Over the Hill pushed back to 2026, mod support confirmed

Originally set for a 2025 release, Over the Hill, the new off-road driving exploration game from Art of Rally creator Funselektor, has been pushed back to 2026. A more specific release window has yet to be announced.

“We don’t have a release date. That’s the simple truth,” Strelka Games CEO Pietro De Grandi announced in Q&A livestream.

“We started development with the idea of making the game by the end of this year,” he continued, adding that announcing it for 2025 was “probably a mistake.”

“Because of the hype surrounding the game, the production we’re doing and a result of the first playtest and all the feedback that we’ve got, we are moving the release date from 2025 to 2026, or the future.

“We’re trying our best to aim for 2026 – we don’t want to go over that for sure. We want to focus on making the best game we can for you and not just rush it.”

De Grandi went on to say that the game is “in a good state” and “where we expected to be,” but “it’s not quite there.”

“This game is a huge risk for us”

While it retains the charming, retro-inspired visuals of the studio’s previous games, Over the Hill is a diversion for developer Funselektor. Compared to games like Absolute Drift and Art of Rally, this is set to be a more relaxing experience, with up to four players exploring off-road terrain in cooperative multiplayer, completing objectives in a variety of overlanding vehicles. 

“It’s fun driving around aimlessly on off-road terrain. It’s very slow gameplay compared to what we’ve done in the past like Art of Rally. It’s like a slow puzzle, picking your way, trying to find grip,” says Casu.   

Pietro admits he was “a bit scared” about how players would respond to Over the Hill compared to Funselektor’s previous games. However, its reception has exceeded expectations. “We never expected the game to blow up,” he says.

Dune Casu emphasises the importance of Over the Hill having a smooth launch as it’s a “huge risk” for the studio.   

“Every game is a huge risk. You see all these studios closing,” says Casu. “We’re fully self-funded and self-published. This game is a huge risk for us.”

“We planned for a short production because we didn’t have a clear vision of the future for the company. You are just as good as your last game,” adds Pietro.

“And if your last game is not good enough, you’re risking the whole company. We have seen a lot of support from the community for Art of Rally and Golden Lap, so we can take more time on Over the Hill.”

While the game is delayed, players can try Over the Hill in upcoming playtests. While the first was restricted to 150 players, every new test will be “more open for new players.” At least two more are planned, with the next one starting “not too far from now,” possibly next month.

In addition to the playtests, Funselektor is considering releasing a playable demo “probably at some point,” but nothing is confirmed yet. When it launches, Funselektor expects Over the Hill to be priced between $20 and $30, similar to Art of Rally.

Livery modding support confirmed

Responding to community questions during the stream, Funselektor confirmed that Over the Hill will have mod support. Like Art of Rally, this will initially be restricted to liveries that can be shared with other players, rather than custom levels.

“We would love to do levels, but anything with modding was a nightmare with Unity,” says Casu. “We tried it with Art of Rally and we failed. It was extremely difficult.”

From steep mountain climbs to scenic routes, players can explore “at least six” areas, each around 4km x 4km.

Vehicles will be upgradeable and can be equipped with tools such as winches to tow yourself out of trouble if you get stuck in the mud. Funselektor aims to strike the right balance of difficulty to prevent the experience from becoming frustrating.

“We want to keep the game easy, but at the same time, having this kind of realism is fun to play with,” explains Tech Lead Giovanni Frigo.

“When you drive on mud, and you usually have a lot of wheelspin, the grip dynamically changes, so you’re not stuck there forever. Sometimes you can find a tiny bit of grip and maybe help yourself with the winch to get out of a muddy situation.”

Wheel support, however, is “not a priority” for the developer right now.

To help ease the difficulty, players can skip time at campsites during storms, with day-to-night transitions taking around one hour in-game. This would initially take 15-20 minutes, but Funselektor is considering making the transitions shorter.  

Weather changes are also now more frequent and can change from clear skies to rainstorms in the course of a day, with wet conditions making the terrain more challenging and slippery.  “A lot of the vibe of the game is this moody weather. That’s a lot of the strength of our game,” says Giovanni.

Over the Hill is currently slated for PC only, with a Mac version also planned. Funselektor also reiterated hopes for a console port and crossplay support.

“We would like to do it,” says De Grandi. “You know Funselektor, the idea is to be on every platform. If we’re going to be on platforms, yes, the game is going to be crossplay.”