Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Season 1 Includes Audi RS e-tron GT Prize Car

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Season 1 Includes Audi RS e-tron GT Prize Car.jpg
Images: KT Racing / Nacon
Following a delay, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Season 1 is out now, with the new Solar Crown Pass offering in-game rewards including the electrifying Audi RS e-tron GT.

After the first major patch deployed earlier this week, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Season 1 has begun. Originally scheduled to start on 19 September, Season 1 was delayed as KT Racing worked to resolve the ongoing server issues.

Solar Pass​

Season 1 introduces new challenges and prizes to win in the new Solar Pass. There are 25 levels to unlock by entering races. Reaching new levels unlocks rewards, including stickers, rims, emotes, clothing, Solar Coins and an exclusive Board Committee Chief outfit. But the best reward is saved until last.

Reaching the final level 25 unlocks the Audi RS e-tron GT. An electric grand tourer, the RS e-tron GT is Audi’s most powerful production car to date, with two electric motors combining to deliver up to 925 horsepower.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Season 1.jpg


Ranked Seasons and Live Events​

Season 1 also marks Solar Crown’s first ranked season, allowing players to rise the ranks from Bronze to Solar Court. Those who achieve the top Solar Court rank will unlock the 2021 Pininfarina Battista.

The Battista has four electric motors producing an astonishing 1,900 horsepower, enabling it to accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 1.79 seconds. The electric hypercar will be exclusive to Solar Court members in Season 1 but will become available to buy at a dealership for all players after the season ends.

Throughout Season 1, weekly challenges will also start every Wednesday at 8am UTC. The first event celebrates the Citroen 2CV’s 76th anniversary, with three 2CV-themed races to enter. Completing these events will unlock a Stripped Breton Jacket reward.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Season 1 ranked season.jpg


Season 1 will run until 18 December. Following that, Season 2 will see players return to Test Drive Unlimited 2’s Ibiza Town in a free map expansion and bring another Solar Pass with new rewards to unlock. In March 2025, the Solar Pass will increase from 25 to 50 levels, with two cars to unlock instead of one.

In the meantime, KT Racing is working to improve Solar Crown, with more bug fixes expected in future patches. A patch focusing on improving the PS5 version’s performance and graphics quality is also expected soon.

Will you be participating in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Season 1? Let us know in the comments below.
About author
Martin Bigg
Arcade racing addict. Can usually be found causing carnage in Wreckfest and still craving a new Driver and Burnout game. Car movie nerd.

Comments

Does anyone actually care that much about TDU:SC? The always-online requirement has pretty much killed my interest in that game (as in many others).
Indeed. I like KT's games. I don't know why exactly:D but I always enjoyed them. Always online requirement is the only reason I don't even think about buying it. If not that it will be in my library/collection for sure. But I think there are people who accept it (like in a case of GT7).
 
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Indeed. I like KT's games. I don't know why exactly:D but I always enjoyed them. Always online requirement is the only reason I don't even think about buying it. If not that it will be in my library/collection for sure. But I think there are people who accept it (like in a case of GT7).
A developer who never supports his own games. I don't understand how they still exist.
 
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Oh, this is about Test Drive Limited* Solar Crown, so players can play the game for a limited period only...(when the servers are shut down**) unless they release a true 'Unlimited' version that allows for Offline play.
I feel the same as many others in that Online only requirement is only useful to those that have stable internet and the patience to put up with the crap thrown at them by people that have had a hard day at school.

The game itself does sound interesting but the insurmountable hurdle for me is it's just another Online only game, and being an crotchety old man I ain't having it.

*(to online only)
**Albeit that they claim that it's gonna be a long time up
 
Forza Horizon 5 is an awesome game with great graphics, performance, etc. that I pretty much stopped playing because of FOMO events like the weekly reward cars. TDUSC is a new game plagued with graphical and performance issues, please tell me this is not all time limited? Because in that case it's off my wishlist for good.
 
The studio is faster to choose what content to rip from the original release than to do the original release. This attitude certainly builds a special kind of trust in the project that helps a lot when I think if I will buy the game.
 
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so no offline mode and they added a bloody battle pass?

nah I just don't care about this anymore, I'd rather wait for Tokyo Extreme Racer reboot or Night Runners
 
Coz lot of blind ppl buying such software accidents..... thats why they still exist. Unfortunately.
Well, I take it quite personal because I like their WRC and TT games. They progressing since 2015. But to be clear, I don't defend them and any other company. As a customer I buy what I like to. Am I blind? I don't think so. That's why I'm not interested in TDUSC.
I will be glad if you can criticize products not customers (or not generalize). Thanks.
 
Well, I take it quite personal because I like their WRC and TT games. They progressing since 2015. But to be clear, I don't defend them and any other company. As a customer I buy what I like to. Am I blind? I don't think so. That's why I'm not interested in TDUSC.
I will be glad if you can criticize products not customers (or not generalize). Thanks.
Sorry if my statement destroyed your worldview but it was clear since day one that this game will be max an avarage game.
That studio had maybe their peak with the WRC series but even there they had lot of potential and they missed their opprtunity.
Additional to that they didnt cared about their franchise and were focused only to drop every year their same stuff. No continuous support and bugfixing.
In that case i was blind and wasted my money on that (wrc).

So they had their chance but i do not run 2 times in the wrong way....
All the screenshots, videos, presentations and playtests shown exactly this poor state of this game like it is now.
So it was quite early clear that i do not waste money on this game.
And this was a good decision.
 
These mandatory online connection critics all over the place are an exageration ; no other game, and there are a tons of online only games, has received so strong critics on that aspect. Especially considering the devs have stated that the game would be offline at the end of its life cycle, weeks before Ubisoft announced the same for TC2 and TCMF.

