KartRider

''Crazyracing KartRider'' () is an online multiplayer kart racing game developed by Nexon. It is part of the '' Crazy Arcade'' franchise. It earns revenue by selling virtual items within the in-game shop, including different types of vehicles and spraypaints. ''KartRider'' features fictitious fantasy vehicles and branded game models based on real-life cars, developed in collaboration with companies such as BMW Korea. The service was shut down in 2023 in South Korea but continues to operate in China.

Gameplay

The game offers a variety of game modes, primarily based around collecting items or requiring the player to drift to gain boost items.

Development and release

The initial South Korean service started on June 1, 2004. Localized releases launched in Mainland China as ''PopKart'' () on March 18, 2006, and Taiwan () on January 4, 2007.

A closed beta for an English release of ''KartRider'' began in America on May 1, 2007, and ended on May 31. The open beta began on October 2 and ended on March 19, 2008. All references to the game were subsequently removed from Nexon America's website without further statement.

Later localizations, which are no longer serviced, were released in Thailand, Vietnam (as ''BoomSpeed''), Russia, Indonesia, and Japan.

The Taiwan release was shut down on January 31, 2023, followed by the South Korean service on March 31, despite noticeable backlash of players. This leaves the Chinese localization the only in operation.

Other versions

Nexon America released a mobile version of ''KartRider'' for the Apple App Store under the name ''KartRider Rush'' on March 11, 2011. This version closed later on as well. A ''KartRider'' client released for Facebook called ''KartRider Dash'' was shut down in April 2014.

In May 2020, ''KartRider Rush+'' was released on Google Play and the iOS App Store, the latter already having provided a Chinese version the year before in 2019.

Reception

''KartRider'' is widely recognized as a game inspired by the '' Mario Kart'' series. Although it was initially criticized for being a rip-off of ''Mario Kart'', Nintendo stated that they want to maintain a constructive relationship with Nexon, just like with other game development companies in Korea.

By 2007, about 25% of South Koreans had played the game at least once. As of 2020, the game has reached a total of over 380 million registered users worldwide on the PC platform, including over half of the Korean population and over 45% of the Taiwanese population.

The mobile version ''KartRider Rush+'' surpassed 10 million downloads globally after its first two weeks of release. It has also topped the Google Play ranking of South Korea.

By 2020, the franchise had grossed over worldwide in lifetime revenue. As of 2021, it had grossed over worldwide.

''KartRider: Drift''

Nexon released an updated cross-platform version under the name ''KartRider: Drift''.

Two closed beta tests were held on December 6-9, 2019 and June 4-10, 2020 for the Windows and Xbox One platforms. The third closed beta test was held between December 9 and 15, 2021, adding PlayStation 4 support. The open beta test (referred to as "Global Racing Test") began on September 1, 2022 and ended on September 6, adding Android and iOS support.

The game was released on January 11, 2023 on Windows, Android, and iOS, and later for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on March 8.

After repeated changes of direction and not meeting player expectations, global and cross-platform service shut down on February 27, 2025. The game remains being serviced on the PC platform in Korea and Taiwan, but will eventually shut down and be replaced by a "KartRider Classic" service.

References

External links

* {{official website, http://kart.nexon.com

''KartRider: Drift'' website

2004 video games
Gamania games
Kart racing video games
Multiplayer online games
Nexon games
Products and services discontinued in 2023
Products and services discontinued in 2025
Racing video games
Video games developed in South Korea
Windows games
Windows-only games