JDM: Japanese Drift Master – New Video Showcases Campaign and Core Gameplay [Press Release]
Warsaw, 29 of April 2025 – Get ready to hit the streets of Guntama once again, as the team behind JDM: Japanese Drift Master releases a brand-new gameplay video showcasing never-before-seen footage from the story campaign and shedding light on the core gameplay loop awaiting players on May 21.
This video offers a raw and unfiltered look at one of the most anticipated aspects of the game: what playing JDM will actually feel like from minute to minute. Captured directly from the end of Chapter 01, the footage features protagonist Touma in a tense showdown with his rival, Scorpion.
In JDM: Japanese Drift Master, players step into the shoes of Touma, a Polish drifter who relocates to Japan in search of redemption and a fresh start. With help from new friends, Touma rises through the underground racing scene, earning street cred through gripping races, stylish drifts, and personal rivalries.
The story unfolds through a blend of open-world exploration and mission-based events. Players begin each session in the garage and are free to cruise the sprawling streets of fictional Guntama Prefecture. Main missions are marked on the map and can be activated at any time, kicking off with stylized manga panels that transition into high-stakes racing gameplay.
Campaign Highlights:
Drift, Grip and Drag Events: Compete in drifting showdowns where style reigns supreme, or go full throttle in grip races focused on speed.
Dynamic Objectives: Some races require both flair and speed—players will need to adapt.
Diverse Challenges: From making sushi deliveries to getting chased by enemies, story events go beyond traditional racing.
Freedom of Exploration: Between missions, explore the vibrant open world of Guntama at your own pace.
This marks the third in a series of deep-dive videos from the developers. Previous videos explored two critical components of gameplay.
Whether you're a fan of fine-tuning your car for the perfect slide or a straight-line speed demon, JDM is revving up to offer a uniquely stylized and immersive drifting experience unlike anything else on the road.
JDM: Japanese Drift Master launches on May 21. Stay tuned for more updates and get ready to burn rubber in the streets of Japan.
About JDM: Japanese Drift Master
An engaging story
You will follow the story of Touma, a Polish driver who dreams of making a name for himself on the local street racing scene. With some help from his Japanese friends, he dives deep into the competition but quickly learns that fierce rivals are standing in his way. Will he manage to reach the top? Drama, action, and even love await the players.
The story in JDM: Japanese Drift Master is told through in-game events and a manga (Japanese comic book), meticulously drawn by our internal art team. Each time the player takes part in an event, pages of the comic book will lead them in or build up the narrative for what's next to come.
Licensed Cars
There can't be a racing game, without beautiful and fast cars! The players will find fully licensed Nissan, Mazda, Subaru cars at their disposal and we're not done with our announcements yet! Stay tuned for more information in the future.
Each car can be upgraded, both mechanically and visually. From installing a new ECU to adding that over-the-top bōsōzoku exhaust - it's all in the game! Tuning a car is simple and clear and if the players really want to push their cars to the limit, the most advanced parts will unlock fine tuning - every single car in the game can be adjusted to be a grip or drift beast or an all 'rounder if that's the desired preference.
Simcade Experience
JDM: Japanese Drift Master is a simcade racer, with a solid simulation backbone and arcade layers added on top for a fun and enjoyable experience. Expect each car to behave differently on the street, to feel the weight of it when going into a corner or trying to break at a high speed. Driving physics were very important for us from the beginning and we believe we found a perfect balance between fun and challenge coming from driving a car in real life.
We also have good news for simracers and car enthusiasts - we're constantly adding presets for driving wheels and the plethora of simdriving hardware available on the market to the game. We're also building a robust key binding feature, where you will be able to set-up basically anything you have hooked up to your PC, for any hardware that we just didn't have the man-capacity to create a plug and play preset to. It will be available at player's disposal on the day of the game's launch. If you're a controller or a keyboard player, don't fret, the game will be as enjoyable on them as playing on a steering wheel!
JDM: Japanese Drift Master is a single-player, narrative driven, racing experience. Developed on Unreal Engine 5. The game launches on Steam, GoG, and Epic Store on May 21st, 2025, so mark your calendars and dust off your controllers, it's time to conquer the roads of Japan!
