14:00 (BST), 14/05/2008

 – Reflecting the ethos, spirit and attitude of the offline game, will bring a world of motorsport to life online as Codemasters® today announced that the game's multiplayer content will feature 32 exhilarating online race events on 80 circuits at 15 intercontinental locations.

Featuring up to 12-player events with incredible full car damage, online multiplayer races will see gamers competing in aggressive races on iconic city streets and famous championship circuits across Europe, the U.S. and Japan.

" online is the ultimate expression of what the game is all about – incident-packed, aggressive, wheel-to-wheel racing," said . "Our wide range of motorsport disciplines, stunning locations and full damage 12-player races make for a uniquely spectacular race experience and our immersive new ranking system rewards player skill and deepens the challenge online."

Players will be able to take their custom livery online and make it feared and respected by competing in a huge range of racing disciplines; from drifting around Yokohama Docks, charging through the mean streets of Detroit, racing touring cars around Spa-Francorchamps to competing in chaotic demolition derbies.

The pure race experience is at the heart of gameplay and, in online multiplayer, everything is geared towards maximising player time spent on track and minimising time spent in lobbies. Players can rapidly find the event they want and a slick voting system, matchmaking mechanism and seamless host migration means gamers find competitive races quickly and sessions stay together longer.

An innovative new online ranking system charts players' progress as they advance from Junior Rookie to Legend, with experience points being awarded based on a wide range of achievements, from events won to beating higher ranked opponents.

As players rise through the rankings, online leaderboards record the fastest laps for each track and gamers can download ghost cars to test out their skill against the best in the world in Test Drive mode or check out the competition in Spectator mode. Players can also fully customise their game including switching damage on or off, enabling catch-up mode, setting driver aids and allowing public and private games.

is coming May 30th (Europe/PAL) for the ® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, the computer entertainment system and A edition will follow. playable demos – featuring two online multiplayer events – are now available from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace, PLAYSTATION®Network and, for the Games For Windows demo, please visit www.racedrivergrid.com

Rob Burman

PR Manager

01926 816051

rob.burman@codemasters.com

Download game artwork, screens and essential Codemasters' press materials direct to your desktop from: http://www.codemasters.com/mediabank

Codemasters is a leading developer and publisher of best-selling interactive entertainment products for a global audience across multiple gaming platforms and channels. Established in 1986, the company's dominant brands include Colin McRae DiRT, Overlord, Race Driver GRID and Operation Flashpoint. Codemasters is headquartered in Warwickshire UK, with North American operations based in Universal City, Calif. The company also maintains operations in Germany, France, Spain, Benelux and Malaysia. Codemasters receives over two million visitors to its web site every month, discover why at www.codemasters.com

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