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The fastest way to get oriented in The Crew Motorfest is to complete its introduction, choose one themed Playlist, and then branch into the activities you enjoy. Playlists are compact campaigns built around car cultures and disciplines; they combine events, challenges and rewards. You are not locked into a single “correct” first car or route. Build a varied collection, improve vehicles with Perf Parts, and use exploration, competition, multiplayer and community-created tracks as they become available.
What progression looks like in Motorfest
Motorfest is organized less like one linear racing ladder and more like a set of themed Playlists spread across an open Hawaiian world. Each Playlist presents a distinct motoring identity—such as vintage cars, electric supercars, motorsports, street racing or off-road driving—and mixes races with challenges and rewards. Your first decision is therefore about the kind of driving you want to do, not about selecting a permanently superior car.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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The Crew Motorfest | $27.20 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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The Crew Motorfest - Standard Edition, PlayStation 5 | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Maximum Entertainment 34 Sports Games - World Edition (PS5) | $26.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Ubisoft The Crew Motorfest | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The opening introduction teaches the basic flow. After it, you unlock at least one Playlist and gain access to the game’s wider activity set. From there, progression can mean finishing Playlist events, completing their challenges, exploring in Freedrive, entering competitive or multiplayer activities, collecting and customizing vehicles, or following Mainstage tracks. Seasonal updates can add further locations and systems, so the exact menu and activity count changes over time.
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1. Finish the introduction
Play through the introductory sequence before judging the game’s full range. The extra modes listed by Ubisoft Support become available after the introduction and after you unlock at least one Playlist. Until then, some exploration, multiplayer and community options may not appear as selectable activities.
#1 Best Overall
- Welcome to Motorfest - the ultimate driving experience! Explore the versatile open game world in O'ahu Island in Hawaii and experience fast races, themed events and more!
- With hundreds of legendary vehicles for your collection you have plenty of opportunity to prove your skills and whizz through the streets of Honolulu
- The Motor Party is a constant favorite of automotive culture festivals, where you can test over 600 vehicles alone or with your crew and explore the new gaming world in Hawaii
- Discover the playlists and drive in theme-based promotions that take you to the most fascinating worlds of car culture, such as American muscle cars or Japanese street racing
- Compete in exciting competitions, develop your own style, participate in themed events, collect the most iconic cars, master all the challenges and expand your collection with the legendary vehicles
2. Choose a Playlist that matches your interests
Visit the available Playlist locations and read their themes before committing time. A vintage-focused campaign suits a player who enjoys historic styling; an electric-supercar theme emphasizes a different feel; motorsports and street-racing campaigns provide circuit or urban contexts; and off-road Playlists point you toward dirt, jumps and rougher terrain. The choice affects which events and rewards you see first, but it does not prevent you from playing other Playlists later.
3. Treat the first reward as a tool, not a verdict
Early rewards help you fill gaps in your collection, but no universal “best beginner car” is established for every event. A vehicle that feels excellent in a road race may be a poor fit for an off-road route, and some events impose vehicle or discipline constraints. Keep the required class or activity in mind before spending every upgrade or currency item on one car.
4. Return to the Playlist map between events
Playlists combine races, challenges and rewards rather than presenting only back-to-back races. Check the Playlist’s objectives after each activity, claim available rewards, and note any challenge that can be completed during normal driving. This makes progression more efficient without forcing you into a single route.
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| If you want to… | Start with… | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Follow a guided theme | A Playlist and its events | Events may require a particular vehicle type or discipline. |
| Drive without a race schedule | Freedrive exploration | Some exploration systems arrive with seasonal updates. |
| Race other players | Multiplayer activities and Mainstage tracks | Online requirements vary by platform; Nintendo Switch 2 multiplayer requires Nintendo Switch Online. |
| Build and personalize a collection | Vehicle collection and customization menus | Keep different disciplines represented instead of upgrading only one car. |
| Try player-created content | TrackForge tracks | Community tracks are an additional mode unlocked after the introduction and one Playlist. |
Cars, vehicle limits and Perf Parts
Why a single “best car” answer is misleading
Motorfest covers multiple disciplines, so performance depends on the event. A road-oriented setup, an off-road vehicle and a drift-focused car solve different problems. Event rules can also restrict which vehicles are legal. Before buying or upgrading, open the event details and confirm the eligible vehicle category. If a reward or challenge specifies a vehicle constraint, a high-performing car outside that constraint will not help you complete it.
What Perf Parts do
Perf Parts are vehicle upgrades that improve statistics. They are part of normal progression through activities and rewards. Apply them to cars you expect to use repeatedly, while keeping enough flexibility for events that demand another discipline. The game does not establish one upgrade setup that is fastest for every player, route or vehicle, so treat tuning as an activity-specific decision rather than a universal recipe.
A practical garage strategy
- Keep a general-purpose option. Use a dependable car for ordinary Playlist events while you learn handling and route types.
