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Codemasters on revving up for GRID’s spectacular Season 2
GRID returned with a bang in 2019. Now, Season 2 is dropping to bring even more incredible content, including the legendary Red Bull Ring, to this ace racer. Here’s what you can expect.
GRID's 2019 reboot was a masterclass in reviving a much-loved cult title, returning to the game’s roots to deliver a motorsports game that offered depth and authenticity, while never skimping on the fun. While so many current racers lean into extreme realism and sim-like brutality, GRID is happy for users to choose their patience threshold and opt for either sheer enjoyment, or a more stringent challenge.
GRID’s accessibility and wealth of features saw it become a hit with fans and critics alike, so we’re incredibly excited to see the arrival of a fresh batch of new content, with Season 2 set to roar into view on February 12. But what can we expect from this update and how can we continue ensuring we have the best chance possible of pipping our opponents to the finish line? Mark Green, GRID’s Development Director at Codemasters tells us more.
What's new?
First, exactly what will be included in GRID Season 2?
“We have the Track Day Supercars pack (Ferrari FXX Pro, Brabham BT62, Aston Martin Vulcan AMR Pro, Pagani Zonda Revolucion), available to Ultimate Edition owners, as well as two new bonus cars (Ferrari 599XX Evo, Ford GT Heritage Edition) which are available to all players,” Green says. “Also available to everyone is the Red Bull Ring circuit, which we’re massively excited to bring into GRID! There’ll also be a further expansion to career mode, and plenty of game improvements and optimisations, driven by community feedback.”
The new vehicles on offer in GRID Season 2
© Codemasters
With the extensive career mode one of the many highlights of GRID, we were curious how Season 2 would flesh out an already comprehensive package. According to Green, we can expect another 33 career events for Ultimate Edition players, as well as the option for all players to extend the length of races which, he says, “gives you a new way to experience the main single-player mode.”
When asked to elaborate, Green adds, “It allows players to essentially design the mode around their preferences. On launch, career mode races were purposely short, giving players a whistle-stop tour of our world of motorsport, allowing them to jump between circuits, classes and disciplines very quickly.
“That experience is fun, but what if you’re looking for a career that’s more a marathon instead of a sprint? This new option to extend race lengths allows each career event to feel a bit like a race weekend. Tune your car, make use of the qualifying format, then use strategy and tactics in a gruelling race. It’s a very different way to race.”
He explains that this was addition was a priority, thanks to it becoming a regular request from the outspoken GRID community since the game’s launch. Green explains the team is constantly in touch with GRID players on Discord, the Codemasters Forums, as well as the game’s social channels to see what they’d most like to see added into the game. Having quickly noticed that an option to extend career mode races was a hot topic, this became a must for Season 2.
Community focus
The community input didn’t stop there. “We put a lot of time into chatting with GRID players to see how we can further improve the game, and this new feature is the result of months of organising and planning.” Green continues, “The recent addition of Session Search, which adds public lobbies to multiplayer, was a very similar story.”
Speaking of multiplayer, this is another mode set to hugely benefit from the arrival of Season 2, both thanks to the slew of incredible new cars and the inclusion of the Red Bull Ring, as well as allowing players to create new lobby scenarios and multi-round events with new content. Also, the recent free addition of public lobbies to multiplayer means you can take the new content for a spin online, either by creating a lobby for others to join, or searching out one that’s been created by another player.
Take on the Red Bull Ring
© Codemasters
As for what Green sees as Season 2’s most exciting addition, he says, “All six of the new cars are brilliant, because they add something we’ve wanted to bring to GRID for a while – more road-going monsters that are as adept on the racetrack as they are on the streets.
“However, the Red Bull Ring is the most exciting addition, for me, as it’s a circuit I’ve always been a fan of. RBR has a knack of generating dramatic racing and memorable moments, no matter the discipline of class of racing it hosts. Considering GRID is all about racing variety, the Red Bull Ring is a perfect addition to our list of tracks.”
Finishing line
When speaking with Codemasters, it’d be remiss of us not to ask for some tips to get the edge over our opponents as Season 2 lands. Thankfully, Green is more than willing to help us out:
“Jump into Free Play and set up some casual events that use the new cars and the Red Bull Ring. You can find the new cars in the Invitational section, and then there are three different routes for the Red Bull Ring, as well as loads and weather and time of day options. Use Free Play to get to grips with the new cars, which can be a handful, and the circuit layout. Once you’ve done that, take what you’ve experienced into career and multiplayer and reap the rewards.”
And we’re ready to hit the track just in time, with GRID Season 2 launching on PS4, Xbox One and PC on February 12, while it’ll be arriving on Google Stadia at a slightly later date, to be confirmed very soon. Are you ready to burn some rubber?
