Hi Star Drift players and followers! :D

Big news today!

But before going into that, I suggest you to join our Discord channel, since it's pivotal for many initiatives and to stay up to date with the community :D
You can use this link to join: https://discord.gg/gZqM6c9


Star Drift Evolution page is up!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1005400


Past days have been hectic for the team, but... we now have a new steam entry and a release date for Star Drift Evolution: 30/10/2020!

This also means that from now on, the old Star Drift game will no longer be updated and probably at some point be reverted to the old [Legacy] version with islands and police chases. If you own Star Drift and, as promised in the past, want to get your free key for Star Drift Evolution, please contact Desangre (preferably) or Catze via private message on Discord, so you can already participate in the beta leading up to the release on the 30th.

Please note that Star Drift Evolution is the final name of what was called Star Drift 2 and/or Super Star Drift in past communications. We are really excited about this new chapter in the history of the game, and we definitely hope you will enjoy the game!


Demo available

There now also is a small free demo available, where you can play 5 tracks with 5 cars. Just search Star Drift Evolution in the steam store and you should find it.

I've been working on improving Star Drift for over a year now, after it's been released in early 2018. These improvements were originally planned to be released as the so called "Super Star Drift" update, scheduled for late 2018.
However, sometimes things don't go as planned: The update took way longer than expected, real life devoured my time and months passed by quickly... some of you may know this problem :D. And while I made some progress on the game, it seemed to lose its momentum the further it moved away from launch.

Comparing the game we have now to the vanilla launch version, it feels to me that we have a much more polished and enjoyable game. Not only that, the game has also changed in terms of content: If you look back at the original 30 tracks from launch, almost all of them have been improved or replaced by now. The UI has been overhauled, the campaign was changed, customization was extended and new cars and tracks have been added. To some it might appear as an entirely new game.

The question now is, if it's still best to release these changes as an update for Star Drift, or to release a new game instead, creating a new chance for it to be discovered by players. For me it was a hard decision, and I was reluctant to release a new game, thinking it's not fair to "release the same game twice". But over time I understood more and more that a new game would give us the highest chances for the game to gain traction (pun intended :D) and be a success in the end. That's why right now I feel it's better to transform Star Drift into a new game and release it as Star Drift II.

I know that this content has been promised as a "free" update for Star Drift, and the idea here is not punish players who bought Star Drift. Thus I will provide free steam keys for Star Drift II for anyone who bought the original Star Drift. You can join our discord server (Link[www.discord.gg]) and drop a message there, in order to get a key. I will create a channel dedicated to that purpose soon.

Now it's time for me to start preparing the launch of Star Drift II. I hope that this decision is understandable, and again I apologize for the long wait. Also, a big thank you to everyone who stayed around this long and who has helped me on this journey, making the game the best we can. I’ll follow up with more details next week!


Cheers, Catze

In the upcoming weeks, players can test the completely overhauled game, including new features, cars and tracks, while also gathering feedback for the final touches of the game.
There are now exactly 100 tracks, plus new police challenges, new online modes and a new campaign world - it's never been a better time to join the Star Drift community.
If you have suggestions and ideas, feel free to share them in our Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/gZqM6c9

When the Open Beta ends and the Update will be released, all player progress will be reset, so plan accordingly! Thanks!

Some last finishing touches are currently being added to the game, to prepare it for the release of the Big 1.1 Patch.
It features a new Campaign, new Tracks, new Cars, new UI, new Leaderboards to compete with friends, improved Physics and much more.

You can already try out the new features by joining the public Beta which is currently running: Just join our Discord Channel www.discord.gg/7aMVxVn and ask for access to the Beta.

We invite all players to give feedback and make suggestions to ultimately bring Star Drift to a new Level!

Making good progress, most zones are done.

The Star Drift 1.1 Patch will be coming soon and it's gonna be big. Look forward to new and improved Tracks, new Cars, overhauled UI, improved campaign, new Multiplayer Time Trial Mode and much more!

Stay tuned!
Cheers, Catze

New Features:
- added a Handbrake (Spacebar or Gamepad B), it does not really slow you but lowers your rear wheel grip for better U-turns
- you can now press Space / Gamepad Y during Track selection to jump to the Hardcore version
- mapped the Angry Emoji to the left bumper on Xbox 360 Controller
- added a Pause Menu showing the game Options
- added Banner Ad Text customization to the Options Menu

Changes:
- improvements for less erratic countersteering
- made all suspensions softer for a cooler tilting effect during corners
- you now need to crash harder for your driver to go flying
- you can now reset your car on Hardcore
- replaced explosions with less exaggerated metal sparks
- removed AI car names for now until a better implementation is found

Fixes:
- you can now use Emojis in the Campaign
- Player Avatars fixed
- late joiners in Online Multiplayer should no longer spawn inside other player's cars
- cars should no longer stop on the finish line in Online Multiplayer
- Resetting your car in Online Multiplayer now changes your position instantly for all other players

New Features:
- you can now change your Camera angle under Options
- you can now turn collisions on in Online Multiplayer (Beta)
- on Hardcore all Tracks now have a slight variation (different layout, new obstacles, reverse), these new Track variations can also be selected in Multiplayer
- each AI enemy now comes in the form of a specific driver with name, color and unique driving strengths and weaknesses
- added 'The Champ', a rare AI enemy who is very good and rewards a special car when you beat him
- added a new crash animation when crashing very hard
- AI cars now also deform when you crash into them
- the Loading Screen now shows the loading progress
- 8 Emojis are now mapped onto the Xbox 360 D-Pad and Right Stick
- Replay Ghost Cars are now transparent
- added an additional Lap Counter to the top left UI
- added 6 new Achievements
- experimenting with new crowded stands


Changes:
- you no longer take permanent Car damage on Hardcore
- improved Main Menu Intro
- removed weather and car headlight effects when playing on 'very low' quality settings
- turned car headlights off in already bright tracks
- gravity increased for jumps
- Online Multiplayer track selection time increased
- Emoji contrast improved

Fixes:
- fixed falling through the ground on several Tracks
- fixed a bug when ending a local multiplayer tournament, causing the tournament data not to reset
- Gamepad B will no longer immediately leave races
- cars should no longer be floating in the air when selecting a new track in Online Multiplayer