Project Torque

Project Torque
Project Torque Logo
Developer(s)	Invictus Games
Publisher(s)	Aeria Games & Entertainment (2007-2010) Jogara Ltd. (October 2019-present)
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release	WW: April 30, 2008 WW: December 20, 2019 (re-release)
Genre(s)	Racing MMO
Mode(s)	Multiplayer

Project Torque, also known as Level-R outside North America and HEAT Online for the 2010 North American version, is a multiplayer online racing game (MMORG) with partially chargeable content, or micro-transactions, originally developed by Invictus Games. It features gameplay elements such as tuning and customization.

Level-R was originally developed for the Japanese market in 2006 and was based on Cross Racing Championship Extreme 2005. The Level-R versions across the world (localized versions were released for Russia, Indonesia, Thailand, and China, in addition to Europe and North America) were mostly similar to each other, with minor physics and content tweaks. The Level-R versions combined with the original Project Torque version had 64 cars in total, although none of the versions have all 64 cars due to licensing issues. The 2019 version, however, has no licensed cars, nor does it have cars from post-2010 builds, such as the Corus R4 or certain Thunder Alley cars.

As of July 31, 2010, the Project Torque service, hosted by Aeria Games Entertainment, is no longer in service. Invictus Games Ltd. signed a deal with Innologin Ltd. to publish a new North American service of Level-R, called HEAT Online.^[1][2] HEAT Online's online service operated until May 2014.

In August 2019, fans of Level-R and Project Torque started a crowdfunding campaign for $10,000 to get the game back online.^[3] The funds were supposed to cover contract and legal fees for gaining the publishing rights to Project Torque from Invictus Games.^[4] The campaign goal was reached^[3] and in late August 2019 Jogara Ltd., a fan-run company, signed the publishing contract, with the game being re-released on Steam in December 2019.