Good night, groupies! After tonight's performance one our contestants will be retiring from the stages for this season, but who will it be?
Please welcome our judges!
Sally Spellman, looking like the LSD you took for inspiration for your music!
Miyu Moon, our resident kill our die romantic!
With special guest judge
Sulphur Bomme, who will help decide who gets the winner's mayo!
This week, our contestants were tasked with creating posters for their debut concerts as musicians alongside music video looks based on their assigned genres!
...Veruschka

Although you did a great job this week, you didn't flop nor top the charts, you were radio friendly enough.

You're safe this week and still on the run for the crown.

The rest of you you represent the Highs and Lows of the week. Starting with...

RIPPER HOLE | POSTER

Sally Spellman: You’ve managed to have the most eye catching poster in my opinion, it’s a very moody piece and the colors grab your attention in the best way possible, the perspective is a little wonky, especially since the text not completely lining up, my only issue is there no being acknowledgement of when the event is going to happen, no venue, no website, no date! Adding those little details that would have cemented this at a complete 10/10.
Your outfit is lovely and I’m here for a bearded queen who actually integrates a beard into a look in a way that goes along with everything and not just for the gag of having a beard. The abstractness of the look is cool but I think everything is wacky and you have a very simple hat, so it should have definitely been more extra than what you’ve got there, I’ve seen some people rag on you about the wobbliness of your looks but I don’t think it’s something you’ve overdone at all, it in some way is part of your style because that’s how you presented your queen to begin with and you’ve proved you’re capable of doing different things but I wonder if you can serve us more rigid shapes for next week or whenever the opportunity comes. The colors in your look being the same palette as your poster but more muted was a really nice touch and I think it would look amazing on a music video.
Miyu Moon: First off, this poster, WOW, it grabbed my attention immediately and absolutely makes me want to see this show. It is really minimal on the info, I think it could have used a little more info even if it was just a "Saturday night at 'that' Club" or something vague, just to give it a little more of a realistic poster feel. As it is now it could possibly be a movie or something, but that being said the saxophone and mic do kinda force me to assume a musical element so that does help send me in a direction. But overall, this poster still does what a poster should, it grabs my attention and it gives me a feeling and I want more. The angle is so dramatic, the fact that she's laying in such an askew way but looks so satisfied it really gives me some sense of wildness that I want to see live. I would typically associate the jazz age with some classier dress, so to see you so wildly nude and unhinged I'll have to assume this is some bootlegger party in an underground club and I want in.
The outfit pairs perfectly with your poster, I can imagine that underneath this neon coloured zoot suit you're ready to turn into that stage poster version of yourself. I'm not sure how but I do agree that these colours lend to the feel of jazz, there's something so bright and brassy about the sound that you translated well into your look. Bagginess can often look really shapeless so you made a smart choice to show parts of yourself and still give us some sexy body to balance out the shapelessness of the suit coat. I also love all the tiny details with the stitching and sparkles and whatnot, they also help give shape to something that could otherwise just be a blob, so all the choices in your material use are really "right". And the blue lip is a perfect touch, just a little bit of cool tone to stand out from the warmness you've got going on. Really great look, I can imagine this in a video of you dancing and singing around very sultry and slowly revealing yourself to the camera until we reach your final, most sinful form.
Sulphur Bomme: Hello Ripper! Overall I feel like this is a great hybrid genre of Jazz and incorporating your own Ripper Hole stylistic twist to it. I really think the colour scheme plays well into the Jazz theme, I thought of the Monsters Inc. title card and that has a jazz track to it so it really invoked that theme, not just in your poster but throughout your work. I think this is my favourite concept of the week, honestly.
I love the production of perspective in this, You’re really showing off your artistic knowledge in a way that isn’t primarily focusing on fashion. It kinda puts you up as a really well rounded individual and it doesn’t make the poster feel like a flat, boring image. I think to push this it might’ve needed a bit of tailoring - I focused more so on the objects in frame rather than Ripper (who in this case is the main headlining act) so your colour choices would have benefitted from shifting the object tones to a colour that suits the background so they are still present, have an iconic focus, but not as much as Ripper who would have benefited from a more yellow or orange sort of hue.
Your outfit I enjoy a lot because it matches your act quite well, super clear to me that you’re going to be performing your songs in some retro futurism minimalistic ideal that American homeowners aspire to be a part of , and you haven’t shied away from a lot of colour. Nitpick - I think when it comes to colour,try to be a bit cautious with the saturation, especially red hues because of it being such a rich physical colour for the eyes.
I want you to start experimenting with maybe producing outfits that have less wavy intentions - I’ve noticed your go-to is to produce very wavy aesthetical linework in your pieces, either explicitly in form or implicitly with pattern, and I want to see if you can produce an outfit that demands a certain edge of control. I’m aware that you did produce a very angular look Week 2, but the fit was very tight to Ripper’s body, so it could be a good idea to sort of see if you can produce not even just an angular look, but look that has more control than complete waviness to it. I hope this helped!
Up next is...

