Start your engines and get ready to rumble, because here comes a game that combines high-speed cart racing with ruthless battle royale eliminations. Imagine Mario Kart but with dozens of other players, plus the frantic scrambling and colorful cosmetic options of Fall Guys—that’s not a bad way to get an idea of what Stampede: Racing Royale is all about.
The announcement trailer, revealed first in today’s PC Gaming Show, gives us our first look at the 60-player racing game from Secret Mode Games and Sumo Digital, and shows the potential for frantic chases, dramatic finishes, and the chance to completely and gloriously screw over your competitors with a well-timed attack. Power-ups gathered throughout the race include items like projectiles and explosive mines to slow down other racers, shields and force fields to protect your own cart, and speed boosts to rocket you ahead of the competition.
And it’s not just a single race that determines the winner. “Starting with 60 players, 20 competitors are eliminated at the end of the first two rounds, leaving the top 20 players competing to be champion in the final round, says Stampede: Racing Royale development director Paul Hollywood. “Future modes and event types added to Stampede may see the elimination process differ, as we add new experiences and ways to play.”
Customization is naturally a big part of Stampede: Racing Royale—as in games like Fall Guys and Rocket League, there will be customization options you can earn by racing, both to dress up your driver and kit out your car with new paint jobs and wheels. “Customisation is at the heart of Stampede—the ability to make it yours, show off unique looks, and switch up your style whenever you like,” says Hollywood. “The more you play, the more options you can earn and unlock, and we’ll be constantly dropping new cosmetic content for players to check out.”
There will also be an in-game store to buy additional skins and accessories, but rest assured, cart customization is cosmetic only. “We want to ensure a level playing field and fair experience for everyone, with progression purely influenced by player skill,” says Hollywood. “When you’re playing Stampede, we don’t want situations where you can’t succeed because someone else has spent more money than you.”
That doesn’t mean every kart is the same, though. “Kart archetypes, and the progression system that we’ll implement over time, will include differing performance attributes—but each will have their pros and cons, and are discovered and earned via your performance and achievements,” says Hollywood. “Every player goes into every Stampede event with the same chance of success, keeping the game accessible and rewarding to everyone.”
We don’t have a release date for Stampede: Racing Royale yet, but look out for some playtests happening this summer. Here’s the official website to find out more.