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Everything we know about Grid Legends

Can it trump Forza Horizon 5?

Grid Legends car screenshot
EA

Grid Legends has some big shoes to fill. It is the first notable simulation racing game of 2022, and it’s following up November 2021’s critically acclaimed Forza Horizon 5. On top of that, we’ve learned that it’s launching just ahead of Gran Turismo 7. Can the game live up to the hype? Everything we know about Grid Legends so far suggests that it might.

When is the Grid Legends release date?

EA and Codemasters have announced that Grid Legends will be released on February 25, 2021. That’s actually the same day as FromSoftware’s Elden Ring, one of the most anticipated games of 2022.

Unlike other games like Sifu and Saints Row that moved their release dates away from Elden Ring, Grid Legends still has the potential to do well on that date because it appeals to a very different audience.

Is there a Grid Legends trailer?

Yes, there is! A new trailer for Grid Legends was released on December 3, 2021. It not only revealed the release date but showcased gameplay for the first time and gave us another glimpse at its “Driven to Glory” story mode. You can check out the trailer below:

Are there Grid Legends preorders yet?

Yes, pre-orders are now available for Grid Legends. Those who pre-order will receive the Seneca & Ravenwest Double Pack. This hefty DLC will give players exclusive access to the following cars and customization options:

  • Aston Martin Vantage GT4
  • Porsche 962C
  • Ginetta G55 GT4
  • Koenigsegg Jesko
  • Ravenwest Career events
  • Seneca and Ravenwest team icons
  • Seneca and Ravenwest liveries
  • Seneca and Ravenwest banners

What are the new Grid Legends features?

Grid is a long-running series that has existed since 2008. This is the first new entry since 2019’s soft reboot, titled Grid. This is a traditional racing game, so it does not feature an open-world like Forza Horizon 5. It evolves the formula that the title reestablished, with EA confirming that the game will feature over 100 cars and have full cross-play at launch.

Career mode returns, now featuring 250 events, while Drift and last-car-standing mode Elimination modes also come back after being absent from the 2019 game. As for brand new features, there’s a new Electric Boost racing mode and a race creator that allows players to adjust a race’s cars, weather, time of day, and more.

Grid Legends’ flagship mode is called “Driven to Glory,” which is a narrative-focused story mode with live-action cutscenes starring Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa. It follows several teams as they compete in the fictional Grid World Series. After players finish this story, they can carry progress over into Career mode.

Interestingly, the developers say that “Driven to Glory” uses the Extended Reality technology pioneered by the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian. It’s the first AAA game to do so, so we’ll have to see if this decision pays off, and filming live-action scenes on Extended Reality sets becomes a new tool for live-action video game cutscenes.

Races can get very heated in Grid Legends.

EA

Who is the Grid Legends developer?

Grid Legends is developed by Codemasters, a European game developer that’s handled the series since its inception. Previously, Codemasters developed and published these games on their own. After a bidding war between Electronic Arts and Take-Two in late 2020, EA acquired Codemasters in 2021.

While Grid Legends is technically the second Codemasters game published by EA (F1 2021 was the first), this is the first title that EA has also played a significant part in announcing and promoting. We’ll have to wait and see if EA’s commitment toward Codemasters pays off when Grid Legends launches.

Grid Legends will be released on February 25, 2022.

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