Crazy Taxi World Tour Network Test Sign-Ups Open, But Switch 2 Waits

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Store links: Crazy Taxi: World Tour on Steam

Sega’s early test is multiplayer-first, and Switch 2 is absent

Sega is opening a closed network test for Crazy Taxi: World Tour in September, giving selected players their first playable look at the arcade driving revival before its planned 2027 release. The immediate catch is platform coverage: the full game is announced for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, but the September test is currently described by multiple reports as excluding Switch 2.

According to GamingBolt, applications are open until August 31 at 11:59 PM PT, with the test running from September 11 at 5 PM PT through September 13. Polygon gives the same sign-up deadline and specifies an end time of 5 PM PT on September 13. ResetEra’s captured sign-up wording also lists the deadline as August 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT, or September 1 at 06:59 UTC. Players can register through Sega’s Crazy Taxi: World Tour website for a chance to participate, pending availability.

The test is focused entirely on online play. Sega is using the session to expose Pickup Race and Cops ‘N’ Cabbies, two competitive modes that can be played through Ranked Match or Custom Match, according to Polygon and Push Square. GamingBolt reports that the build includes two maps, six cars, four characters, and no single-player modes or story content. That makes this Crazy Taxi World Tour network test less a nostalgia demo and more a stress test of the new game’s central risk: whether Crazy Taxi’s old score-chasing chaos can survive contact with live multiplayer.

How to sign up for the Crazy Taxi World Tour network test

Players looking for a Crazy Taxi World Tour sign up should go through Sega’s official Crazy Taxi: World Tour page before the August 31 deadline. The test is free, but the available source text describes selection as a chance to participate rather than guaranteed access. In practical terms, registering appears to put players into a pool for the closed network test rather than granting an automatic download.

The scheduled play window is short. Polygon says the network test will run from 5 PM PDT on September 11 to 5 PM PDT on September 13. GamingBolt uses PT for the same start time and says the test continues through September 13. If you are trying to plan around the session, Polygon’s end time is the most precise time listed in the provided sources.

The supported test platforms need careful reading because reports do not phrase them identically. GamingBolt says the closed network test will be available on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, explicitly noting that Switch 2 is not included. Polygon says the test supports cross-play on PlayStation 5, Windows PC via Steam and Xbox, and Xbox Series X. IGN’s trailer listing describes the full game as coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam, with a Closed Network Test launching on September 11. The safest takeaway is that PS5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC are the early test targets, while Nintendo Switch 2 players are currently waiting for the 2027 release unless Sega announces a separate test later.

Sega has not announced a price in the provided materials, and none of the sources describe pre-order access, paid founder access, or a platform-specific upgrade path. This is a closed network test, not an early access launch.

The test build has two modes, two maps, six cars, and four drivers

Sega is keeping the September build narrow. According to Polygon, the network test includes two maps, four characters, and six cars with various tune-up options. Push Square reports that one of the two maps is the already announced West Coast area. IGN’s “Welcome to the West Coast” trailer description says the region includes sandy beaches and scenic views, while Polygon describes it as Crazy Taxi’s version of San Francisco. Push Square also says the trailer shows a San Francisco map familiar to players of the original game.

That location choice is deliberate. The original Crazy Taxi’s identity was inseparable from exaggerated city gradients, readable landmarks, and risky shortcuts that rewarded players who could carry speed without losing control. Sega’s own feature description, quoted by Nintendo Everything when the game was announced for Switch 2, says World Tour will include extreme driving, outrageous drifts, big air, high speeds, five cities, a story-driven World Tour Campaign, unlockable vehicles, customization options, and an Arcade Mode built around earning the most cash against the clock.

None of that single-player structure is playable in September, based on the current reports. Push Square says the story mode planned for the full release will not be included in the closed beta test, and GamingBolt similarly says there are no single-player modes or story content in the network test. That limitation should shape expectations. Anyone selected is testing online systems, vehicle behavior under competitive pressure, matchmaking, and rulesets, not judging the full campaign or final content volume.

Pickup Race translates classic Crazy Taxi into a six-player cash fight

Pickup Race is the cleaner of the two announced multiplayer modes because it follows the old Crazy Taxi loop most directly. Sega’s description, quoted by Push Square and Polygon, says up to six players compete to drop off as many passengers as possible within a set time limit while earning as much money as possible. GamingBolt adds that the player who earns the most cash wins.

For a racing game specialist, the interesting part is that this is not a simple checkpoint race. Classic Crazy Taxi has always been about route selection, speed retention, passenger priority, and controlled recklessness. A multiplayer version turns those decisions into traffic. If six players are fighting for fares, the optimal line is no longer only about the fastest road. It may be about denying a rival’s pickup, choosing a lower-value passenger with a cleaner exit, or banking a safe fare instead of overdriving into a crash.

