Ultimate Studio, a studio partnered under the Supercell Investee Family, has developed and released a new racing game, Hot Lap League. Created with a focus on driving over upgrading, Hot Lap League will test players based on skill rather than who has the bigger engine.

In a move that may sound like it would halt progression, Hot Lap League will feature zero upgrades for cars. Instead, the only way to go faster is for players to repeatedly practise on the tracks and rely solely on increasing their personal skill levels. Featuring over 150 at launch, there will certainly be a lot to master. To ease this repetition, there will be daily events that bring players together to compete for prizes. There are also over 100 cosmetic customisation options to unlock, to style all over rivals whilst drifting past them.

The focus on skill over upgrades seems to have already resonated well with gamers during the early testing periods. Players from the competitive background and communities, including the community of the popular Trackmania series, were reportedly very invested in the game from the off. Whilst beating developer times and deeply engaging with the challenge and competition components, the players highly rated their tests.

Reflecting on the early testing, Game Designer Josh Hayes-Jenkins said “After making such a skill-focused game, it's really affirming to see players and articles mentioning that desire to do 'just one more run' to get the time they know they're capable of.”

With this skill-centric approach, Hot Lap League will have the competitive driving players contesting for the world record title on each lap, hopefully creating a long-lasting and captivating experience. Whilst the Need For Speed style approach of upgrading and customising cars to get the edge is definitely enticing, a game where the results are based more solely on skill is certainly a prospect that will stoke the fires of any competitive gamer.

Hot Lap League is available to download on the App Store and Google Play for $4.99.