ORIANA | POSTER

Sally Spellman: Your poster looks legit, the almost unintelligible band name, the graphicness of it and the gore make me think I could spot this somewhere and I’d think it’s a real event, in my opinion the placement of the information wasn’t the best and the font choice as well, a serif sort of font would have gone better with the mood of your poster and maybe I’m the only one who is going blind but I think having this pure white text against black and white scribbles make the text blend in a little but to be honest I’m just nitpicking because you did a stellar job this week.
Your music video look is great, the red tattoos resembling body harm are a very nice touch and very on brand, I seriously have nothing to nitpick on every detail that I see is very flattering and you made the usual not fashionable heavy metal garbs look amazing and you didn’t rely on bondage or bdsm to do so, wouldn’t look out of place in a music video for this genre at all.
Miyu Moon: There is absolutely no question when looking at this poster as to what sort of show I'm going to see, and that is exactly what we wanted. I love the tiny scribbly detail in the hair, that in itself almost lends more to a horror element than the entrails, in a Japanese graphic novel sort of way. The info is maybe a little lost in the hair though, it's certainly readable when you look closely but from afar it's kind of lost and could have benefitted from something helping the words stand out, be it an outline or colour or different placement, there's probably a lot of subtle changes but either way it's a subtle change. The poster looks interesting and exciting to an alt crowd for sure, and I think the info you put is the perfect amount of specificity and lets us know when, where, and what to expect, it really does its job.
This music video look is awesome and I would absolutely wear it immediately. I really love the texture you've done inside the coat, it makes it look like you're wearing sheets of flesh and I mean... what's more brutal than wearing raw, bloody flesh? I like that the outfit itself is pretty simple in what garments there are; dress, jacket, boots, but the detail makes them really cohesive and as if they were perfectly made to go together in this music video. The body art also lends a nice level of detail to the look so it doesn't seem too simple. I can imagine the video being a view of the band rocking with Oriana up front and center belting it out in this look, the crazy face paint is perfectly attention grabbing for a lead singer.
Sulphur Bomme: Hello Oriana! Both your poster and look have an amazing depth of posing and dynamicism to it. The selection of black, white and red really pull this poster in for me, as well as the choices you have made to fit your genre.
From the font being that “are these trees or is this a metal band font” (thanks Memorie), the choice to pull the hair out from the background using shading and mark making, the subtlety of the inclusion of red, the guts spelling out “LIVE” - the information, everything here has really solidifed a strong conceptual poster as well as the act Oriana would produce. I think if you could improve this, perhaps the mark making you used to shade your crease for your eyes would’ve really made the form a lot stronger and pull it into a massively memorable moment for any graphic design challenge that has been done on MPAR.
For your outfit, absolutely phenomenal. I think people should take notes from this on how to make their concepts dynamic, interesting and positioned to be powerful. This is a great example not only for this challenge, but also for lipsyncs I feel. Your branching out into fabric rendering, I’m noticing - your latex details are quite visually impactful here. A nitpick for this for me would probably be the inclusion of a little bit of glint or perhaps a tiny, tiny dark grey line that notifies us that there is a pupil or a scelera contact lens in Ori’s eye holes in both the poster and the outfit. That’s really all I can find wrong with it in my eyes.
I hope you continue your detail exploration and your rendering skills. You have such a strong eye for fashion and it’s starting to be well matched by your choices of rendering fabrics and details. I hope this helps!!
Up next is...

BIANCA BIQUINI | POSTER

Sally Spellman: Your poster reads more like a children’s book illustration to me, it’s not ugly or bad but I guess the intent is lost on me, the way you used the space is a little weird because you have some dead space which I think you could have filled with more floral motifs, if this were a little more elongated and the stone were sitting on water you could use this change in colors to lay some additional information on top, the colors you chose for the fonts don’t really stand out! I know you went for an earthy vibe but even so there could have been ways to do it.
Your music video look is pretty and I love it on its own but I don’t see much dragginess in it, wish you could have gone a different route with it since it feels a little derivative of Trixie to me and I think it would have been cool to see a take on brazilian folk music instead, you didn’t do a bad job at all Bianca but this didn’t meet the mark for me. I’m always rooting for you but it’s also come down to splitting hairs, hopefully you’re prepared to try your hardest next time!
Miyu Moon: At first glance I thought this poster was like, a storybook cover. It's really cute and gentle but in terms of getting information across as a show poster I think it's a little all over the place and it's hard to find the right emphasis or flow of info on the poster. Even though you're there playing your banjo I find myself overlooking that and not assuming any musical element other than as an addition to the visual aesthetic. I think maybe it's partially the fact that there are so many colours and patterns going on that it's hard to really grab onto any specific chunk of text or area of the poster as being the important center of information. The info is all there, but it doesn't feel like the musical act itself is at the center of this poster so much as it's just a general ethereal flowery feel that's happening and that could really be anything.
This outfit is super cute, but it's kind of drowning you in a sea of beige. I like the long ethereal hair, but then the outfit just seems really basic in comparison to the fairy-like feeling the hair and makeup are giving me. It's a nice outfit but I think it's just so soft and subtle that I wouldn't really be grabbed by this music video, if you were out strumming the harp in a field of flowers I feel like it would all just blend together. I would have liked to see you go more grand with your outfit and give something that could believably be an "iconic" music video look. Right now I feel like this look is just kind of a fan of the show, like a girl who came to get autographs from the singer after the show rather than the world touring singer herself.
Sulphur Bomme: Hello Bianca! Your poster fits the genre quite well, colour scheming and the iconography, but it’s just really not hitting a level that I expected.
Your referenced Trixie Mattel in your poster and I feel like that her EP cover for Moving Parts would’ve been a great reference point for your poster. Lana Del Rey too - just because the layout of your poster has this emptiness because of the spaces, and in comparison a lot of posters this week are much stronger because they’ve covered a lot of space. I think if you did something along the lines of an actual creek rather than this really oblique sort of background to your piece, it would’ve produced more of a punch - even if the background was trees or something just to have a bit more of that folksy impact, it would’ve worked a lot more.
Your outfit is really strong, I absolutely adore the hair and the posing on this. Your artwork always has this fluidity to it that’s just absolutely breathtaking, and for challenges like this I think if you were to produce a fluid piece like you have with your look for your poster it would’ve worked so well especially for this genre. One nitpick would be if your boots were a little shorter and they had little scalloped socks coming out that would’ve really pushed a bit more of a folksy vibe to your outfit this week, and also if you don’t start wearing heels that make Bianca at least eligible to ride the Junior Rollercoasters at the fairground next week I will sue you. I hope that helped!!
Up next is...

