Wreckreation 2 announced as new arcade racer slated for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, targetting 2027
Created by new studio When Tides Turn, formerly Three Fields Entertainment
Set in a new open-world called Heartbreak City featuring city streets, docks and an airport
New UK indie studio When Tides Turn (formerly Three Fields Entertainment) has unveiled Wreckreation 2, a surprise sequel to last year’s Burnout-inspired open-world arcade racer.
In response to Wreckreation’s mixed reception, the sequel is taking a back-to-basics approach. Whereas the first game was set in a large open world with track creation tools, the sequel is smaller in scale but more focused as a result.
“Over the last six months, we spent a lot of time talking to players, moderators and each other about what worked and what didn’t [about Wreckreation],” said When Tides Turn’s Studio Head and Executive Producer, Fiona Sperry. “And we kept coming back to the same conclusion: we didn’t need a bigger game. We just needed a more focused one.”
According to Sperry, Wreckreation 2 is being developed around five key pillars: “a world built for racing, battling and crashing,” “driving that feels physical,” “every race is a battle,” “cars players grow attached to” and “a player-led creative community.”
Wreckreation 2 is set in a new map called Heartbreak City, with a coastal setting reminiscent of Paradise City in Burnout Paradise.
Compared to the previous game, the environment is smaller, but features “richer, more detailed locations”, according to Art Director Phil Pillpot. “One of the clearest messages from our first game was that they wanted a world that is denser, busier and more alive,” he explained.
Alongside the coastal highways and mountain areas seen in the first game, the new location features more urban areas, with industrial districts, busy city streets, an airport and docks.
In a welcome improvement to the first game’s often barren location, the traffic is denser, and the environment is littered with landmarks and destructible objects.
As a Burnout-style arcade racer, combat is also a core focus. Cars feel heavier than before, making battling with rivals feel more visceral. Likewise, AI opponents are more aggressive, and vehicle damage is vastly improved, with improved bodywork deformation and more detachable parts, including wheels flying off.
Furthermore, vehicle customisation is being expanded with multiple upgrade tiers. In addition to improving performance, vehicles can be upgraded with suspension modifications, custom tyres and paint jobs, giving them a unique identity.
When Tides Turn revealed how a car can evolve from a standard model to a drag racer with lowered suspension, a rollcage and an exposed supercharger.
According to Sperry, the aim is for players to “grow attached to a garage full of personality, not hundreds of cars you never use.”
Despite being a key aspect of the previous game, track customisation was notably absent in the trailer and playable build.
“If we go off trying to also do track creation, as we found out in Wreckreation 1, it takes the focus away from that battle racing,” said Sperry. While this aspect is ”not the main focus” yet, creation tools allowing players to “build, customise and share their own routes, events and challenges” are still planned for the final.
Previously teased as an unreleased mode in the first game, a Burnout-style crash mode, currently dubbed ‘Accident Blackspot,’ is also planned, alongside an Eliminator mode and the return of Marked Man and Pursuit modes.
Uniquely, the developer is collaborating with the community, with selected players providing feedback from private playtests to help shape the game. There are no plans for an early access release, but public demos are being considered.
While the sequel is at an early stage of development as a “proof of concept,” Wreckreation 2 is targetting a 2027 release window for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
After splitting with publisher THQ Nordic, When Tides Turn is self-publishing the sequel, with additional funding secured from a UK grant. The studio is also seeking further investment from other partners, including angel investors.
When Tides Turn is made up of arcade racing veterans carrying over from Three Fields, including Fiona Sperry, who worked on the Burnout games, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit and Need for Speed Most Wanted at Criterion.
“Our team has decades of experience together and separately over 30-plus games shipped between us – 20 of those in arcade driving,” she said.
“We want to become the leading independent studio serving arcade racing players. We want to build the games that these players have been asking for, which is about returning to the feelings that make arcade racing compelling.”
With a renewed focus on the fundamental driving, carnage and urban city, map Wreckreation 2 could become the successor to Burnout Paradise arcade racing fans have been eagerly waiting for.
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