Ubisoft is finally delivering on a long-awaited promise: an offline mode for The Crew 2. But before you start revving your engines for a fully solo racing experience, temper your expectations — this playtest won’t include all the features you’re used to from the always-online game.
Announced in a short update video by producer Gregory Corgie, the offline mode playtest kicks off on April 30th, but not everyone will get in. According to Corgie, access will depend on your system setup and past involvement with the game’s community. The playtest will use a separate save file, so your main progress is safe.
This move follows last year’s announcement that both The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest would receive offline support — a decision many saw as a response to backlash over the original The Crew being shut down entirely, which even led to an ongoing lawsuit. Players argued they lost access to a game they paid for, while Ubisoft maintained they had only purchased a license to use it. The legal dispute continues.
As for The Crew 2, Ubisoft isn’t rushing a full offline release. The current plan is to launch a hybrid mode later this year, letting players toggle between online and offline play. Given that the game was initially built with a permanent online requirement, the devs want to ensure offline play is rock-solid before rolling it out widely.
Unsurprisingly, features that require online connectivity — like multiplayer — won’t be available offline. While this might seem obvious, Ubisoft still plans to release a detailed breakdown of what will and won’t be included in the offline experience.
The update is encouraging, even if it’s a long time coming. Whether this move will have any bearing on Ubisoft's legal battles remains to be seen, but for players who just want to tear through the wilderness solo — dirtbike versus dune buggy — the wait is nearly over.
🔥 Interesting Facts About The Crew 2
1. It's Not Just Cars — You Can Fly and Sail Too!
Unlike most racing games, The Crew 2 lets you switch seamlessly between cars, boats, and planes. You can literally be driving a hypercar on the freeway, then launch into the air with a stunt plane or race downriver in a powerboat — all within seconds.
2. The Entire U.S. is Your Playground
The game features a miniaturized but massive version of the United States, with real cities like New York, Miami, and San Francisco, plus landmarks like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. It’s not 1:1 scale, but it’s impressively detailed and diverse.
3. Instant Vehicle Swap is a Game-Changer
The “Fast-Fav” system allows you to instantly switch vehicles on the fly. Flying over a lake? Swap to a boat mid-air. Racing through a city? Drop into a car instantly. It’s a smooth, arcade-style experience that’s super satisfying.
4. It Has Real-World Vehicle Brands
You can drive licensed vehicles from top-tier brands like Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Harley-Davidson, Red Bull, BMW, and more. It’s a gearhead’s dream with hundreds of customizable vehicles.
5. It's Not Just About Racing
The game has four main disciplines: Street Racing, Off-Road, Freestyle, and Pro Racing. Each comes with its own vehicles, events, and subcultures. You can go from drifting in neon-lit streets to motocross stunts or jet sprint races in the swamps.
6. Regular Free Updates and Expansions
Since launch, The Crew 2 has received numerous free updates, adding new vehicles, events, live summits, and seasonal themes. Ubisoft has kept it alive with a “Games as a Service” model, keeping players coming back.
7. There's a Storyline, Kind Of
While it’s mostly known for open-world freedom, The Crew 2 does have a light narrative — you're rising through the ranks of motorsports fame, collecting followers instead of fans, adding a bit of a social media twist to the career progression.
8. Massive Multiplayer Mayhem
Online lobbies can host up to 8 players in free roam, but competitive modes and events are even more packed. From PvP races to weekly Live Summits, it’s a social racing playground (though the upcoming offline mode might change that vibe a bit).
9. Built on Ubisoft’s Ivory Tower Engine
The game was developed by Ivory Tower, a Ubisoft studio based in Lyon, France. They built their own custom engine to support the massive, seamless open-world and multi-vehicle gameplay.
10. It Had a Rough Start, but Grew Over Time
When it first launched in 2018, The Crew 2 had mixed reviews due to a lack of depth. But thanks to years of updates and community feedback, it has evolved into one of the most diverse and replayable racing games out there.
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