SELECTA | POSTER

Sally Spellman: Your poster gives me salsa casino from the start and that’s everything you needed to do, the colors are nice and they’re fiery so on that regard there’s no complaints on my part, however I wish you had finessed this some more because there are parts that feel rushed (The chileans can’t dance text being the more clear example), nothing that puts you in a bad spot but I think it could have been even greater than it already is, hopefully Selecta will earn the gaviota de platino!
Now onto this look, AZÚCAR! El yerberito moderno came through, people will think Salsa and jump to the red mini dress with frills conclusion but you absolutely slayed this by paying homage to Celia Cruz, it’s extra because salsa is extra, it’s dramatic, fiery and passionate just like this look, the two streaks of red hair resembling horns are absolutely genius, it has that camp feature but also you can see that when the video heats up she will take off the coat and still have a very cool look but actually look more modern without it! You absolutely aced this one.
Miyu Moon: This poster is wild as hell and I love it, it would immediately make me want to read it and understand what sort of show is going on. It's got a great design element going on, it definitely looks like a real show poster and has all the info needed to make it believable and effective. It's definitely got an active, fiery feel to it with the dynamic posing and bright colour scheme. I like that it has a sort of retro printed look to it, even if it is "retro" in origina it's a look that still works well for posters up this day. Even if I don't know jack about salsa I know this show is going to be high energy and musical and dance based and that alone is really all you need to hook an audience.
This look is big and demands attention and regardless of genre that is exactly what a music video look should do, this look would definitely be something people would see and remember. I like the fuostrich looking trim you added in there, definitely adds a sense of action and motion to such a big, bulky garment. I wouldn't think tight jeans would lend to salsa dancing but I suppose that's up for you to prove me wrong, because the little hip furnishings are super cute and I would love to see them in motion. The overall devil imagery is really well done, I love the little hair streaks because... well... you kow me. I will say that I wish your poster and music video outfit went together a little better, they have some colour in common but the devil imagery is so strong in the look and nonexistant in the poster so I wish they were just tied together a little more so it felt like they were all a part of the same era of a musician's career.
Sulphur Bomme: Hello Selecta! I’m getting retro Old Hollywood painted poster vibes from your Salsa poster and your look - you’re perfect, you’re beautiful, you look like Linda Evangelista, are you a model…
I think one of the most visually striking things on your poster is the colour scheme and the restrictive scheme is such a strong palette too - blue red and orange is a really powerful triad scheme and you using a neutral like white played to your advantage here. The wear and tear of the poster works extremely well for this case, and I love the inclusion of Selecta in and out of drag. It’s really detailed, really informed and really strong! I hope that the artifacts on the white bar are intentional however, otherwise you could’ve gone with perhaps quickly analysing and erasing some of them out for a more clean look. That’s my only nitpick.
Your costume is kinda fun in its own way. I love the reference point of Celia Cruz, I got that almost immediately (shocking, a white person with an understanding of culture, I know) and I just really enjoy this moment a lot. Some people may argue it’s very costumey, but your reference point is costumey so I understand that, and this challenge we’re not looking for explicit couture - you’re performing! Salsa divas are performers, and this is very valid form of drag, it’s very campy, it’s very different to what you’ve done, and it works really fucking well. I think if anything, I would’ve perhaps changed the hair to be a bit more beehive. But this week I feel like you’ve really produced something that isn’t causing an imbalance, it’s very strong referential material and you’ve sold a strong Salsa concept. Keep exploring how you’re exploring, and Season 4’s BTM2 might be a thing of the past with your Season 4 WIN. I hope that helped!!
Up next is...

