Fate/Grand Order is off to the wacky races this summer

Now this is podracing!

Australians and other residents of the deeper southern hemisphere may be midway through their winters right about now, but it’s sunny and bright where it matters – inside mobile gacha games like Fate/Grand Order, whose English edition just debuted its second annual summer event.

Titled Dead Heat Summer Race, the new event breaks from last year’s tropical island colonization getaway by leaning into a desert rally race – the Ishtar Cup – hosted by none other than everyone’s favorite Mesopotamian-deity-slash-possessed-Fate-alumnus. 

Opened earlier today, the event will have players experiencing silly missions and grindy battles to “promote” their favorite pairs of servants in a race across the desert.

For their trouble, they’ll receive g  various goodies like Craft Essences, ascension materials, and an exclusive 4-Star Rider-class version of Ishtar herself.

Of course, it’s not a summer gacha game event without some swimsuit-clad microtransaction bait, so the event also has no less than seven limited summer servants available from the premium summoning banner. Headliners include a Caster-class version of Fate/Extra heroine Nero, and Saber Alter in a motorcycle-riding, gun-toting maid getup.

Dead Heat Summer Raceruns through late August and is open to any FGO player that’s completed the tutorial chapter.