Grid Legends, the next entry in Codemasters’ touring car racing series, launches Feb. 25 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. A news release on Friday promised a deeper career and a story mode, “Driven to Glory,” putting the player in the middle of a racing drama shot on a mixed-reality set.
Driven to Glory stars Ncuti Gatwa (Netflix’s Sex Education) among an ensemble cast of rivals competing in a fictional grand touring series. After the story’s completion, player progression carries over into the career mode, with more events to enter and a series championship as the goal.
Friday’s statement also emphasized Grid Legends’ multiplayer features. In addition to cross-platform (and cross-generation) play, users will be alerted when friends are online, and they can drop in to an event “in three quick button presses,” Codemasters said. “No more waiting for friend requests and lobbies; select a race, and the action begins almost simultaneously.”
First announced during E3 2021, Grid Legends has more than 100 vehicles in its fleet — from racing semis to open-wheel single-seaters and all-new electric racers, all of which may race against one another in the same event. An Electric Boost event is available for those vehicles; other events include the return of Drift and Elimination events. A robust Race Creator will allow users to set up their own events with whatever conditions, perks, and limitations they prefer.
The most recent game in the series was 2019’s Grid, somewhat lost in the shuffle of a year in which Codemasters also shipped F1 2019 and Dirt Rally 2.0. Despite a mixed critical and commercial reception, Grid did take Gamescom honors for Best Racing Game, as well as nominations in two other awards series.
