--- title: "New Crazy Taxi Game Sounds Like a Multiplayer Battle Royale for Fares" description: "The reboot will be a \"massive multiplayer driving game,\" according to Sega. A Fortnite-style take on Crazy Taxi could work well, so long as it's done right." date: "2024-07-01" modified: "2024-07-01" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/new-crazy-taxi-game-sounds-like-a-multiplayer-battle-royale-for-fares" categories: - "Culture" - "News" - "Video Games" --- # New Crazy Taxi Game Sounds Like a Multiplayer Battle Royale for Fares ![Screenshot of Sega's new Crazy Taxi game.]() *\Sega via YouTube\* Late last year, Sega confirmed rumors that had been brewing for some time that it was bringing back *[Crazy Taxi]()*, among other classic franchises, in the coming years with a modern twist. On Monday, the publisher [shared a Japanese-language interview]() with the game's development staff that's part peek-behind-the-curtain, part staff-recruitment call. The team behind the new *Crazy Taxi* says its work is still early, but it needs to grow in numbers to achieve the impressive scope it's targeting. That is, the scope of an open-world, "massive multiplayer driving game," per [Sega's job listings](). *Crazy Taxi* was never a multiplayer game in its heyday, at least in the most direct sense. The challenge was improving your own play, and beating your personal best score. Whatever bragging rights the game elicited were mostly constrained to the leaderboard on your local arcade's cabinet. It's clear, however, that the reboot will send cabbies out en masse, in what sounds like a kind of battle royale-style free-for-all for fares. There will be cops prowling the streets too, which is something we'd seen hinted at from the title's earlier footage last year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLQsitFYpg8 Beyond that, the interview doesn't reveal many details, as it mostly consists of surface-level talk of the game's overall vibe, along with some discussion of how young and enthusiastic the dev team at Sega's Sapporo Studio is. Indeed, the group seems to have its head in the right place; a member of the art department talks of the iconic yellow cab (likely the one driven by Axel) leaping into the familiar background of the West Coast with blue water under blue skies, in classic [Sega]() fashion. The city's said to be realistic but also set up "like an amusement park," a fitting descriptor given that classic [*Crazy Taxi* already sent players through amusement parks in cities](). The devs hinted at a variety of game types, and it's not hard to imagine tweaks on the classic *CT* formula for team-based play, or a new mode pitting cops against cabbies. Anytime a beloved game like *Crazy Taxi* is brought back after so many years, fans are likely to be cautiously optimistic. Sega's madcap driving game might not be a household name these days, but it holds a very special place in the hearts of those who sunk hours and hours into it decades ago. *Crazy Taxi* struck that delicate balance of being outrageously addictive and competitive, yet somehow rarely demoralizing. Whether you posted a new leaderboard best or not, it was difficult not to have a blast, drifting and bounding over San Francisco's hilly intersections to a kickass punk soundtrack. ![]() *Crazy Taxi producer Kenji Kanno discusses the new game. *Sega via YouTube** It's perhaps a relief, then, that Sega isn't trying to recreate those games, but better; it's going in an entirely new direction, one that's understandably more modern, and reflects the way people play together today. It's best not to count on the end result being a bona fide success on all fronts (especially not on launch day [if gaming in the 2020s has taught us anything]()), but this *Crazy Taxi* fan is interested to see where Sega takes this long-dormant arcade mainstay. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()