promises that there will be plenty to discover on the new island, from off-road sections, bridges, and tunnels to realistic racetracks. It should help inspire budding track creators.

Track Forge is a “very deep and powerful system”

After placing a starting grid, you can add individual track pieces that snap together alongside trackside objects like trees and rocks. It’s a simple process, allowing you to create a custom track within minutes.  

“It’s a very deep and powerful system,” Gameplay Director Paul Narducci explained. “It’s designed to let players create something very easily, so you don’t have to spend ten hours to create your first lap.”

For those who want to delve deeper, an advanced selection mode lets you copy and paste elements and add checkpoints for time attacks or races. Other elements, including the time of day and music, can be modified to create a specific ambience. 

There are also “super modules” that enable you to place “signature elements.” Track Forge is so versatile that Ivory Tower claims you can recreate real-world circuits, such as Monaco and Suzuka.

“We have a lot of assets from the open world we created,” Hummer explained, adding that there are “not a lot of limitations” when it comes to creating your dream circuits.

At the press of a button, you can exit the editor and drive around your creation to test it. It’s impressively seamless, with no loading times.

Created tracks can then be uploaded online. By sharing a code, friends can try your creations, while weekly Live Summits will highlight the best community-created circuits similar to how EventLab creations are showcased in Forza Horizon 5’s weekly Festival Playlists. 

While the early build shown was a work in progress, the track creator has enormous potential to breathe new life into the series at a crucial time, with Forza Horizon 6 launching next year.  

By the time it arrives in March 2026, Track Forge will have been in development for nearly two years. It’s an ambitious undertaking, but Ivory Tower is confident it will keep players invested in The Crew Motorfest for the long haul.

“It [Track Forge] was a long time in development,” reflected Ubisoft Ivory Tower’s Managing Director Stéphane Beley. “We wanted to push it early in the life cycle to ensure that players can enjoy it for a long time. It’s a foundation to build on.”