Asphalt Legends

Last updated

Asphalt Legends
Asphalt Legends Cover.jpg
Cover art of Asphalt Legends, featuring the Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 (foreground) and a Bugatti Bolide (background)
Developers Gameloft Barcelona [a]
Wahlap (Arcade)
Publisher Gameloft
Series Asphalt
Engine Jet Engine
Platforms Android, Android TV, iOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, macOS, Fire OS, Arcade, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Android Auto [b]
Release
July 25, 2018
  • Asphalt 9: Legends
  • Android, iOS, Windows
  • July 25, 2018
  • Nintendo Switch
  • October 8, 2019
  • macOS
  • January 17, 2020
  • Fire OS
  • May 19, 2020
  • Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
  • August 31, 2021
  • Arcade
  • 2021
  • Asphalt Legends (Unite Update)
  • Android, iOS, macOS, PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
  • July 17, 2024
  • Nintendo Switch
  • August 19, 2024
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • February 16, 2026
Genre Racing
Modes Single-player, multiplayer

Asphalt Legends [c] is a 2018 racing video game developed by Gameloft Barcelona and published by Gameloft. It is the ninth main installment in the Asphalt series. It was released on July 25, 2018, for iOS, Android, and Microsoft Windows, with versions for home consoles releasing later. In 2024, the major "Unite" update was released, with updated graphics, a new UI, and a retitle to Asphalt Legends Unite. Gameloft would later retire this branding in 2025 and return the title to Asphalt Legends.

Contents

Several new features were added compared to previous editions, such as more playable vehicles, a new control layout, more race modes, and the "Adrenaline" nitro features reimplemented as "Nitro Shockwave" (previously known as "Nitro Pulse") from Asphalt 6: Adrenaline (2010). The graphics were significantly enhanced compared to its predecessor, Asphalt 8: Airborne (2013).

Development

The game was developed by Gameloft's Barcelona Studio, which also made Asphalt 8: Airborne and co-developed Asphalt Xtreme with Gameloft Madrid. The game uses the Bullet physics engine and the Jet game engine. Continuing the tradition from Asphalt 8, the game features licensed soundtracks with a few removed due to their licenses being expired.

The first rumors of Asphalt Legends began in 2016, with Gameloft posting pictures on their Twitter account, showing Gameloft Barcelona making a map that had not been seen in Asphalt 8: Airborne. According to a Gameloft press release, the game was scheduled to be released in the summer of 2017, and the name was going to be under the name: Asphalt 9: Shockwave.

On April 1, 2016, Gameloft posted an April Fools joke trailer on their Facebook page that the game was going to be called Asphalt 9: Foolspeed, accompanied by outdated footage of Asphalt 4: Elite Racing . [1]

In February 2018, Gameloft was doing a live Q&A stream with one of their community managers at Gameloft London, where he responded to questions about Asphalt 9, and said that he was not allowed to comment on the future of the Asphalt series. Four days later, however, a trailer was revealed for Asphalt 9: Legends.

The game was first released for iOS as a soft launch on February 26, 2018, in the Philippines, then in Thailand on March 22, 2018. It was later released for Android as a soft launch in the Philippines on May 17, 2018. [2] [3] Pre-registration for the worldwide launch began on June 29, 2018. Around the same time, users could pre-register the game on Google Play. On July 24, 2018, Gameloft announced the game's release date of July 26 on a Facebook and YouTube Livestream. However, the game was released a day earlier than planned, and reached 4 million downloads across all platforms within a week.

On June 6, 2019, Gameloft announced that the game would be available on the Nintendo Switch. The port was released on October 8, 2019, which the game permitted Joy-Con and Touchscreen controls when using the Switch in Handheld Mode, allowing use of either the screen itself or of the controllers. [4]

A version for macOS Catalina was released on January 17, 2020. [5]

An Xbox One and Series X/S version was announced in April 2021 and released on August 31, 2021, with cross-progression with the already released Microsoft Store version. [6] An arcade adaptation, developed by IGS and Wahlap Technology under a license from Gameloft, was released worldwide in 2021 under the name Asphalt 9 Legends: Arcade DX. [7]

A Steam version was announced in July 2022 and was released on August 2, 2022. [8]

In March 2024, Gameloft announced that an expansion update would be released on July 17, 2024, featuring cross-play compatibility, cloud-based progression besides PlayStation and Switch versions, dynamic lighting for the game's graphic engine, a brand new user-interface, and a new Singapore track. [9] The expansion also changed the title of the game to Asphalt Legends Unite, and the game was also released for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. [10] However, Gameloft announced on July 16, 2024, that the Nintendo Switch version of Asphalt Legends Unite would be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. [11] It was finally released on August 19, 2024. [12]

An Epic Games Store version was released on July 14, 2025. Beginning with the "Legacy of Speed" update released on July 24, 2025, Gameloft discontinued the Unite branding and retitled the game to Asphalt Legends for this update.

A Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game was released as an upgrade to the already existing Switch version on February 16, 2026, for the Flames of Fortune Update.

Gameplay

Asphalt Legends makes extensive use of simulated HDR rendering and pixel shaders, as seen on the sky and specular reflections on the road surface. Pictured is a gameplay still featuring the W Motors Lykan HyperSport in a race while the TouchDrive control layout is in use. This screenshot was taken when the game was known as Asphalt 9: Legends. Asphalt 9 Gameplay.jpg
Asphalt Legends makes extensive use of simulated HDR rendering and pixel shaders, as seen on the sky and specular reflections on the road surface. Pictured is a gameplay still featuring the W Motors Lykan HyperSport in a race while the TouchDrive control layout is in use. This screenshot was taken when the game was known as Asphalt 9: Legends.

The gameplay in Asphalt Legends is similar to other Asphalt games. Some differences include the new "nitro" system, a greater emphasis on jumps (which are higher and more numerous), and new features such as double-tapping the brake pedal to force vehicles into a 360-degree flat spin, which can be used to knock out other cars, boost the nitrous bar, or gain extra height on large jumps. Players can choose between three drive modes: Tap-to-steer (which requires the user to tap on the left and right sides of the phone to move it in that direction or brake), Tilt-to-steer (which uses the gyroscope of the phone to steer), and TouchDrive, intended for beginners or casual players (in which the player selects routes and stunts by swiping left and right).

There were 48 cars featured in the game when it soft-launched, but this increased to 52 by the time of its worldwide release. There are currently 300 cars, as of the 'Legacy of Speed' expansion update. [13] As in previous games, each of the cars belongs to one of five classes, progressively higher performing and less common: D, C, B, A, and S. The player starts with the first car in the lowest class (Class D), the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X and ends with the car in the highest class (Class S), the Arash Imperium.

The game features several race tracks, with new locations for this edition including: Cairo (including Giza), the Himalayas, Wyoming (named U.S. Midwest), Scotland, the Caribbean, Osaka, Auckland (featuring race track-inspired aesthetics), Buenos Aires, Greenland, Tuscany, and Norway. Several locations from previous games were also brought back, such as San Francisco, Rome, Shanghai, New York, Nevada, and Paris. [14] The Legends Unite expansion introduced a new location, Singapore, which was subsequently followed by Chicago, San Diego Harbor (reintroduced from Asphalt 8: Airborne, with certain routes connected to Los Angeles and Cairo), India, and Mount Fuji.

The game offers five game modes: Career, Multiplayer, Daily Events, Gauntlet, and Seasonal Events (Grand Prix, Starway, Special Event, Spotlight Event, Showroom, Drive Syndicate, and the newly created BlackCrest Hall), which includes nine race types.

P-CCOMP (Pan-Continental Competition) Winners

The P-CCOMP (Premier Cross-Platform Championship Competition) is the pinnacle monthly esports event in Asphalt Legends Unite, uniting the fastest drivers across PC, console, and mobile into a single, high-stakes battleground. Forcing racers to master raw manual controls without the aid of TouchDrive, this monthly spectacle pushes track layout optimization and nitro management to their absolute limits. The competition is split into two prestigious brackets running simultaneously: the Individual Competition, where solo lone wolves fight for legendary status, and the International Competition, where individual teams themselves will be constantly racing for the top 8 spot to secure their place in the global elite rankings. [15]

Below is the definitive historical archive of every P-CCOMP tournament chronologically aligned with the official progression of the game, showcasing the top 5 elite finishers for the solo bracket alongside the team standings. [16]

Season 1: Legends Unite I

Season 2: Legends Unite II

Season 3: Back to School

Season 4: Speed Parade

Season 5: Haunted Wheels

Season 6: 2024 Black Friday

Season 7: Festive Season

Season 8: Spark

Season 9: Flames of Fortune

Season 10: Voltage Rush

Season 11: Porsche of Legends

Season 12: Road to Glory

Season 13: Audi Season

Season 14: Raw Circuit

Season 15: Touge Masters

Season 16: Pixel Pursuit

Season 17: Legacy of Speed

Season 18: Sunset Speedway

Reception

Asphalt Legends was praised for its improved graphics, new lighting effects, gameplay, and introduction of cross-platform play, private lobbies, and cross-save. However, players also criticized blueprint grinding, limited energy refills, and aggressive monetization that made progression feel like pay-to-win. [19]

