Former Wreckreation team starts up new studio working on sequel

When Tides Turn, a newly formed studio led by Fiona Sperry and staffed with former Three Fields Entertainment members, has announced Wreckreation 2. The sequel to 2025’s Wreckreation—a spiritual successor to the dormant Burnout franchise—is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Sperry, a veteran of Criterion Games, emphasized the studio’s desire for complete ownership of the project, describing it as establishing “a new home” for the franchise. She clarified that the original Wreckreation was not a direct Burnout recreation but an exploration of creative freedom in racing games, building on unfinished work from her time at Criterion and the end of Burnout Paradise’s development.

The original Wreckreation, released by Three Fields Entertainment, received mixed reviews despite its ambitious scope as an open-world arcade racer with extensive player creation tools. Wreckreation 2 appears to refocus the design, emphasizing arcade racing moments while incorporating player feedback and potentially reducing emphasis on content creation features.

With Criterion Games now primarily serving as a support studio for EA’s Battlefield franchise rather than pioneering new racing titles, Wreckreation and its sequel have effectively inherited the spiritual successor role for Burnout enthusiasts. The independent structure of When Tides Turn positions the team to iterate with greater creative control and responsiveness to player communities.

Sources

• Former Wreckreation team starts up new studio working on sequel
• Developer of Burnout spiritual successor Wreckreation has formed a new studio working on a sequel
• Burnout Spiritual Successor Aims To Deliver The ‘Ultimate’ Arcade Driving Game For Xbox Series X|S
• Against All Odds, Disappointing Arcade Racer Wreckreation Is Getting a PS5 Sequel
• Building on Burnout and an underwhelming predecessor are Wreckreation 2’s missions, and so far it’s a promising patch of Paradise