Start your engines: ‘CTR: Crash Team Racing’ remaster is probably coming

CTR: Crash Team Racing, Sony’s original answer to Mario Kart, looks to be getting the remaster treatment. PlayStation Access channel manager Hollie Bennett posted a teaser image that tipped off the existence of a CTR revival. The remaster is poised to be announced at The Game Awards.

So….uh….these just arrived at my house.
Any ideas? ???????? pic.twitter.com/x0MRYihWvg

— Hollie Bennett (@HollieB) December 4, 2018

If you’re unconvinced that the dangling dice belong inside Crash’s cart, the official Crash Bandicoot Facebook page also posted the dice and changed its cover photo to a checkered racing flag. Someone has even updated the Crash Team Racing Wikipedia page to note that the remaster will launch in 2019. The 2019 release window is unconfirmed, but it seems likely.

Crash Team Racing originally launched in 1999 on the first PlayStation. Developed by Naughty Dog, the racing game received favorable reviews from critics. Though it wasn’t quite as successful or well-received as Mario Kart 64, Crash Team Racing sold enough copies to enter Sony’s Greatest Hits lineup the following year. A follow-up racer, Crash Nitro Kart, launched in 2003 for numerous platforms, including the ill-fated N-Gage.

The news of a remaster comes after the success of Crash N. Sane Trilogy, which launched in 2017 on PS4 and earlier this year on Xbox One, Switch, and PC. Like the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy, Crash Team Racing was a PlayStation exclusive. It stands to reason that will change with the remaster, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a timed PS4 exclusive.

Perhaps a Crash Team Racing remaster could lead to a proper revival of the racer. Activision has made a habit of mining its history as of late. Spyro Reignited Trilogy, compiling the first three games in the platforming series, recently launched on PS4 and Xbox One.

It will be interesting to see if new content will be added to the remaster. Crash N. Sane Trilogy, although faithful to its roots, featured new challenges and even had free DLC.

We won’t have to wait long to hear the official announcement. Geoff Keighley’s The Game Awards airs December 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET. You can watch the event on Twitch and YouTube. Crash Team Racing probably won’t be the only reveal to debut during the show, so you’ll want to tune in.