Prasad of GSMArena.com wrote: "Visually, Asphalt 9 is stunning and quite possibly the best-looking game on the mobile platform today", [20] while TechCommuters' review stated, "Regardless of the platform you're playing on, the game delivers...With a wide variety of cars, accessories, tracks, and events, you can play this game for a long time without any dull moment." [21] Nick Tylwalk of Gamezebo also praised the graphics, but wrote that the "blueprint system can be a mixed bag and there are times when you feel stuck, progression-wise." Vishal Mathur of News18 mentioned "every time you run a wheel off the road, the dust that gets thrown up is finely detailed. The cars look very realistic too... However, it isn't exactly easy to get exotic cars. As with most racing games, you start from the bottom of the pyramid and then work your way up. In many races, the rewards that you get are blueprints of vehicles. You will need to collect the required number of blueprints for the car that you are eyeing before you can unlock it. This is slightly difficult, and we feel that element has been added to ensure that players remain active for longer on the game, in the pursuit of their favorite car." [22]

The game won the award for "Sports Game" at the 2019 Webby Awards. [23]

Asphalt Legends also won a 2019 Apple Design Awards which became the racing game to win the Design Award. [24]

Notes

  1. ↑ Additional work by Gameloft Saigon, Gameloft Montreal, Gameloft Madrid, Gameloft Kharkiv, and Gameloft Bucharest
  2. ↑ On the Google Play page, the Android Auto tag is marked on the page of the game.
  3. ↑ Originally named Asphalt 9: Legends until July 17, 2024, and then Asphalt Legends Unite until July 24, 2025

References

  1. ↑ "Watch the official launch trailer for Asphalt 9: Foolspeed, available worldwide on April 4th. The best of Asphalt". Gameloft. April 1, 2016. Archived from the original on July 13, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  2. ↑ Funnell, Rob (February 26, 2018). "Asphalt 9: Legends', the Latest Console-Quality Racing Release From Gameloft, Has Soft Launched on the App Store". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  3. ↑ Langshaw, Mark (March 10, 2018). "15 best iOS and Android games in soft launch right now". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Asphalt 9: Legends for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Game Details". www.nintendo.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  5. ↑ Potuck, Michael (January 17, 2020). "Gameloft launches Asphalt 9 on Mac with Catalyst after delay". 9to5Mac . Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  6. ↑ Popa, Bogdan (April 18, 2021). "Mobile Sensation Asphalt 9: Legends to Launch on Xbox Consoles". Autoevolution. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Wahlap Unveils New Arcade Titles At AAA 2021 Including Asphalt 9 Legends Arcade". Arcade Heroes. May 9, 2021. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  8. ↑ Harrison-Lord, Thomas (July 4, 2022). "Free-to-play racing game Asphalt 9: Legends coming to PC this year". Traxion. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Get an Exclusive Look at Asphalt Legends Unite : App Store Story". App Store. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  10. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (March 26, 2024). "Asphalt Legends Unite Marks Series Debut on PS4 and PS5". IGN. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Nintendo Switch Version of Asphalt Legends Unite Delayed". July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Asphalt Legends Unite Come to Nintendo Switch on August 19, 2024". August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Korean Spring - Patch Notes". asphaltlegendsunite.com. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  14. ↑ Beech, Alex (July 26, 2018). "A new legend has begun, welcome to Asphalt 9 - Gameloft Central". Gameloft Central. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Esport Events -- Asphalt Legends". asphaltlegendsunite.com. Retrieved October 14, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Esport Events -- Asphalt Legends". asphaltlegendsunite.com. Retrieved October 14, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Asphalt 9: Legends for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Asphalt 9: Legends for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  19. ↑ Junaid (December 19, 2024). "Asphalt 8 vs Asphalt 9: (Airborne, Legends) Which is Better?". asph8pro.com. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  20. ↑ Prasad (August 4, 2018). "Asphalt 9: Legends game review for iOS and Android". GSMArena.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  21. ↑ TechCommuters (August 24, 2018). "Asphalt 9: Legends - Game Review". TechCommuters. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  22. ↑ Mathur, Vishal (July 26, 2018). "Asphalt 9 Legends Review: A Racing Game For The Aggressive Driver in You". News18 . Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  23. ↑ Liao, Shannon (April 23, 2019). "Here are all the winners of the 2019 Webby Awards". The Verge . Archived from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Here's the Full List of 2019's Apple Design Award Winners". Gadgets 360. June 5, 2019. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.