Former Burnout Developers Announce Open-World Racing Game Wreckreation 2
The announcement marks a fresh start for the Burnout lineage after the original studio's collapse, with the same development team continuing the series under a new banner.
Key Facts
- Wreckreation 2 was announced on July 21, 2026, by developer When Tides Turn.
- The game is in development for PC via Steam, with no release date set.
- The setting is Heartbreak City, an open world with urban streets, highways, airport runways, and shipyards.
- Gameplay modes include standard races, Marked Man, Pursuits, Eliminators, and Road Rage.
- The development team is the same as the previous game, Wreckreation (2025), now operating under the new studio When Tides Turn.
Reporting from 2 sources: Denfaminicogamer, Automaton.
When Tides Turn, a new studio founded by former Burnout series lead Fiona Sperry, announced Wreckreation 2 on July 21. The open-world racing game is in development for PC via Steam, with no release date set. The sequel takes place in Heartbreak City, an open world featuring urban streets, highways, airport runways, and shipyards, with hidden shortcuts. Gameplay focuses on high-contact racing where players ram rival cars to cause takedowns, reminiscent of the Burnout series. Modes include standard races, Marked Man (hunting rivals), Pursuits (escaping pursuit), Eliminators (last car standing), and Road Rage (takedown count competition). The Live Mix feature from the first game returns, letting players place objects on the map to create custom courses. Online multiplayer is planned. The previous game, Wreckreation (2025), was developed by Three Fields Entertainment, which laid off all staff due to financial issues. When Tides Turn comprises the same team members, now operating under a new studio name.
The announcement came via a Steam store page listing on July 21. Wishlist registration is now open. The game is being developed by a team led by Fiona Sperry, who previously led the Burnout series at Criterion Games and later founded Three Fields Entertainment. According to foreign media Polygon, Sperry launched When Tides Turn with veteran staff from the now-closed Three Fields Entertainment after the previous studio laid off all employees due to financial issues.
The game's setting is Heartbreak City, which includes areas such as downtown streets, elevated highways, airport runways, and shipyards. The map is rich with shortcuts and hidden routes. Vehicles include sports cars and classic cars from fictional manufacturers. The revealed footage shows cars making intense contact with sparks flying. The Live Mix feature from the first game returns, allowing players to place objects on the map to create original courses.
Race events include standard races, Marked Man (hunting rival cars), Pursuits (escaping pursuit), Eliminators (surviving until the last car), and Road Rage (competing for the number of takedowns). An online multiplayer mode is planned. The previous game, Wreckreation (2025), struggled in reviews, which may have contributed to the studio's financial difficulties.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.