The project first appeared publicly around 2008, when creator Zach Griffin teased a karting simulator under the working title KartSim via social media. Griffin formally established the Black Delta studio in 2015 and relaunched the project under the KartKraft name. The simulator entered Steam Early Access in November 2018 and spent approximately three years in that state before the 1.0 release.
In March 2021, Motorsport Games acquired Black Delta for $1 million USD. Development continued under Motorsport Games' ownership through the 1.0 launch in January 2022, but the studio was closed in November 2023 as part of broader restructuring within Motorsport Games. The closure ended all active development and caused the online multiplayer to cease functioning.
On 28 January 2025 the cloud authentication server required to launch KartKraft stopped responding, making the simulator unplayable even in offline modes for all users. On 4 February 2025 the CEO of Motorsport Games publicly confirmed that server access would be restored.
KartKraft featured seven officially licensed, laser-scanned real-world circuits alongside one fictional track. Licensed venues at the 1.0 release included Whilton Mill and PF International (in standard and Classic layouts) in the United Kingdom, Karting Genk in Belgium, Atlanta Motorsports Park in the United States, and the Geelong Kart Club and Go Kart Club of Victoria (including a reverse layout) in Australia. A fictional Brentomonte Circuit and a Hangar Track — available exclusively in time trial mode — completed the track listing.
The vehicle roster comprised five kart classes. The KA100 served as the entry-level class; the X30 stepped up in power; the KZ2 introduced a gearbox; the KartKross was an off-road variant; and the Praga Monster Kart — rated at 600cc and 100 horsepower — occupied a separate high-performance class introduced at the time of the 1.0 launch.
The simulator supported virtual reality headsets, triple-screen configurations, and full motion racing platforms. Online multiplayer used a hopper matchmaking system for sessions of up to 25 players. Collision detection between karts was disabled in multiplayer, and sessions were limited to practice format. The mode never exited a beta designation and was not featured prominently on the game's Steam store page. Multiplayer ceased functioning following the closure of Black Delta.
Hardcore Gamer awarded KartKraft 2.5 out of 5, praising the simulation fidelity while criticising the product as a game overall. Within the sim-racing community, opinion on the physics has been divided: many regard it as among the more authentic karting feel simulations available, with real-world karters noting that accurately replicating a kart's suspension-free frame flex, rear axle locking behaviour and the influence of driver body movement on cornering is fundamentally difficult for any software to achieve.
The trajectory of KartKraft is widely seen as an unfulfilled opportunity. Under independent Black Delta, the physics showed considerable promise; the Motorsport Games acquisition and subsequent studio closure halted development before those foundations could be built upon. The game remains one of a small number of dedicated karting simulators in the PC sim-racing market.