Crash Team Racing Getting Microtransactions and Free New Prehistoric Content

Today, Activision and Beenox announced the next Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Grand Prix event, Back N. Time, which will kick off on August 2 7:00 a.m. PDT for all platforms (PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch). Like the previous Grand Pix, this one and the content it brings is 100 percent free. And to accompany the announcement, the pair have also revealed a brand-new trailer providing players a glimpse of the new content in action.

"With the Back N. Time Grand Prix, N. Tropy's time-bending staff has thrown Crash and the gang back to the days when dinosaurs roamed the land – and they soon find out things looked much more… fake… back in these Prehistoric times," reads an official pitch. "As with the first, this Grand Prix season will come with new characters, skins, karts, customization items, and of course, a new track. After the start of the Grand Prix, all players should have to do is boot up the game, download the game update (which starts automatically in most cases), and they're ready to jump in!"

As for the new content, it's lead by a new track, Prehistoric Playground, which will immerse racers in an epic world with Jurassic-sized flora, violent geysers, caves, big ol' dinos, and a tribe of Fake Crashes. Yes, you read that right: a tribe of Fake Crashes.

The new Grand Prix will also come packing new rewards that players can earn by completing challenges and filling their Nitro Gauge. These items -- there's 18 in total -- include new racers, new karts, and much more.

And there's even more items in the Pit Stop, which is the game's store that you use your Wumpa Coins at. And this where the micortransactions come into play

"Starting in early August, players will have the option to purchase Wumpa Coin bundles from their game console stores to supplement the Coins they earn by playing," writes Activision. "This option won't change the game's core mechanics – players will still earn Wumpa Coins by playing the game in any mode, just as before. They will just able to purchase additional coins if they choose."

Of course, it remains to be seen if the distribution of Wumpa Coins now slows down. Whatever the case, it's a bit sketchy to add this after reviews for the title have all already gone up.

Anyway, for more details and media on all the new content and features, click here. Meanwhile, if you haven't already, also be sure to peep our official review of the game.

"Back in 1999, I played Crash Team Racing for hours on end with my older brother. 20 years later, I'm enjoying it just as much. Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled is just like the game I fondly remember, except a whole lot better to look at it and there's some new content sprinkled in that ensures it's not simply a zany, nostalgia-fueled trip of deja vu."