It’s been over two decades since a brand-new Crazy Taxi game, and the arcade racer looks set to return in a big way. Alongside revamped visuals, a series-first multiplayer experience, and new international maps, Crazy Taxi: World Tour will also take players to its birthplace, Japan, as announced (rather aptly) at Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2026.
Drawing on the real world, the setting features iconic attractions around Tokyo, including the Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower, and Mt. Fuji. Various landmarks, such as the ramen chain Ichiran, the crab-speciality restaurant Kani Doraku, and the Shibuya 109 department store, appear along the route, with Japanese scenery, quirky passengers, and local activities rounding out the experience.
The Japan map is the third addition to the story mode after Germany and San Francisco, and it naturally pays homage to Sega, which develops and publishes the franchise, by teasing a glimpse of a bright blue storefront. The remaining three of six maps have yet to be revealed.
Crazy Taxi: World Tour follows protagonist Axel as he journeys across stages inspired by real-life cities and can support up to six players in both co-op and competitive play. Previously billed as a triple-A title, it will drift its way to Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch 2 sometime in 2027. It won’t be the only revival project in store, as a film based on the series is in the works at Netflix, joining a Sonic the Hedgehog and Stranger Than Heaven big-screen adaptation.
In Crazy Taxi, players control a taxi driver who speeds through the city to drop passengers off at their destinations, performing stunts along the way to score points. The console version debuted in 2000 for the Sega Dreamcast and became a hit, spawning ports for other platforms including PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and PC, as well as sequels and spinoffs. Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller, released in 2002, was the last mainline entry.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Joey Leong
