Car destruction lovers rejoice, Wreckfest 2 is on the way

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Wreckfest 2 was announced today, with developer Bubear and publisher THQ Nordic prepared to reprise the successful game where you race, sure, but also smash your car directly into other cars on purpose to win. Where other racing games whine and complain about cars going smash, Wreckfest does not. The announcement was made at today's THQ Nordic 2024 showcase.

In the announcement trailer, a pensive driver-mechanic swaps between melodramatic brooding over his damaged car and an in-game driver camera as he slings trash talk while barreling down a dusty track as other cars smash and sideswipe each other—before a particularly well-angled hit from another driver sends him rolling across the course.

Wreckfest 2 will have a revamped, remodeled physics engine set up to take advantage of modern hardware. That means, as the description says, "even higher crash fidelity, a deeper armor and damage system" and "more intricate component damage simulation" among many other improvements.

Wreckfest 2 is also emphasizing its game modes getting a revamp, starting with greater car customization. The career mode is described as "entirely reimagined" and that it "supports every playstyle on your mission to become the true champion." There will also be singleplayer challenges featuring vehicles that you should not try to put on a racetrack. It'll also have multiplayer, complete with skill-based matchmaking, and a local split-screen mode.

The first Wreckfest was notable back in 2018 because it's from the developers of the also-beloved also-car-smashing FlatOut series. It did pretty well for itself because of its robust physics simulation combined with its relatively serious tone, which the PC Gamer review of Wreckfest says is because it was—and still is—"unlike anything else in the genre."

Wreckfest 2 doesn't yet have a release date, but you can find more details on THQ Nordic's website and on Steam.

Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.