Fiona Sperry, instrumental in the creation of the beloved Burnout series, has established a new studio named When Tides Turn. This move comes after her previous studio, Three Fields Entertainment, faced closure when publisher THQ Nordic withdrew support for their open-world arcade racer, Wreckreation.
Sperry, who led Criterion Games during the development of the Burnout franchise from its 2001 debut through the 2008 release of Burnout Paradise, founded Three Fields Entertainment with other Criterion alumni. The independent studio released spiritual successors like Danger Zone and Dangerous Driving before launching Wreckreation in October of last year. However, just weeks after its release, THQ Nordic ceased all support, leading to Sperry announcing potential redundancies for her team.
"As an independent studio, we will not see revenue from game sales for the foreseeable future," Sperry stated at the time, citing the need for self-funding and the lack of publisher enthusiasm or financial backing. A reduced team at Three Fields continued to provide updates for Wreckreation, but the game struggled to reach its full potential in a rough launch state.
Undeterred, Sperry has gathered a core group of Three Fields veterans to form When Tides Turn. The new studio is actively developing Wreckreation 2 for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. While a release date has not yet been announced, an early playable build was shared with Polygon.
Wreckreation 2 appears to stay true to the Burnout formula, emphasizing high-speed arcade racing, responsive handling, aggressive AI, a prominent boost system, and spectacular crash physics. The gameplay prioritizes not only speed but also the strategic elimination of opponents.
Shifting from Wreckreation's open, rural map and focus on user-generated content, Wreckreation 2 will largely take place within a city environment, drawing closer parallels to Burnout Paradise. The current demo features a dense downtown area, with plans to expand to include docklands, an airport, highways, and other urban and suburban locales. Players will be able to freely explore the city and discover events such as Smash Gates. Available modes in the demo include races, 1v1 duels, Road Rages, and Wreckoning time trials, with additional modes like Blackspots, Eliminator, Marked Man, and Pursuit slated for later. The game will also reintroduce Wreckreation's creation tools, though the city map's current design may present different possibilities for these features.
When Tides Turn is collaborating with the Wreckreation community to shape the sequel. "Over the last six months we've been talking directly to players about what they want from a modern arcade driving game, and Wreckreation 2 is the result of those conversations," Sperry commented. "From handling and progression to events and world design, our community has already helped shape key aspects of the experience. We're building this game with the players, not just for them."
While Sperry's previous projects at Three Fields Entertainment may not have reached the same heights as Criterion's Burnout games, the team's dedication to the genre remains evident. Despite the challenges faced, When Tides Turn is pursuing their arcade racing vision with renewed determination.