My first official Summer Game Fest hands-on appointment was Hot Wheels Infinite Rush. I couldn’t think of a better way to kick things off than ripping around Milestone’s new open-world racing game—well…game that HAS racing.
Jumping into the game, I was able to explore two of the four islands: one very city-themed and another filled with factories and desert terrain. As spoiled as we are, the team unlocked all the cars, and I had my pick of 150 vehicles coming to the game at launch. Hot Wheels Infinite Rush features four kinds of cars that offer different play styles: drifter, speeder, versatile and titan. I was quickly humbled when I swapped over to a speeder and lost complete control. I’m a terrible virtual driver, and I think the developer was embarrassed for me.
As you play through Hot Wheels Infinite Rush, you can unlock cars and performance upgrades, and there are plenty of collectables. Customization was clearly a priority for the team with boosts, stickers, sounds and livery editors. The open world islands offer so much to do and explore, and I really think it will be a completionist’s dream.
Since I am a terrible driver, I really put the interactive world to the test in Hot Wheels Infinite Rush by smashing into basically everything. You can take out almost anything you can see, and I certainly did. The Hot Wheels cars feel great to drive, and there is so much vibrant detail on the islands, so just exploring was a blast.
Aside from racing, the maps offer plenty to do. You can challenge other cars to races and, if you win, unlock those cars for your collection. Some areas have stunt challenges and treasure hunts were mentioned, too. There are plenty of tracks on each map and an improved track builder, for those who love to create as well. You can even add virtual cars to your track to race.
Even just checking things out can be fun. For instance, each map has a massive creature that interacts with the environment. One was a giant gorilla, very King Kong, who smashed and tore up buildings. Another was a massive scorpion who shot acid at the ground below it.
Hot Wheels Infinite Rush is going to be the perfect game for the family. It is so easy to jump in and out of; the colours and design are exciting and vibrant, and every player can really do what they want while still playing together. The game supports cross-play and up to four-player split-screen co-op as well.
Though I am not the best racer on the planet, Hot Wheels Infinite Rush can still appeal to people like me with the amount of content baked into the free-roaming experience. The game releases on September 24, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, ROG Xbox Ally, ROG Xbox Ally X, and PC via Steam, Microsoft and Epic Games Store, and Hot Wheels Infinite Rush will also offer Early Access on September 21.
Fun, whimsy and excitement are more than I could ask for kicking off Summer Game Fest, and I am glad I could do it with Hot Wheels Infinite Rush.
