Featured at this year's Disney and Marvel Games Showcase, Disney Speedstorm is being given a huge update that's expanding its roster and maps to include Pixar's Monsters Inc. Though the game has yet to be officially launched following delays after its beta, Disney Speedstorm is slowly building its ranks from various Disney properties and franchises in preparation for its full release. As the game brings together faces and places both young and old across the Disney repertoire, it seems Disney Speedstorm will be providing a variety of choices to cater to all sorts of players.
At present, only a handful of franchises have officially been confirmed for Gameloft's Disney Speedstorm, but it's likely that more will be added in the future as seasonal content. Until further details are confirmed by either Disney or Gameloft, or now Pixar following Monsters Inc.'s inclusion, fans should still be able to enjoy the roster Disney Speedstorm it will offer when launched with ranges from classic Disney films such as Jungle Book to more recent franchises like the ongoing Pirates of the Caribbean series.
Mickey Mouse & Friends (1928)
Mickey Mouse & Friends covers an extensive breadth of Disney films, TV shows, and more, and arguably has the most iconic cartoon characters of all time. After once again featuring Mickey and company in Kingdom Hearts, it's no surprise then that both Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck star in Disney Speedstorm as racers. Accompanying them are a variety of tracks, including some from Toon Village based on the similar Toontown and others from a conceptual Silver Screen with a black-and-white aesthetic. It's likely that additional characters will join further down the line, such as Minnie Mouse or Goofy.
Jungle Book (1967)
Given that its original animated release to the big screen was in 1967, Jungle Book might not have struck fans as an obvious first choice to include in Disney Speedstorm's roster. However, with its popularity somewhat revitalized following its live-action adaptation in 2016, both Mowgli and Baloo appear in Disney Speedstorm as racers alongside a track inspired by the franchise's setting: Jungle Ruins. It's unclear if Gameloft will add more characters or tracks from the franchise, but the inclusion of Jungle Book at least demonstrates that even the oldest Disney properties have a place in Disney Speedstorm.
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Though not the only Disney princess movie to appear in Disney Speedstorm, Beauty and the Beast is one of the oldest so far. However, just like Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast did receive a live-action remake in 2017 with plans for a Beauty and the Beast prequel, but regardless, Belle is an iconic princess worthy of a place in Disney Speedstorm Alongside Belle, the game also adds Beast as a racer and further includes several tracks based on Beast's castle. Now that the first villain from Monsters Inc. has been confirmed for the game though, it's possible Gaston could be a future addition.
Hercules (1997)
Unlike Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, or Mulan, Hercules is currently the only franchise that has not yet received a recent live-action adaptation to feature in Disney Speedstorm. However, one is supposedly in the works, which could be why it's been featured in the game in order to foster interest in the upcoming Hercules live-action remake. Despite this though, Hercules is still one of Disney's original classic films and has brought a unique visual look to the game with tracks based around Ancient Greek architecture and mythology. While it currently includes Hercules and Megara as racers, Hades could soon join them.
Mulan (1998)
Having recently seen a live-action adaptation in 2020, the eponymous Mulan appears alongside Belle as another of Disney's famous princesses in Disney Speedstorm. She is further accompanied by Li Shang. In spite of the live-action Mulan's controversies and boycott, it seems Gameloft is keen to focus on the animated version, remaining faithful to the original vision of the franchise. It's unknown if any of the Huns will feature alongside Mulan, but the trio Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po could make an appearance as racers.
Monsters Inc. (2001)
The latest update to Disney Speedstorm announced at Disney and Marvel Games Showcase, Monsters Inc. will be adding plenty of new racers and tracks to the game. With a map inspired by the titular Monsters Inc. factory, it seems the new franchise will also be featuring more racers than any other, including leads James P. "Sulley" Sullivan and Mike Wazowski, as well as characters Celia Mae and Randall Boggs. Not only will this be a new standard for the number of racers from a single franchise, but it will also be adding the first villain, opening the door for other franchises to do the same.
Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)
Pirates of the Caribbean is an outlier inclusion to the Disney Speedstorm roster as it's the only franchise to not have originally been animated. However, much like Captain Jack Sparrow in Sea of Thieves, Pirates of the Caribbean and its characters have been adapted to the Disney Speedstorm style, bringing both Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swan as racers. As the film series is still ongoing and with many other characters and settings to draw from, future racers could be added by Gameloft such as Davy Jones, Will Turner, or Hector Barbossa.
All in all, with this latest announcement, Gameloft has clearly indicated that it will continue to expand the racers and maps it offers with additional franchises. Alongside the confirmation that additional content will be delivered each season, Disney Speedstorm could challenge games like Mario Kart with a competitive, ever-evolving development strategy. This could prove to be the game's biggest selling point if it maintains the momentum of adding further franchises both classic and modern as well as the new possibilities of Pixar properties joining the party.
Disney Speedstorm is expected to be released in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