The real issue is that the game forces the player to race against other players and to wait the countdown before the race if the grid isn't full or the players not ready. And this causes troubles with the AI as it has to be useful for any player. KT went further in the online feature than the competition although it is a smaller company and this during the Crew1 drama.

I am still surprised by Nacon's blindness since the launch of the game. All the internet has been screaming a huge "No!!!" since the beginning and nothing has been happening. Forcing users to play a game in a way rhey don't like has never worked and will never work. This is a big conception failure in itself, it should have never been approved in the first place. The vision was wrong, a big mistake. This amazing map, one of the the best maps, if not the best one, ever made for a racing game, the great sounds, the solid handling, the promises of more classic TDU features (which should have been there at launch, TDU fans have been definitely disappointed) are not sufficient against this conception issue. They would be largely sufficient if this mistake hadn't been made, this is why I can't understand Nacon and KT's blindless and / or obsession ; they won't win against the players. I assume they have already lost... And I'm not sure they'll be able to support the game.4 or 5 years as planned. It is still time to tell the community that it has been listened to and that players will be able to play alone. That sounds so simple... Another example of irrational management which may leads to failure and jobs destruction. The worst part is that in these French companies, employees can say no to bad top management decisions, through their representative committee, if they put the company in danger. In that case it.would be really userul ; why they stay silent is beyond me. A bad vision is litterally destroying their work of passion, of several years. Another example of submissive attitude, you have the power to do something but you just wait something happens or someone becomes rational by miracle, but it won't happzn.

If someone at KT or Nacon reads this, and for sure there is at least one, just move yourself and act, that's not a videogame, it is reality, it is your job. And it is your responsability to stop this insanity. Ask your representatives to go defend the company's interests (they should already have done that themselves but they are probably waiting like you).
 
Sorry if my statement destroyed your worldview but it was clear since day one that this game will be max an avarage game.
That studio had maybe their peak with the WRC series but even there they had lot of potential and they missed their opprtunity.
Additional to that they didnt cared about their franchise and were focused only to drop every year their same stuff. No continuous support and bugfixing.
In that case i was blind and wasted my money on that (wrc).

So they had their chance but i do not run 2 times in the wrong way....
All the screenshots, videos, presentations and playtests shown exactly this poor state of this game like it is now.
So it was quite early clear that i do not waste money on this game.
And this was a good decision.
You don't destroyed my worldview:)
If you feel the way you described I understand your negativity now. It sounds different for me in the post I answered.
I agree about WRC series even if I bought every second part 6th, 8th and 10th. I don't own Generations but I got WRC9 as a gift. For me they were better than Dirt Rally (1 and 2) and I think Codemasters do the right thing this year and going the same way as sim-racing games (continuous support, adding stuff and bugfixing). Especially when they utilize many assets in their all games year after year for so much time. So at this point I think we would like to see similar approach.
Such franchises like F1 or WRC are not worth full price every year for sure.
The most important is a fact you are fine with your decision. I really appreciate your comment:)
 
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You don't destroyed my worldview:)
If you feel the way you described I understand your negativity now. It sounds different for me in the post I answered.
I agree about WRC series even if I bought every second part 6th, 8th and 10th. I don't own Generations but I got WRC9 as a gift. For me they were better than Dirt Rally (1 and 2) and I think Codemasters do the right thing this year and going the same way as sim-racing games (continuous support, adding stuff and bugfixing). Especially when they utilize many assets in their all games year after year for so much time. So at this point I think we would like to see similar approach.
Such franchises like F1 or WRC are not worth full price every year for sure.
The most important is a fact you are fine with your decision. I really appreciate your comment:)
It fine, sometimes i write with bit of irony so no personal offence. :)

To be clear...i liked TDU 1&2 and had some hope for SC but this is a disappointment at least for me.
The franchise has a big potential but as we can see its in the wrong hands.
Now is too late anyway and i dont trust the promises.

The actual Wrc could be also much better but it was pushed too early.
Buxfixing is not their priority.
EA made also some dumb decissions with anticheat and the desatrous VR.

Anyway. Unfortunately in both cases ive learnt my lesson and in the furture i will even more be critic to such games.
EA and KT dont learn from their mistakes and thats a big problem.
To be honest i dont really care coz there are lot of other games which can be played :)
 
Such franchises like F1 or WRC are not worth full price every year for sure.
To be fair, the WRC games weren't as expensive as the F1 games which were and still are full priced games.

There were many good things in KT's WRCs games indeed. Generetions has a solid career mode and an interesting team management feature. I don't know if was the case in the previous WRC games. But imo the best KT's game was V Rally 4, with various great categories (rally, hillclimb, rallycross, buggy!), an original car list and a clever stage generator, which was just the translation of real life : you got a location with roads, just create a stage using these existing roads.

I expected KT to use this stage generator in TDUSC but no, most probably because of the mandatory online races. I read that you have to redo some events several times to get sufficient XP in order to be competitive in higher level races. Imqgine hiw better it would be with an infinite possibility of races with that generator. That is a huge missed opportunity. And, as The Crew 2 did with the tracks sharing, users could share the generated tracks with the community and race online. And they would do it. If you give the players the will to share, you don't have to force them to play online, they will do it because it's fun to race on new tracks or stages in such a game. Especially because you have to select the right car before the race considering the mix between tarmac and dirt. Why not using a technology you created years ago KT?

Maybe it can't be done with AI competitors, then it is only for hotlapping, or point A to point B (like NFS Most wanted did) and races online. Races online only would mean that in solo you would get the same experience than all other solo players but online, with all these generated tracks, each player would get a different and unique experience. And a unique experience is much more appreciated by customers than a forced experience (which is never appreciated).
 

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