Crash Team Racing 1.12 Update Patch Notes | New Grand Prix, track, swappable driver stats, and more

The Crash Team Racing 1.12 update patch notes bring more than just bug fixes. While subtly teased in the past, Beenox has updated the game with a new Grand Prix all fit the Halloween season. This means a new track and cosmetics that fit with the spooky theme. However, the Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled 1.12 update patch notes also come with some much-needed gameplay updates that should please fans.

Crash Team Racing 1.12 Update Patch Notes | New Spooky Grand Prix

The biggest part of the update is the new CTR Spooky Grand Prix. It will run from October 4 at 2:00 PM UTC (7 AM PT) to November 4, just in time for the Halloween season. This Spooky Grand Prix will have a ton of new cosmetics and an additional free track (Nina’s Nightmare) that is based around Nina Cortex, who is from Crash Twinsanity, one of the more well-regarded non-Naughty Dog Crash games.

ALSO: Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Review | A beautiful, fresh coat of paint and tune-up

This Grand Prix also has a new challenge called Ghost Hunt where breaking crates will unleash a ghost. Capturing them completes Grand Prix challenges. While not completely detailed, it appears as though breaking certain boxes in races will unleash a ghoul that you have to chase and pick up.

Crash Team Racing 1.12 Update Patch Notes | New Spooky Grand Prix cosmetics

While select cosmetics from the first Grand Prix (the Nitro Grand Prix with Tawna and the Nitro Squad) are going to be purchasable in the Pit Stop for an undetermined amount of time, this Spooky Grand Prix is also going to have a suite of new items. These new items consist of:

• Three new racers (Nina Cortex, Komodo Mo, Dr. N. Brio)
• Three new karts (Skull Rider, Nautilus, Phantom)
• Nine (or more) skins (Werewolf Tiny, Lion Pura, Humpty N. Trance, Dark Coco, Firefighter Dingodile, Metal Head Oxide, Monster Fake Crash, Witch Tawna, Pirate Papu Papu)
• A bunch of wheels, stickers, decals, and paint jobs

Crash Team Racing 1.12 Update Patch Notes | New driver styles and item balances

This part of the update pertains to the game at large. Now, instead of picking drivers that are locked to a certain driving style (like Speed, Acceleration, and Turn), you’ll now be able to freely put any style on any driver. There’s even a new style called “Drift.” While Beenox didn’t detail it, it likely is the best one for those who love drifting. “Classic” is also one of the choices and will just revert your specific driver to their native style. The other styles have also been renamed:

• Beginner is now Turn
• Intermediate A is now Balanced
• Intermediate B is now Acceleration
• Advanced is now Speed

Wumpa Time, which is the daily Wumpa Coin doubler that would double earned coins for the first 30 racing minutes of the day, now applies to every mode. It used to only apply to the online modes.

Warp Orbs and N. Tropy Clocks will also no longer be available right at the start of online matches. Enemy A.I. in online races will also no longer use those power-ups.

The game also has a new four-race cup called The Lost Cup. It includes Oxide Station, Clockwork Wumpa, Twilight Tour, and Prehistoric Playground. The latter two were tracks from the first two Grand Prix events.

Full Crash Team Racing 1.12 Update Patch Notes

Here are the full Crash Team Racing 1.12 update patch notes from Activision:

• Swapping driving styles
  
  It’s happening folks!
  
  You can now select your preferred driving style (speed, acceleration, turn, balanced) when selecting your driver.
  
  Furthermore, a fifth driving style, Drift, has been added to the mix.
  
  A new driving style, named Classic, will select the default, existing driving style for the character.

• Driving styles renamed
  
  Old names for driving styles have been replaced:

1. Beginner is now Turn.

2. Intermediate A is now Balanced.

3. Intermediate B is now Acceleration.

4. Advanced is now Speed.

• Wumpa Time now counts for Adventure and Local Arcade
  
  As long as the player’s console is connected to the internet, players now have the opportunity to earn 2x Wumpa Coins for the first 30 minutes of racing time per day.

• Warp Orbs and N. Tropy Clocks

1. AI no longer uses Warp Orbs and N. Tropy Clocks in Online Matchmaking.

2. Warp Orbs and N. Tropy Clocks no longer appear in the first crates of a race in Online Matchmaking.

• New Cup: Lost Cup
  
  Includes the following tracks:

1. Oxide Station

2. Clockwork Wumpa

3. Twilight Tour

4. Prehistoric Playground

• New Characters
  
  3 new characters are available during the Spooky Grand Prix. Wreak havoc on the track with Nina Cortex, Dr. N. Brio, and Komodo Moe, the devious trio of fan favorite Crash universe characters that make their way to CTR Nitro-Fueled this season. Nina makes her entrance in the Nitro Gauge, while N. Brio and Komodo Moe can be found in the Pit Stop.

1. Nina Cortex (Unlocked by Nitro Points)

2. Dr. N. Brio (Purchasable at Pit Stop)

3. Komodo Moe (Purchasable at Pit Stop)

• New Track: Nina’s Nightmare

Navigate the dark recesses of Nina Cortex’s mind in Nina’s Nightmare! In this new track you will race through misty marshes, eerie gardens, and twisted hallways of a haunted manor. Dodge your way around pumpkins spitting green ooze that can slow you down to a dead stop. Keep your head in twisted hallways under the foreboding eyes of ancestors long since passed. Then, confront the most terrifying sight of all – a beastly spider-pumpkin hellbent on stomping you into the ground!

This season also brings a trio of new karts to give your competition the chills! Embrace the mysteries of the deep with Nautilus, put the competition to rest with Skull Rider, or play a haunting tune with the Phantom – an ornate ride adorned with candles and piano keys, inspired by the Organ Grinder kart from Crash Tag Team Racing. Nautilus and Phantom can be earned in the Nitro Gauge, while Skull Rider can be unlocked in the Pit Stop.

• New Karts:
  
  3 new karts are available during the Spooky Grand Prix

1. Skull Rider (Purchasable at Pit Stop)

2. Nautilus (Unlocked by Nitro Points)

3. Phantom (Unlocked by Nitro Points)

• New Challenge Type: Ghost Hunt
  
  For the duration of this Grand Prix, breaking certain crates will release a mischievous ghost that was trapped inside. Catch up to the ghost to capture it and complete Grand Prix challenges. This season introduces a host of new rewards that can be earned by completing challenges, earning Nitro, and filling your Nitro Gauge throughout the season.  There’s a special new challenge type this season – track down some spooky spirits with Ghost Hunt! For the duration of this Grand Prix, breaking certain crates will release a mischievous ghost that was trapped inside. Catch up to the ghost to capture it and complete Grand Prix challenges. The more of these crates you break, the more ghosts will be flying around and the more challenges you can complete! As a note, you will only be able to see the ghosts you have released, and these spectral beings won’t get in the way of your racing. They are there to be captured if you dare!

• Returning items from the Nitro Tour Grand Prix
  
  Select characters and items from the first Grand Prix, Nitro Tour, are making their return to the Pit Stop.

As with the prior Grand Prix seasons, both the Championship and Nitro Leaderboards will be back and refreshed in the Spooky Grand Prix. As a note to new players, the Championship Leaderboard tracks players’ performance in the Grand Prix season via a points-based system. The Nitro Leaderboard tracks total Nitro Points earned during the Grand Prix season. Those that finish the season in the top 5% of either leaderboard will get the Champion Kart (if they don’t have it already), and a brand new Signature Decal for the Spooky Grand Prix!