AURA | POSTER

Sally Spellman: This is the other poster that looks legit, I’m not very worldly so I haven’t seen many concert posters in my lifetime but this one is pleasing to look at and that’s enough for me, the humor in it is great and the bitch got sponsors a plenty! One thing that I thought was a smart touch was the inclusion of a scan code because of course that would be a thing haha.
Now your look itself feels like a rehash, I’ve seen this hood, I’ve seen these baby hairs, I’ve seen this cinched waist with a coat with long sleeves! Not ragging on you but I don’t want you to start repeating formulas just because they’ve worked before, I want to see different sides to Aura and I think it’s time to start experimenting with new elements, shapes and silhouettes. My one issue is that I wish you had gone for a shtick because admittedly it is hard to think of an EDM video where the musician stands out (Thinking of the likes of Avicii, David Guetta, Calvin Harris) so I wish you had gone for a shtick characteoutfit like Daft Punk or even Deadmau5. I appreciate your art and designs but I think it’s the time to flip the coin so we can see the other side, Aura!
Miyu Moon: Wow, this poster looks super modern and definitely like an EDM show. I love the logo and colours, it's definitely got that vaporwave kinda thing going that is super popular in EDM nowadays as opposed to the straight up CMYK neons of rave yesteryear. There's a lot of info going on, almost too much, which is honestly kinda believable because I believe that a DJ would put all this stuff on a poster. I also like the little details like the QR code (I scanned it out of curiosity) and the sponsorship logos at the bottom, it pushes it to be very realistic.
The outfit though, it's gorgeous and all but as a music video look it leaves me wondering a lot. It's just a bit non-specific as to waht feel we're going for here, there's something very high fashion haute-couture about it but also something EDM and I'm just not entirely feeling the connection between the two. The look is pretty but just as a music video look it's not giving me a lot of feeling or flow, like nothing is really standing out as an iconic element of this look or giving me really a sense of what the music or song could be like. The only thing really making this look feel any amount EDM appropriate is the neon lines in the coat, but then the outfit and the coat don't really connect besides maybe the pinkish tone in the coat and pants? There's just something very non-specific about this look and overall sort of stiff, it's not jumping out with any particular element.
Sulphur Bomme: Hi Aura! Off the bat, I’ve been to Greece, Spain, even in the UK, and these posters - I’ve seen these fucking posters everywhere.
This is a well crafted poster and your design fits so well in one of those cabanas that uses Live House Music as a selling point on an island somewhere. You’re really showing a side that I didn’t expect of you - and that’s your humour. This poster, while it’s not taking itself seriously, It’s very well put together, so your humour is kind of a silent killer that’s emerging really well with this. I love the inclusion of the logos, I think that’s what puts it head and shoulders above the other ones for me personally? But I think the main issue here that’s dragging you back is your look.
Your massive coats and cinching seem to be a signature for you, but for this challenge it would’ve been amazing if you tapped into perhaps producing an outfit that screamed “NuEDM Drag Queen Lady DJ”. If you harken back to audition looks, a lot of people used black, white and neon colours and effortlessly pulled off these neon fantasies. I know that your reference poole was probably a lot short-handed by the lack of female DJs, but I feel like tapping into the likes of perhaps, Daft Punk (looking at how the two are like, robot-human augmentations) Ulala Space Channel 5 could’ve been another reference poole, Jet Set Radio - all these sort of references might’ve helped push a new silhouette and concept for you. For next week, try to think about production of silhouettes, and perhaps branching out and exploring a little bit whilst keeping it in your own little realm of Aura. I hope that helped!
Up next is...

ARCANGELO | POSTER

Sally Spellman: This poster I don’t like, I’ll be understanding of you being under a time crunch so I won’t blame you, this isn’t really giving me hip hop but rather a brochure that a jehovah's witness would give me, I know christianity is your gig but I think it didn’t help you for your poster, I wish the silhouette’s pose were different, more relaxed rather than “enlightened”.
The look itself isn’t very exciting to me, it’s a hip hop look alright, very early 2000s Cee Lo Green sort of thing I think it was a good opportunity to experiment more with holy imagery rather than restricting it to just some bling, the lamb coat was a nice touch and let me say I think this lineless style is very cool! I think since it was supposed to be a music video look you could have gone larger than life with it, especially since you got hip hop!
Miyu Moon: There is something really strange about this poster and I can't put my hand on it. Maybe it's the singular wing or the fact that it's all so dark and mysterious but it's just not jumping up and grabbing my attention. I can tell that it's a show of some sort, if not for the word "concert" in the title I would have no idea that it is music based at all and would probably just assume it's some sort of church group or a public talk or something. The blue and white colour scheme is definitely heavenly, but it's just kind of a big wash of cool tones and would probably blend into the background out in the world.
Admittedly I find this outfit really charming, the big wooly jacket is so country. I like the way you combined the country boy element with the hip hop element, the heeled timbs are great and the jewelry is perfect. The outfit underneath however is pretty basic in its own, it's just a button down shirt and a pair of adidas track pants. I would have liked to see an outfit that looked more custom made and flashy in its intricacy, right now it looks kind of like somebody's dad made a costume for a music video in their backyard and not like an actual high budget musical artist. The idea behind this is right but I just think it needed to look a little more interesting without relying on just the coat or the chains, I feel like the elements of the outfit should still sell an image of country even if there isn't literal sheeps wool laid on top. Also, the poster and look really don't have much to do with each other, like this outfit is way more fun and interesting than the poster. I wouldn't think the person on the poster was this same person in the music video, so I wish your poster was more exciting to match this level of fun.
Sulphur Bomme: Hello Arcangelo! I think the poster has elements that are strong but feel ultimately rushed in a sense of understanding that you were late yesterday. Which is understandable, but some of these elements would have really worked a lot more in tandem with time management.
I don’t really get Christian Hip Hop from this at all if I’m completely honest. It’s giving me like, northern lights but make it viewable from these select locations. I think the inclusion of information and your stylistic intention to bring this back to Arcangelo is there, just that this poster is just not correlating towards Hip Hop, it’s more like a tourism brochure? If you referenced Christian Hip Hop there’s still a bit of grime and a bit of street style to it, and that would’ve made it more iconographic with Hip Hop. Boom Boxes, a Bible but it’s got a Gucci bookshield on it, who knows.
Your outfit really just screams the dad at the communion who got into the Sunday School dress-up chest? That kinda fits with the Christian Hip-Hop theme. It just needs a lot more than you’ve presented I feel. This would’ve really benefited from an on-the-nose sort of patterned top and bottom, Gucci vibes of like, Calabasas Street Style but make it Jeffree Star Untouchable, a puffer jacket instead, more jewellery, wear the entire sales rack of Claire’s, it needed to be elevated to a level that could compete and stand out more on its own. And I’m sad because you could’ve really took a comedic route with this and really stuck it to the rest of the competitors, because you genuinely are a good humoured and strong at delivering jokes.
I think next week would be a time to really harken back to the production of work say, from Disease Week and Seasons Week. Really have fun with Arcangelo, because when you have fun it’s so obvious that you enjoyed designing the look and you enjoyed the production of it. I hope this helped!
The judges have made their decisions.
Selecta you've got the sabor, you've got tumbao, AZÚCAR! You're safe.
Oriana This week your death metal poster and look... gave us life, you're safe.
Ripper Hole The jazzman jazzed all over the place, I'm testifying, condragulations you're the winner of this week's challenge.
Bianca Biquini While we were expecting you to folk out, this week you folked up, I'm sorry my dear but you're up for elimination.
Aura Your EDM poster was amazing but your music video look killed the radio star...
Arcangelo Your hip hop presentation was more of a big flop...
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Arcangelo, I'm sorry my dear but you're also up for elimination.
That means Bianca Biquini and Arcangelo, you're both up for elimination
The lipsync song for this week is Audio by LSD. The lipsync looks, and our next elimination, will be revealed in a few hours, at about 9:00am PST. We'll see you there!

