If you’re just starting out in The Crew 2, welcome to one of the most expansive and thrilling open-world racing experiences around. With the influx of new players recently, it’s the perfect time to dive into the roads, rivers, and skies of this vibrant game. But where should you begin? Here’s a comprehensive guide that covers essential tips every beginner needs to know to progress quickly, earn rewards efficiently, and enjoy the journey to becoming an Icon-level racer.

Start With One Discipline and Stay Focused

One of the most common early mistakes new players make is spreading themselves too thin across the different racing disciplines. Whether it’s street racing, off-road, freestyle, or pro racing, each category demands its own set of vehicles and performance parts. The game gives you a basic starter vehicle for each discipline, but they won’t hold up long in tougher events.

By sticking with a single discipline from the start, you’ll be able to concentrate your resources and upgrades, making your chosen vehicle significantly more powerful in less time. This focused approach pays off because performance parts aren’t interchangeable across disciplines. If you gather great upgrades for your street race car, they won’t help your off-road truck. So instead of diversifying too early, pick your favorite mode of racing and invest in it until you hit top-tier performance levels (which range from 70 to 280 depending on discipline).

Use Photo Ops to Boost Your Budget

Money can be tight when you’re just starting out, and buying a new vehicle might seem out of reach. That’s where Photo Ops come in. These are small side objectives that reward you for snapping in-game photos of famous landmarks, specific vehicles, or even animals. Each successful photo usually nets around 15,000 Crew Bucks—an excellent return for just a few moments of effort.

As you progress further into the story, more of these Photo Ops unlock, giving you a steady source of income. Prioritize the landmark photos early on—just heading to iconic places like the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, or Miami Beach and taking a snapshot can rack up thousands. Complete a dozen or so, and you’ll find yourself with enough funds to pick up a decent ride or upgrades without much grind.

Prioritize Followers to Unlock Icon Status

In The Crew 2, followers are more than just vanity numbers—they’re your gateway to unlocking more content, better rewards, and eventually, the prestigious Icon level. The fastest way to earn followers early on is through events. While the selection is limited at first, repeating events you’ve already completed is a viable way to rack up experience.

Outside of events, freestyle activities in the open world offer a surprisingly effective method to gain followers. Drifting, stunt jumps, off-road runs, and even aerial tricks with planes count. The longer and more stylish your moves, the more followers you’ll gain. This encourages creative driving and exploring the full range of the game’s mechanics while steadily increasing your social level.

Once you hit Icon level, you unlock new races, additional vehicles, and bigger challenges—which brings with it even better rewards. Think of reaching Icon as your first major milestone, and don’t be afraid to repeat or improvise to get there.

Claim All the Free Vehicles You Can

When starting out, every vehicle you can get without spending your hard-earned Crew Bucks is a huge win. Thankfully, The Crew 2 offers several ways to earn free vehicles. First, keep an eye on the Motor Pass—Ubisoft’s seasonal reward track. By collecting Motor Stars through challenges and milestones, you can unlock at least one free vehicle each season. Motor Stars also let you earn cosmetic upgrades and currency boosts, making this an excellent side hustle.

Secondly, story missions offer additional free vehicles upon completion. While they don’t yield money or followers directly, completing these narratives still adds to your garage and gives you variety when participating in future events.

Participate in the Live Summit—Every Week

Arguably one of the most valuable ongoing activities in The Crew 2 is the Live Summit. This is a weekly series of nine events that award you based on your performance compared to other players. Even if you’re not chasing top ranks, simply participating can grant you impressive rewards.

Many events in the summit provide followers just for completion, and finishing even a single event usually secures you a Bronze rating. A Bronze rating can earn you anywhere from 100,000 to 500,000 followers at the end of the summit. That alone can accelerate your progress toward higher Icon levels.

So make it a habit—check in on the Live Summit every week, even if you only play one or two events. It’s especially worth it once you’re close to Icon level 100, which unlocks the Camaro—a coveted reward.

Final Thoughts

The Crew 2 rewards persistence, creativity, and exploration. By narrowing your early focus to a single discipline, grinding smart with Photo Ops and freestyle stunts, and always cashing in on free vehicles and weekly summit rewards, you’ll pave a smooth road to success.

These tips are all about building a strong foundation, so you can enjoy the full scope of what The Crew 2 has to offer without unnecessary grind or wasted effort. Stick with it, and before long, you’ll be tearing through the streets—or skies—as a seasoned Icon. Good luck out there, and see you on the road.