SEGA has officially unveiled Crazy Taxi: World Tour at the Xbox Games Showcase 2026. Arriving in 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, the game features a story-driven campaign across five cities, classic Arcade Mode, cross-platform multiplayer, and vehicle customisation.
SEGA revealed Crazy Taxi: World Tour during the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 on 7 June 2026, confirming the series’ return after more than two decades without a mainline entry. The last major console release, Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller, shipped in 2002 as an Xbox exclusive. World Tour is set to launch in 2027 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. Original series creator Kenji Kanno is leading the project as creative producer, with development handled by SEGA’s Sapporo Studio using Unreal Engine.
What the Announcement Trailer Showed
The reveal trailer opened with The Offspring’s iconic track “All I Want,” instantly signalling to long-time fans that the spirit of the original has not been lost. The footage showcased series protagonist Axel tearing through a familiar West Coast cityscape unmistakably modelled after San Francisco, the setting of the 1999 arcade original. A mix of CGI and in-game footage featured passengers fishing for sharks from the back of the taxi, balancing towers of pizza, and playing air guitar mid-ride, hinting at the variety of mission types beyond traditional passenger delivery.
The trailer concluded with a mysterious new driver inviting Axel to grab his passport, teasing the globetrotting adventure that defines the World Tour subtitle. Platforms and a 2027 release window were confirmed on screen.
A Story-Driven Campaign for the First Time
Crazy Taxi: World Tour introduces a full narrative campaign to the franchise for the first time. Players take on the role of Axel as he pursues a group of masked international car thieves who have stolen his beloved taxi. The story spans five distinct cities around the globe, each with unique terrain, environments, and mission sets. SEGA has not yet disclosed which real-world locations inspired the five cities, though the familiar San Francisco map is confirmed as one of them.
Kenji Kanno explained during a Summer Game Fest hands-off demo that the team wanted to build a world where characters speak, have backstories, and interact with players in ways the arcade era simply could not support. The goal, according to Kanno, was to retain the positivity and energy of the original while leveraging modern technology for deeper world-building.
Gameplay: Open-World Arcade Driving on a Global Scale
The core driving mechanics remain faithful to the original: drifting, dashing, high-speed passenger delivery, and the signature physics that send cars flying on impact. The key difference is scale. World Tour adopts an open-world structure with dense, populated environments packed with pedestrians, traffic, and destructible objects.
Key gameplay features confirmed by SEGA and previewing journalists include:
- Extreme Driving: Outrageous drifts, massive air time, and high-speed runs across five cities while delivering passengers and completing varied missions.
- Side Missions and Odd Jobs: Pizza delivery, fishing from the taxi, time attacks, one-on-one races, and other activities discovered organically while free-roaming.
- Vehicle Customisation: A wide range of unlockable vehicles and personalisation options.
- “Off the Clock” Mode: The ability to opt out of any spontaneous activity and continue free-roaming without interruption.
- Time-of-Day Settings: Each driving region offers four time variations, including night driving.
Engadget’s hands-off preview described the game as a more vibrant open world than the original, with roads crowded with traffic and pedestrians at all times. Kanno reportedly emphasised that the game respects individual playstyles rather than enforcing a single “correct” way to drive.
Classic Arcade Mode Returns
For purists, SEGA has confirmed the inclusion of a traditional Arcade Mode. This recreates the original Crazy Taxi experience: a frantic race against the clock to deliver as many passengers as possible and earn the highest fare total. It is designed as a standalone mode alongside the main campaign, giving players the option to jump straight into the classic formula without engaging with the story.
Cross-Platform Multiplayer
Crazy Taxi: World Tour will feature online multiplayer with cross-platform support, allowing players on PS5, Xbox, PC, and Switch 2 to compete against each other. SEGA describes “multiple action-packed multiplayer modes” but has not yet detailed specific game types. The title is also confirmed as an Xbox Play Anywhere game, meaning a single purchase covers both Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC.
