HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED™ 2 – TURBOCHARGED TO INCLUDE VEHICLES FROM THE FAST & FURIOUS SAGA
EL SEGUNDO, California and MILAN, Italy – July 28, 2023 – Today, Milestone, a leading global racing game developer, and Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) announced a collaboration with Universal Games and Digital Platforms to include content inspired by one of cinema’s most popular global franchises, Fast & Furious, in the recently announced Hot Wheels Unleashed™ 2 – Turbocharged. The new title will be available on Oct. 19 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch™, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.
From day one, players will be able to enjoy the unstoppable Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody, one of the iconic cars of the Fast & Furious Saga, with more vehicles from the franchise to be added post-launch as a downloadable content purchase.
This collaboration seals an exciting new synergy in the gaming industry, blending fan-favorite intellectual properties from two entertainment companies that have established themselves across pop culture. The association between Hot Wheels Unleashed™ and Fast & Furious emerged earlier this year in Universal Pictures’ Fast X, the latest chapter in the global blockbuster Fast & Furious Saga, where Dominic Toretto's son Brian and sister Mia played the game in the film. Thanks to the engaging new gameplay mechanics of Hot Wheels Unleashed™ 2 - Turbocharged, fans will be able to replicate some of the most spectacular stunts performed in the films.
Besides boosting and drifting, Hot Wheels Unleashed™ 2 - Turbocharged gives players the opportunity to Jump and Double Jump, new mechanics that can be used to outmaneuver rivals or to dodge obstacles in tight spaces, whereas the Lateral Dash is the perfect tool to force opponents off the track or use them as bouncing pads. All of this will be possible while exploring the five brand-new environments featured in the game: an Arcade room that evokes the era of coin-operated games, a residential Backyard transformed into a racing arena, a Mini Golf Course situated in a Wild West town, a Dinosaur Museum, and a retro-style Gas Station diner.
With this collaboration, revealed through an adrenaline-filled trailer, Hot Wheels Unleashed™ 2 - Turbocharged proves to be a truly transmedia experience, extending well beyond the gaming community to Hot Wheels® and Fast & Furious fans worldwide.
“We’re delighted to bring these two iconic racing franchises even closer together in Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 - Turbocharged, building on years of collaboration with our wonderful partners at Universal Games and Digital Platforms” said Mike DeLaet, Global Head of Digital Gaming at Mattel. “You’d be hard pressed to find a more natural pairing than Hot Wheels and Fast & Furious, and the team at Milestone have done an outstanding job with bringing these fan-favorite vehicles to life in authentic Hot Wheels Unleashed fashion”.
“We are proud and excited to collaborate with Universal Games and Digital Platforms to bring the legendary Fast & Furious franchise to the virtual tracks of Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged” – said Andrea Loiudice, Publishing Director at Milestone – “This partnership will fuel the adrenaline of players worldwide, who will unleash their imagination behind the wheel of their favorite Fast & Furious vehicles. We appreciate Mattel’s contribution to such a significant collaboration and we can't wait to witness the thrill and joy it will bring to gamers worldwide”.
Hot Wheels Unleashed™ 2 - Turbocharged is available now for pre-order on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch™, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. For more information, visit hotwheelsunleashed.com.
About Milestone
Founded in Milan in 1996, Milestone S.r.l. is one of the leading and longest-established racing game developers in the world. The 200+ people team is responsible for hit series like MotoGP™, MXGP, and Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame, as well as RIDE and Gravel, Milestone’s own IPs. For more information, please visit www.milestone.it.
HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED™ 2 - Turbocharged © 2023. Published and Developed by Milestone S.r.l. All rights reserved. HOT WHEELS™ and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by, and used under license from, Mattel. ©2023 Mattel. All manufacturers, accessory suppliers, names, tracks, sponsors, brands and associated imagery featured in this game are trademarks and/or copyrighted materials of their respective owners.
About Mattel
Mattel is a leading global toy company and owner of one of the strongest catalogs of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain, and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends®, UNO®, Masters of the Universe®, Monster High® and MEGA®, as well as other popular intellectual properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television content, gaming, music, and live events. We operate in 35 locations and our products are available in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering children to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. Visit us online at mattel.com
About Universal Games and Digital Platforms
Universal’s Games and Digital Platforms group leverages the vast portfolio of IP and characters from NBCUniversal. The Games and Digital Platforms group is a business unit of Universal Products & Experiences (UP&E), which is chartered with globally expanding the company's intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, engaging retail and product experiences across our expansive global theme park destinations (for both owned and 3rd party IP), location-based venues, e-commerce product platforms, and retailers around the world. Along with global brand strategy and creative, UP&E’s three lines of business include Consumer Products, Games and Digital Platforms, as well as Theme Parks Products & Retail. The company's extensive portfolio includes properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination, DreamWorks Animation, and NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. UP&E is part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. www.universalproductsexperiences.com.
About THE FAST SAGA
The Fast & Furious saga is a phenomenon. For more than twenty years, the franchise has stoked passion in an ever-expanding audience and has earned more than $7 billion at the worldwide box office, Universal Pictures’ record-smashing, homegrown Fast & Furious films have become the studio’s most-profitable and longest-running franchise. Across social media platforms, the fan following for the movies and cast has grown into the biggest of any active franchise.
