Hot Wheels is, by far, one of the most iconic toy brands in history. Since it launched back in 1968, the toys have been a childhood staple for many, and now the brand is letting you get behind the wheels of several of its most iconic cars in a new mixed-reality racing game.
Today, Mattel and Velan Studios announced Hot Wheels: Rift Rally, a mixed-reality racing game that allows players to turn their homes into a race track. Described as a unique new Hot Wheels experience that “blends the real world with over-the-top digital environments,” the game will see players take control of the Chameleon RC car, which is outfitted with a 1080p camera. This camera allows players to feel what it’s like to get behind the wheel of a Hot Wheels car as they race it around their house, using Rift Gates to set up the ultimate track.
Using Velan’s mix-reality technology, footage of the player’s home will be overlayed with graphics, blending the real-world fun of driving an RC car with the best elements of racing video games. This tech also allows your in-game car to transform into over 140 vehicles, including fan-favorite Hot Wheels cars like Twin Mill, Bone Shaker, Mach Speeder, and Gotta Go, as well as many original designs made especially for the game. As they play, players will be able to create and customize their own collection of digital cars.
The game will feature two play modes with distinct elements. In Stunt Mode, players drive the Chameleon RC car around without goals, exploring their home from a brand new perspective and seeing what stunts they can pull off. In Campaign mode, players can explore different challenge maps, each with their own races, goals, and mini-games to complete.
In a press release announcing the product, Velan Studios’ CEO Karthik Bala explained what the studio is trying to accomplish.
“Our mission at Velan has always been to create breakthrough games that feel magical to players,” Karthik explains. “Our background combining digital and physical play taught us a lot about the mixed reality racing genre we invented, which we used to bring a transformational new experience to Hot Wheels: Rift Rally.”
Chris Down, Chief Design Officer at Mattel, seems equally excited for Rift Rally:
“Hot Wheels: Rift Rally unlocks an exciting new kind of creative play for Hot Wheels fans by bridging physical and digital play in a way we’ve never seen before.”
Thankfully, you won’t have to wait too long to check it out for yourself. Hot Wheels: Rift Rally is set to launch for PlayStation 4 and 5, as well as iOS devices, on March 14th, 2023. Pre-orders for the standard edition, which comes with the Chameleon RC car, four Rift Gates, and a charging cable, are available on Rift Rally’s official website. Those looking for something extra can also reserve the special edition, which swaps out the standard RC car for a special edition black version, along with a limited edition McLaren Senna Hot Wheels die-cast car and display case.
