JDM: Japanese Drift Master has been delayed

Maybe it was the mention of it before in the PC release date article, or maybe it’s because I wanted to play a racing game with character, but I recently returned to Need for Speed: Carbon. I guess that will have to do for a bit longer, given the delay we just got earlier this week with JDM. Some of us have been following Gaming Factory and 4Divinity’s upcoming racing/drifting title, JDM: Japanese Drift Masters, for a while now and have seen a couple of setbacks throughout this period, but we were days away from launch.

As announced in a press release earlier this week, “The team at Gaming Factory has made the decision to set a new launch date for JDM: Japanese Drift Master on May 21st, 2025.

From the very beginning, our guiding principle has been quality. Every drift, every car, and every road has been carefully crafted to bring the most immersive open-world drifting experience possible. After careful consideration, we believe that taking extra time for the final polish is the best course of action to deliver a game that meets and exceeds expectations.“

The Steam news post highlighted: “Quality is king. Quality has been the driving factor for us since the project’s inception. Quality remains all that matters to us today.” I can’t, in all good conscience, say that’s a bad thing; it really isn’t. What is “bad” is waiting until two weeks before launch to communicate this, with the last bit of contact being two weeks before this announcement revealing Honda’s partnership and joining JDM for the said release. A month before, brands were still being added, and everything seemed fine – only to go to pot two weeks later.

The press release continues, “We are confident that this additional time will allow us to refine every detail, ensuring a seamless and unforgettable experience from day one. The support, feedback, and enthusiasm of our community have been instrumental in our journey, and we remain committed to making JDM: Japanese Drift Master the best it can be.” Typical PR “everything’s fine!” statements we’ve seen before.

I want to see JDM: Japanese Drift Master release and release well, but it is easy to say as a consumer that this is worrying. Nonetheless, JDM:: Japanese Drift Master will release on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store on May 21st, 2025, providing there are no further late brand additions (I’m joking and poking the bear) and another delay. Realistically, a delay for polish is never a bad thing as long as there is polish with the final product, but we’ll have to wait and see.