Sega has opened recruitment for the first closed network test, or CNT, for Crazy Taxi: World Tour. This is the first public-facing test for the game’s online multiplayer side, not a broad early look at the whole 2027 release. Applications opened on July 29, 2026, and the test itself is scheduled for September 12, 2026 at 9:00 JST through September 14, 2026 at 9:00 JST. Sega is also drawing a careful line around where this build will be playable. The CNT is limited to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PC via Steam, and PlayStation 5. Nintendo Switch 2 is on the full release platform list, but it is not part of this test.
What Sega Just Opened for Testing
The main point of this announcement is technical, but it still says a lot about what Sega wants to prove first. On the official CNT page, the company says this build exists to verify multiplayer stability ahead of launch. That gives the whole rollout a narrower shape than the usual preview event. Sega is not presenting the CNT as an early-access launch or a polished demo of every major feature. It is a development build, and the company explicitly warns that players may run into bugs or unstable behavior during the test period.
That framing matters because Crazy Taxi: World Tour is carrying a bigger structural shift than an ordinary nostalgia revival. On the broader official game site, Sega describes the project as a full new entry with a story mode that moves through world-inspired city maps, alongside online multiplayer that supports co-op and versus play for up to six players. The CNT is not throwing all of that open at once. It is carving out the online portion first and seeing how that part behaves under real player traffic.
Even the wording helps set expectations. Sega calls this a closed network test, not a beta, and that label fits what is actually being offered. The appeal here is not only that people get to touch a new Crazy Taxi. It is that the series is finally moving into a structured online multiplayer test with named modes, ranked play, and platform-specific application routes. For a franchise long tied to fast solo arcade runs, that is a meaningful change in how the game wants to live.
Exact CNT Dates, Platforms, and How to Apply
Recruitment is already live, and Sega says applications stay open through September 1, 2026 at 15:59 JST. The test window itself runs from September 12, 2026 at 9:00 JST to September 14, 2026 at 9:00 JST. Those are the dates that matter right now, and the announcement is unusually clear about them.
The platform list also needs to be read literally. For the CNT, Sega names Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PC via Steam, and PlayStation 5. That is the entire test list. Nintendo Switch 2 is not named as a CNT platform. Instead, Sega only mentions Switch 2 when describing the planned platform lineup for the finished game. That distinction is easy to blur in a quick repost, but it is one of the most important details in the announcement. The test is four-platform. The planned product release is broader.
The application flow is simple on paper. Sega says players first need a SEGA Account, then they must connect that account through the platform-specific CNT recruitment page. The official CNT page also notes that selected participants may come through a mix of ordinary lottery and other methods, including priority participation rights tied to activity in the official Crazy Taxi Discord. Sega lists Japanese and English as supported languages for the test, and the CNT page also posts PC minimum and recommended specifications for people applying through the PC route.
What Players Can Actually Try in the Test
The CNT content list is more concrete than the average early multiplayer announcement. Sega says players will be able to try two online multiplayer modes, two maps, six vehicles, four playable characters, and part of the vehicle customization feature set. That is still a restricted slice of the game, but it is enough to show what kind of chaos Sega wants the online side to deliver.
The two named modes give the clearest picture. Pickup Race is built around the classic Crazy Taxi instinct of getting passengers to their destinations as fast as possible. Police Chase shifts the structure into a team battle, splitting players between a taxi side and a police side. Sega says both modes can be played either as ranked matches, where players face others near their rank, or as custom matches with player-set rules. That suggests Sega is testing both competitive balance and the elasticity of the ruleset at the same time.
There is also a quiet bit of reassurance in how the announcement handles the rest of the project. Sega is not treating online play like a side gimmick bolted onto a legacy name. The official site still presents World Tour as a full new game with a story mode, but the CNT shows that the online half is substantial enough to need its own early stress test. That does not mean the full release is suddenly becoming multiplayer-first in every respect. It does mean Sega thinks the online layer is central enough to warrant a carefully staged public trial before launch.
FAQ
When does the Crazy Taxi: World Tour closed network test run?
The CNT is scheduled for September 12, 2026 at 9:00 JST through September 14, 2026 at 9:00 JST.
Which platforms are included in the Crazy Taxi: World Tour CNT?
Sega lists Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PC via Steam, and PlayStation 5 for the test.
Is Nintendo Switch 2 part of the Crazy Taxi: World Tour test?
No. Nintendo Switch 2 is part of the planned full release platform lineup, but Sega does not list it as a CNT platform.
