PAX East 2025 – Fatal Run 2089 Preview

It’s that time of year again! The Lords are at PAX East once more, and we are covering multiple exciting announcements, reveals, and more. One of the many exciting games at the show was Fatal Run 2089 from Atari and MNSTR Games, a striking reboot of the Atari 2600 classic Fatal Run. Being playable at the PAX East Atari booth, I went hands-on with the game and drove away incredibly excited.

What is Fatal Run 2089?

In a ravaged world filled with dangerous factions formed to survive the comet-struck Earth, you are recruited by a group of Engineers to deliver clean energy, called ARC’s. Using these powered-up cars, players help suck up the radiation covering the Earth.

But these fetal runs have you driving, shooting, and drifting through challenges in your way. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, this arcade racing title took my breath away when I put the controller down.

The X-Factor – Demo Impressions

The demo began with me selecting my racer and getting into the thick of things. Putting my pedal to the metal, I felt at home once my drive began

Combat Racing – Shooting & Combat

Feeling like a love letter to titles like Jak X: Combat Racing and Burnout Revenge, the game pushes players must through dangerous roads filled with obstacles and rival drivers across every level you must take down, which easily go down using your guns, with the demo giving me access to a machine gun and missile launcher for basic combat.

After building up a meter by destroying enough rivals, I could perform an AOE attack that destroys rival racers on screen.

Racing Against the Clock in Fatal Run 2089 – Boosting and Takedowns

Though shooting and destroying everything in your path is critical for survival, a key element of the racing involves beating the clock. By drifting, the clock slows down, giving you a chance to get a second look at the road ahead and to build up your boost meter.

Gear Change – Talking with Atari PR

I walked away from the demo incredibly impressed and excited to play more. Before I left the Atari booth, I spoke with Atari Producer Jason.

Game Progression

He told me the game has rogue-lite elements for some of its progression, with every race earning gear and loot that can help power through your fatal runs. However, traditional progression does exist, with racers and cars being unlocked upon level completion.

He compared this to Star Fox more than anything, which is quite exciting.

Visuals/Performance of Fatal Run 2089

Visually, I was impressed with the game’s art direction. The demo’s desert location was striking, bolstered by explosive effects and gnarly vehicular takedowns. When I asked about location variety, I was assured that the desert wasn’t the only locale to burn rubber on. I am a huge fan of the game’s art style. I’m excited to see more of Fatal Run 2089’s ravaged world.

Lastly, when asked about the game’s performance. I got confirmation that the PlayStation 5 and Series X|S versions target 60 FPS, while Nintendo Switch will target 30 FPS. Considering the game’s high-action nature, a high frame rate helps.

Closing Thoughts

Overall, I walked away from my time with Fatal Run 2089 incredibly positive. The action-packed arcade racing title drifts onto modern platforms in 2025. You can wishlist the game on Steam today.

Stay tuned for additional PAX East 2025 here at Lords of Gaming throughout the week!