BODY: Crazy in a taxi is going online. Sega has confirmed a Closed Network Test (CNT) for Crazy Taxi: World Tour, the long-awaited revival of its arcade driving-action franchise, and it comes with a franchise first: online multiplayer.
The test runs from September 12 to 14, 2026, with player recruitment having opened on July 29. Applications are being accepted through September 1, giving fans a few weeks to throw their hat in for a chance to tear through the streets before anyone else. Slots are limited, as is standard for closed tests, so approval isn't guaranteed for everyone who signs up.
The CNT is the first hands-on opportunity to experience the game's headline new feature — online multiplayer, something no previous Crazy Taxi title has offered. The franchise built its name on frantic solo fare-hunting set to a punk-and-ska soundtrack, so folding in competitive or cooperative online play marks a major shift in direction for the series.
Crazy Taxi: World Tour is slated for a 2027 launch across a broad slate of platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and PC via Steam. It's one of the flagship titles in Sega's ongoing push to revive its dormant legacy IP.
The insider take
Sega has been loudly telegraphing a "Super Game" revival strategy for years, and Crazy Taxi was among the first classics it named for the treatment. Running a network test more than a year ahead of a 2027 release signals real caution — Sega knows the fanbase is protective of the original's arcade purity, and bolting on always-online multiplayer is the kind of change that could either energize the community or spark backlash. Getting players in early to stress-test the servers and the multiplayer concept is a smart hedge, and the multi-platform, day-one PC approach shows Sega is treating this as a global tentpole rather than a nostalgia footnote.
Originally reported by GAME Watch (Japanese).