FULL CRITIQUES

Yep, I’m at it again…
 
Before I get into it, this is strictly fantasy, none of this is guaranteed to happen so I’m sorry if I get your hopes up again.
 
So basically, I’m approaching this like I did in my Ventura Bay Map Expansions. Different sections would be added at specific dates as expansion packs. The map part will be free but the accompanying cars, crews and story will be paid DLC. To keep it clean, there’s just one full map instead of multiple ones to show each expansion. This time, there will be 3 different significant expansions.
 
Some Disclaimers before we get into it:

• There will be no Toyota, Lexus or Scion in the DLC cars that are included in the map expansions below. Trust me, it was really hard to omit Toyotas from the list - especially the drift crews. Ferrari is omitted to because it looks like they were not in Payback for reasons - one would assume it won’t be back as DLC.
• The specialized class the Crew’s have doesn’t mean anything is necessarily strictly for that class. Again, this is fantasy so things included with a Drag crew could still contain Race class, Races, what have you.
• This kind of relates to the one above but all the cars will be available in all classes and 399… In case someone asks for some reason.
• You will also notice the map is tilted a bit - I did this so I could fill in the places with my mega-map of all the combined NFS cities as well as making more geographic sense (desert in the south, trees and mountains up north).
• If your favourite car isn’t in here, I may have purposely omitted it, didn’t make the cut, or I forgot. If it’s the later, I may swap it in for another car depending on it’s importance from a combination of you guys and myself.
• If you find it too cheesy at times, it’s probably working. There needs to be a level of cringeworthy moments because real life can be cringeworthy at times. You’ll notice some of these individuals may be stereotypical, but that’s the point.
• Each Crew will be accompanied by 7 cars - I believe the only exception is that I added the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR for obvious reasons.

 
Here is the final map
 
Here is all the crews with logos and images of what their region would look like
Prepare yourself, it’s gonna be cheesy…
 
First Expansion // December 19th, 2017
 
Crew: Carville Invitational
Region: Carville International Airport
Class: Drag
Leader: AJ Samuels “Slick”
Date: December 19th, 2017
 
Carville Invitational is a drag crew that focuses on legal drag racing at the airstrip but they aren’t afraid to take it to the streets at night. Their cars consist of everything under the sun. AWD, RWD, FWD, it doesn’t matter. Race what you brought, there’s something for everyone. The leader drives Chevrolet Cobalt SS - don’t let it fool you, it’s a monster.
 
Cars:

• 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX
  
• 2007 Ford Mustang GT
  
• 2009 Ford Crown Victoria
  
• 1970 Chevrolet El Camino
  
• 1992 Honda CRX
  
• 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS
  
• 2014 Chrysler 300 SRT8
  
• 1973 Pontiac Firebird
  

 
//
 
Crew: Alpha Omega
Region: Presteign Heights and Beaureille
Class: Runner
Leader: Chad Stokes
Date: December 19th, 2017
 
This group of Hooligans are young drivers who drive on their parents dime. These kids are reckless and love getting in Police Pursuits at night - when they aren’t at Beaureille University. This Fraternity for young drivers own newer mid-range cars. Not too expensive, but not cheap either. Watch out for the fist bumps, Monster Energy and Varsity Jackets.
 
Cars:

• 2017 Subaru WRX STi
  
• 2013 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
  
• 2013 Mercedes-Benz C63
  
• 2017 Dodge Charger Hellcat
  
• 2010 Audi RS5
  
• 2016 Audi RS4
  
• 2017 Cadillac ATS-V
  

 
//
 
Crew: Stockholders
Region: Carville Stockyards
Class: Drift
Leader: Stacy Dijkstra “The Lioness”
Date: December 19th, 2017
 
Basing their crew in the old Stockyards and Carville Industrial Park, this drift team has set up their own personal drift circuit where the old Americana Parts factory was located. The Lioness bought the old factory and owns the whole block, giving her and her crew the freedom to do whatever they please. They hold regular drift competitions for those who’d rather take it to the track.
 