- Add discipline coverage. Maintain at least one suitable vehicle for the kinds of events you are actively playing, such as street, motorsports or off-road activities.
- Upgrade after checking eligibility. Confirm the next event’s vehicle requirement before assigning scarce Perf Parts.
- Do not dismantle all alternatives. A second car can become useful when a challenge, reward or seasonal activity changes the required category.
- Compare statistics in context. A higher displayed statistic does not automatically make a car better on every surface or route; handling and the event’s discipline still matter.
Playlist progression without a mandatory route
There is no stated requirement to finish every Playlist in a particular order. Use the themed campaigns as separate entry points:
Stay with one theme to learn its discipline
Completing several events in one Playlist can help you learn its vehicle behavior and challenge pattern. This is a useful approach if you prefer a focused campaign or want to understand a car culture before switching contexts.
Switch themes when the activity stops fitting
If a Playlist’s discipline is not enjoyable, move to another. The game’s structure is designed for branching: vintage, electric, motorsports, street and off-road themes offer different goals. Switching also helps you avoid spending all your upgrades on a category you rarely play.
Rank #2
- Explore a vibrant Hawaiian open world. The Crew Motorfest has settled down in one of the most breathtaking places on Earth: the island of O’ahu, Hawaii. Join high-speed street races through the bustling city of Honolulu, test your skills off-road on the ashy slopes of a volcano, or master the perfect curve on the tracks
- Celebrate all the facets of car culture. Enjoy a variety of thrilling driving activities and choose how you want to have fun with your cars! Discover the playlists and dive into thematic campaigns that will immerse you in the most exciting car culture universes, including American muscle, Japanese-style street racing, and legendary machines of the past!
- Collect the most legendary cars. Compete in intense driving races, show off your own style, collect the most iconic cars, and much more! Master every driving challenge and fill your collection with the most legendary vehicles ever created
- Offer available while supplies last. Limited quantities available
Use challenges as side objectives
Challenges can turn a familiar race into a collection or driving task. Read their conditions before starting, because completing one during an event may be more efficient than returning later solely to repeat it.
Track rewards and requirements
Playlist rewards, Mainstage progress and seasonal content can overlap in useful ways, but not every reward is available from every mode. Keep a short list of the vehicle types and activities you still need so that you can choose the next event deliberately.
Exploration and Freedrive
Freedrive is the open-world side of Motorfest. It lets you explore Hawaii outside the immediate structure of a race. Use it to learn roads, locate unfamiliar terrain, test a vehicle’s handling and work through exploration objectives. Exploration is also a way to take a break from event repetition while still becoming familiar with the world.
Seasonal updates can add new exploration layers. In Season 11, which began October 7, 2026, Ubisoft introduced Kauai as an off-road exploration playground, a free Kauai Expedition Playlist, a Winch feature for select vehicles and wildlife photography. The update describes more than 40 species to find in that season’s exploration content. Those features are a dated Season 11 example, not a promise that every future season will use the same systems.
How to use exploration productively
- Drive a vehicle appropriate to the surface you want to learn; an off-road playground is a poor place to evaluate a road-only setup.
- Use open driving to practice braking, turning and throttle control before attempting a difficult Playlist event.
- Check seasonal objectives so that photography or discovery activities can complement your normal route.
- Remember that a named experience may have a separate purchase requirement. The Tomb Raider: Secrets of Niʻihau experience in the Season 11 announcement requires its DLC pack.
Multiplayer, Mainstage and TrackForge
After the introduction and at least one unlocked Playlist, you can branch into multiplayer activities, Mainstage tracks and TrackForge, where players can create or play community tracks. These modes serve different purposes: multiplayer adds competition or cooperation, Mainstage provides an additional progression track, and TrackForge supplies user-created course variety.
Online availability and platform rules matter. On Nintendo Switch 2, multiplayer features require Nintendo Switch Online. The Switch 2 edition does not provide full cross-play, although Ubisoft lists certain shared activities and leaderboards. Do not assume that seeing a friend’s progression on another platform means every race or matchmaking activity is shared.
Co-op Playlist rewards: the rules that matter
Co-op has a specific reward model that is easy to misunderstand. In a co-op Playlist race, only the Crew leader receives the race rewards. A Crew member can still save Playlist progression, but only if that player activated the Playlist by visiting its location in the game before joining the race.
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What Crew members keep
Crew members can keep currency, XP, XP bonuses and Perf Parts earned during the session. These benefits are separate from the race reward that goes to the leader. Loaned vehicles are the exception: a Crew member does not earn Perf Parts for a vehicle that was loaned to them.
Rank #3
- Enter the stadium and take part of one of the biggest competitions across 34 sports: from swimming, soccer, extreme bike, weightlifting, trampoline and much more!
- Defend your own country and visit the World: United States, Australia, Japan, France…
- Train yourself alone or compete with your friends!
- An enhanced version of “30 Sport Games in 1”, with revamped design, new games and more customisation!
Co-op checklist
- Each player should visit and activate the Playlist location they intend to progress.
