Fatal Run 2089 is a reimagining of the Atari 2600/7800 Fatal Run, which was one of the last releases for those platforms in 1990. It looks like a post-apocalyptic Spy Hunter: high-speed racing fused with car combat and story sequences. It’s got 20 different levels with four bosses, dozens of vehicle upgrades, four co-pilots and seven different vehicles to choose from. In other words: old-school fun.

It makes one wonder if this could be a possible direction for Nintendo to take the F-Zero series. There are similarities in the gameplay, and the story and dialog sequences look like they would be a perfect for Captain Falcon and all the other characters in the F-Zero universe. Mix in story with the gameplay complete with a more open world, secrets, and branching pathways and shortcuts. Somewhat like what Mario Kart World is doing but better.

Fatal Run 2089 releases in Fall 2025 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Check out the gameplay trailer below:

Atari’s Fatal Run 2089 delivers over-the-top driving action across a post-apocalyptic landscape. You’ll be drifting into hairpin turns while traveling at insane speeds across 20 levels, each with branching paths, shortcuts, and explosive set pieces.

Not challenging enough? You’ll be fighting off the road rage of vehicular enemies intent on stopping you. You can take them out with an arsenal of weapons, or just smash them off the road with brute force. And all of that while the timer is ticking: The ARC, the key to saving humanity, is always losing integrity over time, but good driving and aggressive play will regain it, just like a classic arcade timer.

How did this come to pass? After a comet struck Earth and flooded the atmosphere with radiation, people everywhere got sick and new factions emerged to replace the traditional world order. A new power-elite has risen in the chaotic aftermath of the cataclysm, and they are intent on stopping you from upending the new status quo. You have been recruited by a group of dedicated scientists called the Engineers to deliver ARCs, a clean energy solution that pulls radiation out of the atmosphere, to key population centers across the globe. You must get behind the wheel and deliver ARCs to reverse the effects before it’s too late. This is your Fatal Run.

Atari teamed with game studio MNSTR on the development of Fatal Run 2089. The studio utilized Unreal Engine 5 to deliver the high fidelity action at blistering speeds, and created a rich post-apocalyptic fantasy world across four distinct global regions.

Features

  • 20 levels across four landscapes with branching paths, hidden shortcuts, and explosive set pieces

  • Four larger-than-life boss fights that will each provide a unique challenge to players

  • Classic arcade progression challenges you to beat the clock, or ARC decay, or it’s back to the start

  • 63 different enhancements that can be dropped or appear in shops and 27 randomized add variety and unpredictability to each run

  • 4 co-pilots with different skills and personalities add extra character to your adventure and ways to shape your playstyle

  • Tailor your approach to one of seven vehicles with distinct performance characteristics: weave in and out of danger with a light ride or barrel through enemies with a heavy one. But you can only choose one car per run, no mid-trip switching.

Fatal Run 2089 is a re-imagining of the Atari 2600 cult classic Fatal Run. One of the very last games released on the 2600 home console in 1990, Fatal Run was published and distributed only in Europe in 1990 as a 2600 and 7800 cartridge.

[Steam]