American motorsport giant NASCAR has officially arrived in the Fortnite ecosystem with the release of a new Rocket Racing track inspired by the real-life annual Chicago Street Race.
Created by the UK metaverse marketing firm Karta, the course allows players to race their existing Fortnite vehicles against others in online multiplayer or solo in intense time trials.
The track features multiple routes and various obstacles to master, all set against a recreation of Chicago’s city streets. It’s a pretty big departure from the themes of most existing Rocket Racing maps, which tend to lean much more toward fantasy.
The Chicago Street Race isn’t the only event coming to the Fortnite ecosystem too, as NASCAR aims to become a permanent fixture in Rocket Racing through the addition of new tracks, events, and venues. Nick Rend, the managing director of resorts and gaming at NASCAR, described how “NASCAR has always been about pushing boundaries and connecting with fans in exciting ways.”
“Fortnite provides the perfect platform to engage a global audience,” he continued, “blending the intensity of NASCAR racing with the immersive world of Fortnite. Karta, with their incredible creativity, attention to detail, and innovative approach, were the perfect partners to help us bring this vision to life. We wanted to build something with longevity for both diehard NASCAR enthusiasts and the wider Fortnite community and we think we have succeeded with just that.”
Regarding the partnership between NASCAR and Karta, Karta CEO Erik Londré added that “working with an icon of motorsports like NASCAR has been a dream come true. Our goal was to capture the essence of NASCAR racing, the speed, the strategy, the adrenaline, and inject it with a dose of Fortnite fun. The result is something truly special – a high-octane, visually stunning racing experience that we know players will love.”
If you’re interested in trying the course out for yourself, Rocket Racing is available now as part of Fortnite on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, and Amazon Luna.
