Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is Adding Microtransactions

A new way to pick up coins is coming to Crash's kart racer next month. Starting early August, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled will let racers rack up the in-game currency of Wumpa Coins through either racing or via bundles in platform stores.

In a blog post on Activision's site, developer Beenox went into detail about the changes coming as part of the Back N. Time Grand Prix. As part of the grand prix, CTR's version of a battle pass, new cosmetics, karts, and racers will be arriving in the in-game Pit Stop store. Normally purchasable with earned Wumpa Coins, you'll also be able to buy them in bundles.

"This option won't change the game's core mechanics – players will still earn Wumpa Coins by playing the game in any mode, just as before," Beenox writes. "They will just [be] able to purchase additional coins if they choose."

No indication yet as to how much these coin bundles will cost or what the ratio looks like in dollars-to-cosmetics. The Back N. Time Grand Prix will run from August 2 through 25, and include new challenges and special races alongside the influx of new cosmetics.

Nitro-Fueled is the revamp of kart racing classic Crash Team Racing, and it seems to have been warmly received. In talking with Beenox about revisiting the halcyon days of kart racing, the team was adamant in remaining faithful to the original CTR. Hopefully these new microtransactions are inoffensive at best, because otherwise, the idea of a battle pass-fueled kart racer sounds incredibly appealing, especially compared to Mario Kart 8's baffling lack of post-launch support on the Switch.