The speedrunning platformer appropriately named SpeedRunners is getting a sequel.
At this year’s Triple-i Initiative,tinyBuild revealed SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed, which they’ll be releasing on Steam later this year and on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch next year.
The original SpeedRunners is a 2D side-scrolling racing game, where players use various items they find to knock everyone else off the screen to eliminate them, or just find quicker paths to outrun them and leave them behind to be the last one standing (or running, as it were).
The previous game, released on Steam in early access in 2013, got its full release in 2016and came to Xbox OneandPS4 in 2017witha Switch version dropping in 2020, and allowed four players to race on a single screen, but SpeedRunners 2 ups the ante by bumping that number up to eight, which will make the game’s local and online side-scrolling races even more chaotic.
A Key Part Of Its Publisher’s History
The original SpeedRunners was one of tinyBuild’s first publishing deals back in 2013, and was instrumental in turning them into the indie publishing powerhouse they are today.
Alex Nichiporchik, CEO of tinyBuild, has fond memories of the first game, and is excited for fans to get their hands on the sequel.
“SpeedRunners was the game that kickstarted tinyBuild’s publishing journey 12 years ago and we are thrilled to breathe new life into this timeless franchise. SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed will take everything to the next level while preserving what made the original so great and memorable.”
SpeedRunners 2 is being developed by Fair Play Labs, the developer behindthe Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl games, but key members of the original SpeedRunners developer DoubleDutch Games have returned to consult on the sequel to make sure it holds up.
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The game is leaning hard into its competitive side, retaining the speed and fluid gameplay of the original but with updated visuals and improved netcode for a more solid online experience, with leaderboards and tournaments for more hardcore players, taking after the long-lived competitive community for the first game.
Those less competitively inclined will also be able to host private lobbies to enjoy the chaotic races with their friends in relative peace.
SpeedRunners 2, much like its predecessor, takes inspiration from the Mario Kart series with its item pick-ups scattered throughout each stage, leading to a similarly cutthroat competition, just on a side-scrolling 2D plane instead of a full 3D environment. That doesn’t reduce the intensity of the races at all, though.
The retro-futuristic style and cast of superheroes return as well, along with some new characters to choose from to run, jump, blast, and swing on your grappling hook through the intricately-crafted stages.
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