Ubisoft's launch of The Crew 2 in 2018 didn't exactly shake up the genre. Developed by Ubisoft's Ivory Tower studio, it served as valuable experience for a growing team working to become a AAA racing game developer. The open-world racing title did show promise, of course, leading many to look forward to Ubisoft Ivory Tower's next game. A recent leak may have offered a first look at exactly what that project is, with screenshots revealing the title The Crew 2: Orlando.
The screenshots for The Crew 2: Orlando are said to have been datamined from The Crew 2 and are odd, to say the least. For one, Orlando appears to be a codename rather than a location, as the screenshots show it taking place either in Hawaii or on a fictional island off the west coast of the United States. There are also logos for both a "Massive Race" and a "Live All Star," both of which could refer to a 100-player Crew vs. Crew race involving swapping vehicles like a racing game triathlon/battle royale.
Here's where things get interesting. One of the screenshots shows the title The Crew 2: Orlando along with a flag saying "FREE," implying this could be DLC for The Crew 2. However, leaker Tom Henderson has since offered some insight into what they've heard about the project. Henderson says Project Orland isn't actually DLC, but rather a project currently dubbed The Crew: Orlando. It's an entirely new racing game built on a new driving engine.
Henderson doesn't elaborate on what he's heard, unfortunately. It's possible that Orlando was once planned to be free DLC for The Crew 2 and has since been expanded to be a full project. In other words, the leaked screenshots aren't representative at all of what The Crew: Orlando might be anymore.
What Henderson does apparently know is that The Crew: Orlando is currently actively in development at Ubisoft's Ivory Tower studio. It's still in pre-alpha, however, meaning there's still a lot of work left to be done. As such, Henderson says that there's no set release date for the open-world racing game.
It bears repeating that a new The Crew game has not been announced by Ubisoft up to this point. The leaks, as well as Henderson's reporting, are not necessarily confirmation. They could be inaccurate, could have misconstrued the details, or Ubisoft's plans could have changed. And if The Crew: Orlando exists, it may be some time before Ubisoft makes an official announcement.
The Crew: Orlando is rumored to currently be in development.