- Confirm that everyone is using an eligible vehicle for the event.
- Decide who is leading, because the leader receives the race reward.
- Use owned vehicles when possible if a Crew member needs Perf Parts for that vehicle.
- After the race, check each player’s currency, XP, bonuses and Playlist progress separately; the results are not identical for every participant.
Nintendo Switch 2: buying and playing requirements
Ubisoft’s October 7, 2026 Switch 2 article describes that edition as a Game-Key Card. The card requires a download and a persistent internet connection to play, and you need a Ubisoft Account. Multiplayer features additionally require Nintendo Switch Online.
What carries across supported platforms
Progress can carry across supported platforms, but cross-progression is not the same as cross-store purchasing. A purchase made through another platform’s store does not transfer to Switch 2. Check the current edition and regional listing before buying, because contents and availability can vary.
Cross-play limits
The Switch 2 version does not offer full cross-play. Ubisoft lists selected shared activities and leaderboards, so verify whether the particular activity you want to play is included rather than assuming all multiplayer systems are shared.
Controllers and steering wheels
Ubisoft Support lists platform-specific supported controllers and discusses steering-wheel integration. Confirm the exact device and platform on the live support page before purchasing a peripheral; compatibility is not guaranteed simply because a wheel works with another version of the game.
Season 11 as a current example (October 2026)
Season 11 began October 7, 2026. Its headline addition is Kauai, presented as an off-road exploration area. The free Kauai Expedition Playlist gives new and returning players a seasonal campaign, while the Winch feature applies to select vehicles. Wildlife photography adds another exploration objective, with Ubisoft describing more than 40 species to find in the season’s content.
The Tomb Raider: Secrets of Niʻihau experience is different: it requires its DLC pack. Keep that distinction in mind when comparing a free seasonal Playlist with a separately purchased experience. Seasonal counts, available Playlists and feature details can change, so treat October 2026 information as a snapshot rather than a permanent specification.
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Choose by preferred activity
If you want clear objectives, start with a themed Playlist. If you want to learn the map, use Freedrive. If you want social competition, unlock multiplayer and check the platform’s online requirement. If you enjoy experimentation, try TrackForge after it becomes available. You can alternate these modes without abandoning Playlist progress.
Choose by vehicle access
Before selecting a reward or spending Perf Parts, ask whether the next activities accept that vehicle category. A reward is more useful when it fills a gap in your collection or satisfies a known event requirement.
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Choose by platform
On Switch 2, plan for the Game-Key Card download, persistent internet, a Ubisoft Account and Nintendo Switch Online for multiplayer. Also account for the absence of full cross-play and the fact that purchases from another platform’s store do not transfer. On other platforms, consult the current Ubisoft support information for edition-specific requirements.
Common beginner mistakes and fixes
Mistake: searching for one universally best car
Fix: Match the vehicle to the event discipline and keep more than one category available. The game’s mixed Playlist structure makes a universal recommendation unreliable.
Mistake: upgrading before checking the next event
Fix: Read the event’s vehicle constraints first, then apply Perf Parts to a car you can actually use.
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Fix: Have each Crew member activate the Playlist location, identify the leader, and remember that loaned vehicles do not produce Perf Parts for the borrower.
Mistake: treating cross-progression as a license transfer
Fix: Separate saved progress from store entitlements. On Switch 2, another platform’s store purchase does not transfer.
Mistake: buying a peripheral without checking support
Fix: Verify the exact controller or steering wheel and platform in Ubisoft Support before purchase.
Mistake: assuming every seasonal feature is free
Fix: Check each activity’s listing. Season 11’s Kauai Expedition Playlist is free, while the Tomb Raider: Secrets of Niʻihau experience requires its DLC pack.
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Suggested beginner routine
- Complete the introduction.
- Unlock and activate a Playlist that matches your preferred discipline.
- Play several events and read each challenge condition before starting.
- Use earned Perf Parts on an eligible vehicle you expect to drive repeatedly.
- Open Freedrive to learn the surrounding roads and surfaces.
- Unlock and sample multiplayer, Mainstage or TrackForge when available.
- Keep a second vehicle category ready for constrained events.
- Revisit seasonal content, checking whether each experience is included or requires DLC.
What to verify before buying or changing platforms
- The edition and regional availability shown by the current retailer listing.
- Whether your platform requires a persistent internet connection or an online subscription for multiplayer.
- Whether the activity you want supports cross-play on your platform.
- Which progress is shared and which purchases remain tied to a platform store.
- Whether a desired seasonal or crossover experience is included in the base game or requires a pass or DLC.
- Controller and steering-wheel compatibility for your exact platform.
The Bottom Line
Start with the Playlist whose theme interests you, improve vehicles with Perf Parts only after checking event requirements, and branch into Freedrive, multiplayer, Mainstage and TrackForge as they unlock. Motorfest rewards a broad garage and flexible route more than a single supposedly perfect car.
Quick Recap
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