Hyundai Motor has added its CRATER Concept to The Crew Motorfest, the open-world racing game from Ubisoft Ivory Tower. The in-game debut is the latest step in Hyundai’s push to reach younger customers through gaming platforms, and it lands as part of the game’s off-road-themed Season 11 update.
What the CRATER Concept Is
CRATER is a compact off-road electric SUV concept designed at the Hyundai America Technical Center (HATCI) in Irvine, California. It previews where the automaker’s XRT (Xtreme Rugged Terrain) design direction is heading.
XRT is an off-road-focused trim first introduced in the U.S., with XRT and XRT PRO versions offering different levels of rugged styling and capability.
Hyundai plans to extend the range to more models and markets, and it recently unveiled the all-new TUCSON XRT PRO. The CRATER was shaped around exploration, with an emphasis on confidence, control and comfort on rough ground.
Why The Crew Motorfest
Hyundai says the game’s car-culture focus gives players a way to experience a vehicle’s design and performance first-hand.
The Crew franchise has run since 2014, and Motorfest has a strong player base in North America and Europe, built on large real-world-inspired environments and realistic vehicle modelling. Sungwon Jee, Hyundai’s Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer, said customers increasingly meet brands and vehicles inside gaming ecosystems, and that the off-road theme gives Hyundai a chance to show the CRATER and its XRT direction to a global audience. Ubisoft’s Julien Hummer, Creative Director at Ivory Tower, noted that Hyundai is the first Korean automaker to bring a vehicle into Motorfest.
What Players Get
The CRATER is more than a new car in the garage. A new Winch feature lets players climb rough terrain, free themselves from obstacles and pull objects out of their path, and customization options allow them to set the vehicle up to their own off-road taste.
It also works with Custom Show, the game’s community feature, and TrackForge, the track-building tool. Hyundai and Ivory Tower are working with gaming influencers on in-game reviews, a purpose-built off-road course made in TrackForge, and live races in which players can compete alongside the influencers.
More Hyundai Models to Follow
Further Hyundai models will join Motorfest in phases after the CRATER, and the company plans a wider range of vehicles and brand experiences in later seasons.
The move builds on a gaming strategy that began in 2021, when Hyundai became the first global automaker to launch an official Roblox experience. Since then it has appeared in Fortnite and Rocket League through a collaboration with Epic Games tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026, as well as in Top Eleven and Asphalt Legends.