That creates a different kind of handling demand than a circuit racer. Drift angle, launch recovery, collision response, and map readability become competitive systems rather than visual flair. If World Tour’s cars feel too loose, Pickup Race could become noisy and random. If the physics are too strict, it risks sanding down the arcade snap that made Crazy Taxi work. The network test should give Sega data on whether the mode produces close contests because players are making smart routing decisions, or because the chaos overwhelms the scoring.

Cops ‘N’ Cabbies is the bigger signal for Sega’s revival plan

Cops ‘N’ Cabbies is less fully explained in the available sources, which makes it the more intriguing test case. Push Square quotes Sega’s description as saying players are split into two teams competing against each other. GamingBolt says the mode has two teams and presumes one side plays the cops chasing cab drivers. Polygon describes it differently, saying Cops ‘N’ Cabbies features six players spread across three two-person teams competing against each other, while adding its own assumption that players are outwitting police.

That is a source conflict worth preserving. The shared confirmed point is that Cops ‘N’ Cabbies is a competitive online mode with team structure. The exact team count and role format are less clear from the supplied material, with Push Square and GamingBolt pointing to two teams while Polygon reports three two-person teams. Until Sega’s public mode rules are clearer, players should treat the name and broad competitive setup as confirmed, not the precise tactical format.

The mode matters because it shows Sega is not only recreating the old arcade timer. Nintendo Everything’s announcement text quotes Sega describing “multiple action-packed multiplayer modes” against friends or online competitors around the world and across platforms. Ranked Match and Custom Match support, reported by Polygon, Push Square, and GamingBolt, makes the ambition more explicit. Ranked play implies Sega wants repeatable competition with matchmaking. Custom Match implies the studio expects players to tune lobbies and rules, which is the kind of feature that keeps arcade driving games alive after the novelty lap.

Switch 2 owners are in the launch plan, but not the September test plan

The Switch 2 gap is the practical wrinkle for Nintendo players. Nintendo Everything reported that Sega unveiled Crazy Taxi: World Tour for Nintendo Switch 2 with a 2027 release window. IGN also lists Nintendo Switch 2 among the full game’s target platforms. Polygon likewise says World Tour will be available on Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X when it releases in 2027.

The network test, however, is currently framed around PS5, Xbox, and PC. GamingBolt states this directly by saying the test is on consoles “sans Switch 2” and PC. None of the provided sources announce a Nintendo Switch 2 test client, a later Switch 2 beta, or a reason for the omission.

There are several possible explanations, but they remain unconfirmed. Sega may be prioritizing cross-play infrastructure on platforms where its test pipeline is ready, it may be holding Switch 2 testing for a later certification window, or the September test may simply be scoped to the largest immediate online pool Sega wants to measure. The reported facts stop at the platform list. If you are specifically searching for Crazy Taxi Switch 2 access, the answer is that Switch 2 is announced for the full 2027 release, but it is not included in the September closed network test based on current reporting.

The revival carries promise, controversy, and unanswered performance questions

Crazy Taxi: World Tour arrives after a long quiet period for the franchise. Nintendo Everything notes that Sega had done little with Crazy Taxi in recent years and points back to Crazy Taxi Tycoon, a 2017 mobile title, as the previous release. World Tour is therefore carrying two jobs at once: bring back a recognizable Sega arcade brand and modernize it for cross-platform online play.

The new game has also already faced scrutiny. GamingBolt refers to controversy over the use of generative AI for background assets. Push Square reports that Sega confirmed it used generative AI on some art assets and later said it would replace all of those assets for the final 2027 launch. That context does not change the test dates, but it does affect how some players will read the new trailer, the West Coast map, and the game’s art direction before release.

There are also performance questions Sega has not answered in the provided materials. No source lists target frame rates, resolution modes, PC requirements, Switch 2 performance targets, or whether cross-play can be disabled. For this kind of arcade driving game, those details are not cosmetic. A stable frame rate and predictable input response are central to reading traffic, landing drifts, and correcting after jumps. The closed network test may reveal how the PS5, Xbox, and PC versions behave online, but it will not tell Switch 2 players how their version handles.

For now, the practical advice is simple: sign up before August 31 if you have a supported test platform and want to evaluate the Crazy Taxi multiplayer modes early. Expect a limited online build with Pickup Race, Cops ‘N’ Cabbies, two maps, six cars, four drivers, Ranked Match, and Custom Match. Do not expect the story campaign, the full five-city structure, or a complete verdict on Sega’s new Crazy Taxi game. The September test is a first look at the online chassis, not the finished cab.