The Generative AI Disclosure Controversy
Shortly after the reveal, attention turned to an AI Generated Content Disclosure on the game’s Steam page. SEGA stated: “We utilize generative AI as a support tool for developers, aiming to provide better content to our users and enable developers to focus more on creative tasks. We have used such generative AI support tools during development of Crazy Taxi: World Tour. No AI was used in reference to the performers in the game.”
Kenji Kanno addressed the backlash in an interview with Kotaku, clarifying that artists generated reference images using AI tools and then drew the actual assets themselves. He stated that everything in the game, from programming to final art assets, is made by humans. SEGA separately confirmed to outlets that generative AI was “used to support” teams during the development of background assets, and that all generated material was reviewed by the development team before inclusion.
The disclosure sparked debate among fans, especially given the broader industry tension around AI use in game development. Studios such as Larian (Baldur’s Gate 3) have reversed course on AI use after community pushback, while publishers like Ubisoft and Krafton have openly adopted the technology.
SEGA’s Classic IP Revival Strategy
Crazy Taxi: World Tour is part of a broader strategy SEGA announced at The Game Awards 2023, when the publisher confirmed revivals of five classic franchises: Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, and Shinobi. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance was the first to ship and received critical reviews in 2025. World Tour represents the second major release from this initiative.
The original Crazy Taxi launched as a coin-op arcade game in 1999 before becoming a Dreamcast hit in 2000, eventually ranking as the third best-selling game on the console in the United States. The franchise spawned sequels, ports, and a 2017 mobile title (Crazy Taxi Tycoon), but no true mainline entry since Crazy Taxi 3 in 2002. That makes World Tour the first major Crazy Taxi console game in 25 years.
Platforms, Features, and What We Know So Far
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Release Window | 2027 (exact date TBA) |
| Platforms | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC (Steam, Microsoft Store) |
| Developer | SEGA Sapporo Studio |
| Engine | Unreal Engine |
| Creative Producer | Kenji Kanno (original series creator) |
| Genre | Action, Adventure, Racing |
| Multiplayer | Cross-platform online multiplayer |
| Xbox Play Anywhere | Yes |
| DRM (PC) | Denuvo Anti-Tampering |
| Supported Languages | 16 (including English, French, German full audio) |
The game can currently be wishlisted on Xbox, Steam, and PlayStation 5. System requirements beyond a Windows 11 OS requirement remain listed as “TBD” on the Steam page.
Things Players Are Curious About
Is Crazy Taxi: World Tour an always-online game?
No. The game includes a single-player story campaign, a classic Arcade Mode, and online multiplayer as separate components. While SEGA initially described the project as a “large-scale, open-world, massively multiplayer driving game” during early development, the final reveal places clear emphasis on solo play alongside multiplayer options.
Are original characters returning beyond Axel?
Axel is the confirmed protagonist. The trailer features new characters, but SEGA has not yet confirmed whether original roster members such as Gena, B.D. Joe, or Gus will appear. More details are expected closer to launch.
Will The Offspring’s music be in the full game?
Yes. “All I Want” appeared in both the announcement trailer and the Summer Game Fest trailer, confirming its inclusion. The track has been synonymous with the franchise since 1999, and its return was one of the most celebrated elements of the reveal.
Does the PC version use Denuvo?
Yes. The Steam page lists Denuvo Anti-Tampering as a third-party DRM requirement. This has been a divisive topic among PC players for years, and the inclusion has already drawn attention from the community.
Which cities will feature in the World Tour?
SEGA has confirmed five cities but has not disclosed the full list. San Francisco (the West Coast setting of the original game) is one of them. Kanno mentioned at the demo event that the cities span “several continents,” suggesting a genuinely global spread. Specific locations remain under wraps for marketing reasons.
Crazy Taxi: World Tour is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated revivals of a classic gaming franchise. With the original creator at the helm, a genuine story mode, and cross-platform multiplayer, the 2027 launch window gives SEGA time to deliver on the promise of bringing Crazy Taxi into the modern era. Expect more details to surface throughout the rest of 2026 and into 2027.