Cars:

• 1991 Nissan Silvia
  
• 2006 Infiniti G35
  
• 2009 Pontiac Solstice
  
• 1998 BMW M3
  
• 2009 Dodge Viper
  
• 2014 Jaguar XKR
  
• 2017 Cadillac CTS-V
  
• 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  

 
//
 
Second Expansion // March 6th, 2018
 
Crew: Freedom Fighters
Region: Casino Cliffs
Class: Drag
Leader: Darryl “Monty” Montgomery
Date: March 6th, 2018
 
The entire portion north and east of Silver Canyon is run by the Freedom Fighters - a group of middle aged men who are having a midlife crisis and take it to the streets. The abundance of straight tunnels, low traffic and massive Silver Bridge make for the perfect Drag Races and Roll Races. Their cars consist of classic American Muscle. The leader, Monty, drives a Plymouth Road Runner with a Superbird kit on it.
 
Cars:

• 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge
  
• 1967 Pontiac GTO
  
• 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
  
• 1970 Plymouth Road Runner
  
• 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle
  
• 1968 Dodge Dart
  
• 1969 Dodge Challenger
  

 
//
 
Crew: The Establishment
Region: Mason Valley and Diamond Valley
Class: Race
Leader: Unknown
Date: March 6th, 2018
 
The northern highway loop is dominated by a group of wealthy entrepreneurs, CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies and, if rumours are true, even some government officials. These unknown racers are a direct response to the 1% Club. These are real 1%ers who have more money than they know what to do with. These guys aren’t afraid to put their cars on the line and they have some special supercars up for grabs. The mysterious leader drives a plain black Mclaren F1.
 
Cars:

• 1995 Mclaren F1
  
• 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
  
• 2006 Porsche Carrera GT
  
• 1993 Jaguar XJ220
  
• 2008 Bugatti Veyron
  
• 2007 Koenigsegg CCX
  
• 2010 Pagani Zonda
  
• 1998 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR AMG
  

 
//
 
Crew: Touge Union
Region: Mason Valley and Diamond Valley
Class: Drift
Leader: Ryan Cooper
Date: March 6th, 2018
 
Sharing the region with The Establishment, Touge Union makes use of the sweeping canyon roads and winding highway bends. This crew was spun off from Noise Bomb, when Noise Bomb dissolved as a legal race crew and former Touge Union leader Aki Kimura took his business to Fortune Valley to settle a score with the man who singlehandedly took his team from him. There is bad blood between Togue Union and Noise Bomb. While both started on the track, they now battle it out on the streets. Touge Union are a bunch of Weeaboos who strictly drive imported Asian tuners. Ryan Cooper drives a red Mazda RX-8 akin to Aki’s RX-7 10 years ago.
 
Cars:

• 2008 Mazda RX-8
  
• 1995 Nissan 300zx
  
• 2012 Nissan 370z
  
• 1989 Nissan Cefiro
  
• 1996 Nissan Skyline GT-R
  
• 1990 Mazda RX-7
  
• 1997 Nissan Laurel
  
• 1995 Mitsubishi 3000 GT
  

 
//
 
Crew: World Rallye League
Region: Laguna Valley and Las Almas Church
Class: Offroad
Leader: Mitchell “Highlander” Grisholm
Date: March 6th, 2018
 
World Rallye League are a rally inspired offroad crew with members from all around the world. Their rides consist of Group B monsters and Iconic World Rally cars. The leader is a Scotsman who once was a professional rally driver but after suffering a near fatal crash, decided to take his skills elsewhere. Laguna Valley and Las Almas Church offer the best wide open dirt roads - free from civilization. Highlander drives a navy blue Ford Escort Cosworth.
 
Cars:

• 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
  
• 1998 Subaru Impreza 22b
  
• 1996 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
  
• 1985 Ford RS200
  
• 1992 Ford Escort Cosworth
  
• 1984 Audi Quattro
  
• 1985 Porsche 959
  

 
//
 
Third Expanison // June 5th, 2018
 
Crew: Kangaroo Court
Region: Chastaine Mountains
Class: Runner
Leader: Tineale “Sheila” Longsworth
Date: June 5th, 2018
 
This group of Aussies have brought their “Hoon Driving” to Fortune Valley. Tired of Tracy Grimshaw giving them the shits back home, they came over to the Fortune Valley street racing scene and brought with them some illegal Aussie Icons. While they specialize in getting in cop chases and causing a scene, Kangaroo Court aren’t afraid to throw some skids in the hills or race down the Interstate. Tineale drives red and gold Monaro.
 
Cars:

• 2015 Holden Commodore
  
• 2003 Holden Monaro
  
• 2006 Pontiac GTO
  
• 2008 Pontiac G8 GXP
  
• 2010 Ford Falcon
  
• 2002 Ford Falcon TS50
  
• 2015 Holden Commodore Ute
  

 
//
 
Crew: Los Reyes Fenix
Region: Salado Oil Field
Class: Offroad
Leader: Alejandro “Alie” Vasquez
Date: June 5th, 2018
 
Alie’s dad owns the Oil Field surrounding the southern half of Lake Salado - the area has become a playground for Los Reyes Fenix. The name comes from their family business nearly going bankrupt before finding more oil in Fortune Valley. The Kings specialize in Trucks and SUV’s and share their airstrip with the Limitless crew. Alie drives a silver, maroon and white Porsche Cayenne.
 
