Ubisoft sets The Crew Motorfest Oct. 8

Ubisoft said on July 8 that *The Crew Motorfest* will launch on Nintendo Switch 2 on October 8, adding Nintendo’s new console to the game’s platform list nearly three years after the racer first debuted. The publisher said the Switch 2 version will be sold both at retail and digitally through the Nintendo eShop. Multiple game outlets, including Nintendo Life and Gematsu, reported that the physical release will use Nintendo’s Game-Key Card format. The October 8 date gives Ubisoft a defined fall release for one of its live-service racing titles on Switch 2. Ubisoft’s announcement described *The Crew Motorfest* as a driving game set across the Hawaiian archipelago and positioned the release as a new platform expansion rather than a new installment. The company’s main game page still lists the title’s existing availability on PlayStation, Xbox and PC. (news.ubisoft.com) ### Is this an all-new game or a Switch 2 port of an existing release? *The Crew Motorfest* first launched on September 14, 2023, and Ubisoft is bringing that existing game to Switch 2 rather than announcing a sequel. Ubisoft’s store pages and franchise site continue to market multiple editions and post-launch passes tied to the current game, including Year 2 and Year 3 content. (news.ubisoft.com) Nintendo Life’s report said Ubisoft announced the Switch 2 edition for October 8, 2026. Gematsu separately reported that Ubisoft and developer Ubisoft Ivory Tower were behind the release. ### What exactly did Ubisoft confirm about the release? Ubisoft’s July 8 news post said the game will be available on Nintendo Switch 2 “starting on October 8” in both a physical retail edition and digitally via the Nintendo eShop. (store.ubisoft.com) The company did not, in the material reviewed, spell out pricing or detailed edition breakdowns for Switch 2. (nintendolife.com) Nintendo Life’s write-up matched that date and said the game would be available “digitally and on a Game Key Card.” VGChartz also reported October 8 and said the physical edition would be released as a Game-Key Card. ### What is the catch with the physical edition? Gematsu reported that the physical edition “will ship on a game-key card,” a format that uses a card at retail but requires downloading the software. (news.ubisoft.com) Nintendo Life reported the same format for the Switch 2 version. Ubisoft’s own announcement said only that there would be a physical retail edition, without using the Game-Key Card term in the excerpt surfaced here. (nintendolife.com) Gamespew reported an additional limitation: an online connection will be required to play the game on Switch 2, as on other platforms. That aligns with how Ubisoft has operated *The Crew Motorfest* elsewhere, though the company’s July 8 announcement excerpt did not detail connection requirements. ### Why does this release matter for Ubisoft and Switch 2 owners? (gematsu.com) Nintendo Switch 2 has been adding more third-party titles for the fall, and Ubisoft’s October 8 release gives the platform a large-scale open-world racing game from a major publisher. Ubisoft’s current *Motorfest* pages emphasize continuing seasonal support, which suggests Switch 2 players are joining an already active live game rather than waiting for a separate roadmap. (gamespew.com) Ubisoft’s store also shows the game as an ongoing commercial product with standard, deluxe and higher-priced content bundles on other platforms. The company has not yet, in the materials reviewed, posted a dedicated Switch 2 purchase page with U.S. pricing. ### What should buyers watch for before October 8? October 8, 2026 is the next named milestone: that is when Ubisoft said *The Crew Motorfest* reaches Nintendo Switch 2 at retail and on the Nintendo eShop. (ubisoft.com) Buyers looking for a boxed copy will need to check whether retailers label that version as a Game-Key Card, as reported by Nintendo Life and Gematsu, and whether Ubisoft later publishes pricing and storage details for the Switch 2 edition. (store.ubisoft.com) (news.ubisoft.com)