Jak X: Combat Racing

Lore & Background

The story of Jak X: Combat Racing begins after the events of Jak 3, with Jak and Daxter attending the funeral of the crime lord Krew. To their shock, Krew's will reveals that he has poisoned everyone present with a slow-acting toxin, and the only antidote is hidden within the prize of the Crimson Dash — a high-stakes combat racing tournament spanning multiple regions of the world. The racers must compete in Krew's name, driving custom vehicles armed with machine guns, missiles, and other weaponry, while navigating treacherous tracks filled with hazards and shortcuts.

In Their Own Story

The air in Spargus City was thick with exhaust and tension as Jak revved the engine of his modified dune buggy. Beside him, Daxter gripped the roll cage, muttering curses at Krew's ghost. The starting line flashed green, and the pack surged forward into the canyon — a blur of metal and fire. Missiles screamed past as Jak wove through the wreckage of a rival's car, his focus narrowing to the finish line ahead. One more race. One more step closer to the antidote. The crowd roared, but all Jak heard was the thrum of his engine and the echo of Krew's laugh from beyond the grave.

Reader's Guide

Jak X: Combat Racing's story campaign drops Jak and his friends into the Crimson Dash tournament after Krew's will reveals they've all been poisoned. The only cure lies in the grand prize, so the team must claw their way through a gauntlet of races across four distinct environments: the sun-scorched canyons of Spargus, the rust-choked industrial sprawl of the Wasteland, the crumbling ruins of Haven City, and the volcanic death traps of the Marauder strongholds. Each character pilots a unique vehicle with specialized stats — Jak's dune buggy favors speed and handling, while Daxter's hot rod is a fragile glass cannon with brutal firepower. The campaign mixes standard circuit races with chaos-fueled events like Deathmatch and Capture the Flag, where strategy matters as much as trigger discipline. Pre-race cutscenes and in-race banter flesh out rivalries and betrayals: Ashelin races to prove her mettle, Sig hunts for redemption, and Torn seethes under Krew's posthumous thumb. The tournament's champion, the ruthless Mizo, guards the antidote in a final, neck-snapping race across the razor-sharp ridges of the Kras City circuit. Winning secures the cure, but the real prize is the story — a standalone adventure that expands the Jak and Daxter world with nitro-fueled grit and a killer rock soundtrack.

Did You Know?

• Jak X: Combat Racing was the first Jak and Daxter game developed by Naughty Dog after the release of Jak 3, and the last to feature the series' original voice cast.
• The game's soundtrack was composed by Billy Howerdel, guitarist of the band A Perfect Circle, giving the races a distinct industrial rock feel.
• The Crimson Dash tournament includes tracks set in locations from previous games, such as the ruins of Haven City and the deserts of Spargus.
• The poison plot device was inspired by classic revenge stories, with Krew's will serving as the catalyst for the entire campaign.