Building on the success of Hot Wheels Unleashed and its sequel, Milestone has now attempted to create an open-world racing game with Hot Wheels Infinite Rush – once again set in a toy-scale world.
With over two million copies sold, Hot Wheels Unleashed (released in September 2021) was a surprise hit for developer Milestone, publisher Plaion, and Embracer Group, their parent company. Thanks to Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, more than 8 million people have played the game in total. However, the sequel, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged (October 2023), failed to replicate this commercial success, partly due to a crowded release schedule. Hot Wheels Infinite Rush is now set to turn things around, especially since it is being released three years after its predecessor.
The biggest new addition to this arcade racing game is the four model-scale islands, each with a different theme (Wheelswood, Gearville, Tentacle Bay and Drifty Temples). Players can move freely between these islands (interrupted by loading screens), unlocking new areas and open-world challenges as they progress through the campaign. They can also track down hidden collectibles, taking part in the Stuntman activities and, of course, race against rival racing teams to become the 'Rush Master'. While the design of the islands is quite nice, the world does look rather empty and lifeless – here the game lags behind Mario Kart World and Forza Horizon. Sadly, there is no fast-travel feature.
Gearville & Drifty Temples in Hot Wheels Infinite Rush © Milestone, Mattel, Plaion
There are over 150 cars in four classes, each with unique handling characteristics and boost mechanics — naturally, this triggers the desire to collect them all. For instance, the Drifter recharges its boost by drifting, while the Speeder is designed for high speeds on long straights. Titans are good off-road and Versatiles are, in a way, a versatile mix of everything. Vehicles can also be upgraded using modules. The Rush Squad system maximises flexibility by letting players assemble a team of four vehicles — one from each class — and switch between them while exploring the world and adapting to the current terrain or the next challenge. Overall, the uncomplicated, arcade-style gameplay is well executed, as is the sense of speed. However, players should not expect the computer-controlled opponents to pose much of a challenge. Only the highest difficulty level is genuinely challenging.
Players can customise vehicles using decal and paint editors, including the wheels, visual boost effects, and personalised boost and sprint sound effects. The optimised Track Builder is back too, allowing players to design their own tracks in-game and share them online. In addition to a single-player mode, split-screen play is available for up to four players (six competitors per race on Switch 2), as well as online multiplayer with cross-play. However, Nintendo Switch 2 does not support cross-share or cross-play, so it is limited to its own platform.
Wheelswood & Tentacle Bay in Hot Wheels Infinite Rush © Milestone, Mattel, Plaion
Like its predecessors, the game was developed by Milestone in collaboration with Mattel, a Milan-based company founded in 1996. The studio specialises in racing games and employs over 290 people to work on series such as MotoGP, MXGP, Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame and Hot Wheels Unleashed, as well as its own IPs, Ride and Gravel. Milestone was acquired by Koch Media (now Plaion) in 2019. Externally, Milestone also acts as a publisher, backed by Plaion, a global entertainment company that specialises in the distribution, publishing and development of games, merchandise and video entertainment. Plaion has 33 offices around the world and employs over 2,200 people. Plaion has eight game development studios, including Dambuster in the UK, Fishlabs in Germany, Flying Wild Hog in Poland, and Warhorse Studios in the Czech Republic.
Track Editor © Milestone, Mattel, Plaion
Hot Wheels Infinite Rush was released on 10 September 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 and PC via Steam, Microsoft Store and Epic Games Store. The Standard Edition costs €49.99, the Deluxe Edition with the Vehicle Pass costs €79.99, and the Ultimate Edition with the Ferrari Expansion Pack (a new Ferrari-themed island) and the Car Collection Pack costs €99.99. The Vehicle Pass contains 44 additional cars, including models from Ferrari, Acceleracers, and Highway 35.
Hot Wheels Infinite Rush is a fast-paced arcade racing game that fully embraces open worlds. However, it cannot quite keep up with the very best in the genre.