Cars:

• 2016 Cadillac Escalade
  
• 2017 Range Rover Evoque
  
• 2003 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning
  
• 2017 Chevrolet Silverado
  
• 2017 Jaguar F-Pace
  
• 2017 Mercedes-Benz ML63
  
• 2017 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S
  

 
//
 
Crew: Limitless
Region: Bonnavista Salt Flats and Fortune Motor Speedway
Class: Race
Leader: Dale King
Date: June 5th, 2018
 
Lead by former Race Car driver, Limitless is an all around race crew with some of the fastest cars on the market today. Whether it be setting top speed records at the Salt Flats or doing endless laps around the Motor Speedway, these wealthy car enthusiasts like to keep their racing civilized and on a closed off environment. Limitless likes to keep their cars looking stock. They despise body modifications and prefer all modifications be done under the hood. King drives an orange Corvette ZR1.
 
Cars:

• 2016 Bugatti Chiron
  
• 2015 Koenigsegg One:1
  
• 2017 Mclaren 675 LT
  
• 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
  
• 2017 Lamborghini Centenario
  
• 2006 Ford GT
  
• 2010 Jaguar C-X75
  

Joker
Entrance Animation: Resembles how Joker lands on a train in the opening cinematic of Persona 5, Joker's animation during some loading screens, and Joker's animation when the player chooses to leave a palace.
Neutral Attack/Forward Tilt: The second hit of Joker's jab and all of his forward tilt use a thrust. This thrust, and especially the animation for Joker's forward tilt, resembles the last hit of Akechi's standard three hit combo in Persona 5. The other two hits resemble the remaining attacks in Joker's jab, so, though out of order, the whole combo may be the origin for Joker's jab (link has sixth palace spoilers).
Down Tilt: Joker can slide under obstacles in Persona 5.
Up Tilt: Joker twirls his dagger in the victory screen for finishing a battle if he is the only member remaining. With Arsene, this move gains an electric effect, which may reference the magic attack Zio.
Dash Attack/Forward Aerial: Joker usually doesn't kick in Persona 5, but some of his allies like Ryuji and Makoto do for their standard attacks, and Makoto specifically has a two hit roundhouse kick (link has minor third palace spoilers). Joker is seen kicking a power source to break it, though.
Up Smash: Resembles the second hit of Joker's standard three hit combo.
Down Smash: Somewhat resembles the first hit of Joker's standard three hit combo.
Up Air: Resembles Joker spinning in the opening cinematic for Persona 5.
Down Air: As this post mentions, it's oddly similar to a pose Joker makes for Yusuke during a confidant mission.
Grab: May be a reference to Joker's steal ability.
Up Taunt: Adjusts his glove like at the end of an All-Out Attack. Morgana says "Looking cool, Joker!" during a battle when Joker exploits an enemy's weakness.
Side Taunt: Morgana's starry eyes resembles artwork during some dialogue.
Victory Music 1: After Battle from Persona 3.
Victory Music 2: Results from Persona 4.
Victory Music 3: Battle Victory Theme from Persona 5.
All-Out Attack: Players are given the option to initiate an All-Out Attack in the Persona series when every enemy has been knocked down.
Gun: Joker can use a gun in battle.
Gun Special: Joker can use special attacks that use his gun. His first special attack, down shot, has him shoot in this manner, but without the blue effect.
Eiha: Eiha is a curse type skill in Persona 5.
Eigaon: Eigaon is a stronger curse type skill in Persona 5.
Grappling Hook: Could be based off of what Joker hangs on in the system menu, but most likely based off of common thievery equipment. In Persona 5 The Royal, Joker is seen using a grappling hook. It's unclear if this is the origin as this was revealed after Joker's release in Smash.
Wings of Rebellion: Arsene can fly.
Rebel's Guard: Players can guard in the Persona series to reduce damage and to avoid getting knocked down from an elemental weakness. The animation is based off of Joker's magic attack casting animation.
Tetrakarn: Tetrakarn is a skill that negates the damage of a physical attack. The counterattack itself resembles Garu, a wind elemental attack.
Makarakarn: Makarakarn is a skill that negates the damage of a magic attack.
Attack animations: It's entirely possible the development team knew about P5R and P5S, as the grappling hook made an appearance in Smash before P5R was formally revealed. The red effects on Joker's dagger swipes could be a reference to P5S, or just the thematic color of Persona 5.
Walk: Resembles Joker's run and dash animations in P5.
Jump: Resembles Joker's climbing animation in P5.
Double Jump: A reference to the first cutscene in P5 at the casino, which Joker's 3.0 trailer references.
Forward Roll: Resembles Joker jumping between cover on the same object.
Back Roll: Resembles Joker initiating an All-Out Attack or a follow up attack.
Crouch: Resembles Joker's animation for ducking behind a wall to avoid getting spotted.
Ledge Roll: Resembles Joker's animation for when he attempts to jump to more cover but there isn't more to jump to.
Idle: Joker twirls his dagger when he wins a match as the only member left.
Cut-in: The same cut-in in P5 that occurs sometimes when Joker exploits an enemy's weakness.
Reveal Trailer
Game Awards Version: This version of Joker's reveal references the general formula for completing a Palace. One must first infiltrate the palace, or theater in this case; secure a route to the treasure, the invitation; and then send a calling card. After the invitation to smash is revealed, several fighters appear as shadows, the enemies in Persona 5. In this section, based on the style in the opening cinematic for Persona 5, Life Will Change (Instrumental) plays, which normally plays when a calling card is sent in Persona 5. In the next section, Joker is seen awakening Arsene, like he originally did in Persona 5. Here, The Spirit plays, which normally plays when ranking up a Confidant in Persona 5.
3.0 version
The first two stages shown may be meant to resemble the casino in Persona 5. When Joker's Shujin Academy alt is revealed, the stage shown is meant to reference his everyday life. When Rebel's Guard is first shown, Joker is in a shield broken stance, referencing how players can be knocked down when hit with an element they're weak to. When attacked, he then uses Rebel's Guard, referencing how guarding in the Persona series can guard against elemental weaknesses. When Arsene appears and Joker takes off his mask, the remix of Beneath the Mask plays, which plays during Joker's normal life in Tokyo. Here Ryuji says that Joker could use a more powerful persona, referencing the fact that Joker can use multiple personas and Arsene is intially the weakest. Later on, Arsene is seen reaching his hand out as electricity appears in front of him from Joker's up tilt, again referencing Zio. When Joker in shown with Piranha Plant, the stage references Joker's room in the attic of Cafe Leblanc. Piranha Plant may reference the plant Joker can give nutrients to in the same room. Right after, Joker twirls in front of the moon, a reference to the first cutscene in Persona 5. This part of the trailer ends with the Phantom Thieves logo, a reference to several instances in Persona 5 where the Phantom Thieves logo is used to signify the takeover of things like a website. The whole trailer ends with Joker stealing a crown from King K. Rool and Wario's bike, referencing him stealing treasures. Throughout the whole trailer, Morgana is the one introducing most of Joker's aspects, since he is the one who provides many tutorials in Persona 5.
Mementos
This stage borrows many aspects from the opening of Persona 5, like the animation of Morgana running on the screen.
The Morgana bus appearing referencing the mode of transportation in Mementos. If you were wondering, the reason Morgana can transform into a bus is a reference to the Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro.
The background for Mementos is the Mementos overview in Persona 5.
The normal dust effects for walking is replaced with pink splashes, referencing the same splashes that occur in palaces in Persona 5.
Spirits
Morgana

• Pikachu using a killing edge is a reference to Morgana's weapon, and may also reference some of Morgana's skills that increase the chance for a critical hit.
  
• The dangerously high winds reference Morgana's persona's wind skills.
  
• Incineroar with its black alt represents Morgana's persona, Zorro.
  
• (Major Spoilers) The stage Mementos represents the fact that it's Morgana's birth place.
  

Ryuji

• Ryuji is a former track runner, so having the second fastest character in the game representing him is fitting.
  
• Having a home-run bat references Ryuji's follow up attack.
  
• The Mii Gunner with the pirate hat represents Ryuji's persona, Captain Kidd.
  
• I have no idea what the stage represents.
  

Ann

• Zero Suit Samus in her red alt represents Ann well as both have red outfits and whips.
  
• The fire flower item appearing references Ann's persona's fire skills.
  
• Peach with her red alt represents Ann's persona, Carmen.
  
• Castle Siege represents the first palace in the game, Kamoshida's Castle.
  

Yusuke

• Chrom and Yususke are both blue haired and use swords, and they share the same english voice actor.
  
• Vince appearing as an assist trophy represents Yusuke's love for art.
  
• Dedede with his blue alt represents Yusuke's persona, Goemon.
  
• Suzaku Castle represents the second palace in the game, Madarame's Museum.
  

Makoto

• Wario represent's Makoto's persona, Johanna, as it is a motorcycle.
  
• Dracula's Castle represents the third palace in the game, Kaneshiro's Bank.
  

Futaba

• Dr. Wily represents Futaba's persona, Necronomicon.
  
• Boss Galaga appearing as an item is a reference to Futaba's position as a hacker for the Phantom Thieves.
  
• Mushroomy Kingdom is a reference to the fourth palace in the game, Futaba's Tomb.
  
• Beneath the Mask plays here instead of Last Surprise because Futaba is Sojiro Sakura's daughter, and the same song plays in his shop Cafe Lebanc.
  

Haru

• Villager with its pink alt references Haru's love for gardening. Both also use axes.
  
• Daisy's purple alt represents Haru's persona, Milady, and Daisy wields a super scope because Haru's persona has a second awakening in the fifth palace.
  
• The stage represents Haru's garden on the roof of Shujin Academy.
  

Akechi

• Marth and Akechi both use swords.
  
• Marth also starts off with a saber, referencing Akechi's weapon even more.
  
• Ray Guns appear as items as Akechi uses one for his gun.
  
• Pit with his blue alt represent's Akechi's persona, Robin Hood.
  
• Fourside represents the sixth palace in the game, Niijima's Casino.
  
• Reversing controls may represent the fact that Akechi can cause people to have psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns.
  
• The song is Rivers in the Desert because (Major Spoilers) the song plays during the few last bosses in the game, and while it doesn't play for Akechi, he is one of those few.
  

Caroline and Justine

• Taking serious damage after a while is a reference to their secret fight in NG+ where they're incredibly strong.
  
• Kalos League represents the Velvet Room.
  
• Aria of the Soul plays in the Velvet Room
  

Igor

• Kalos League and Aria of the Soul are chosen for the same reason as Caroline and Justine.
  
• The three Ridleys and the assist trophies may represent personas, as Igor allows you to create new personas.
  

Phantom Thieves of Hearts

• The Daybreak parts appearing is certainly a reference to The Day Breakers, an anime short based on Persona 5 used to promote the game.