Dovetail Games has announced its upcoming subway simcade game, Metro Rivals: New York, and it’s releasing early next year.
Metro Rivals: New York takes players to a futuristic New York City. This version of NYC has a subway system that’s been split into 10 different (and contested) districts. Each of the districts is controlled by one of the five Track Titans, who are major celebrities that use their power and influence to dominate the subway.
Players are given a small hand-me-down train to rise through the system. They’ll need to do missions, earn cash fees, upgrade their train, and build respect and loyalty.
All of this comes alongside authentic train simulation mechanics to create an authentic simulation with fast-paced, arcade-style gameplay. There’s a focus on the narrative and strategic sides of the game to enjoy.
There’s also a PvP mode. Four players can go against each other online. Train drivers will race, stopping at designated platforms and handling their train as accurately as possible. While it’s a race, it’s not about who’s the fastest — the player who can operate their train with the most precision and be fast will be the winner.
For players who want to relax, Metro Rivals: New York will also have a mode where players can relax, drive their train, and take in the city sights.
In every game mode, players will be able to customize their trains. There’s a complex system for upgrading and optimizing the performance of their trains, but there’s also skins, liveries, and color options to make their train their own.
Players can watch the Metro Rivals: New York announcement trailer below:
Co-CEO of Dovetail Games, Rob O’Farrell, shared comments about the announcement:
“Metro Rivals: New York marks a bold new chapter in the Dovetail Games portfolio, offering a real sense of pick-up-and-play, thrill, speed, and excitement within the simcade genre. By merging our deep knowledge of trains with the expertise and talent of our development teams, and by harnessing Unreal Engine 5’s Lumen, Nanite, and procedural generation, we are confident this will deliver an incredibly immersive and exciting experience for players to enjoy in both single-player and our first-ever train multiplayer experience.
We are also excited to announce we are working with the team at Reactional Music, introducing its procedural music engine into Metro Rivals: New York. Reactional real-time musical interactivity means music is fully native and cinematically integrated in the game, even when swapping tracks.”
Gemma Brown, the other co-CEO of Dovetail Games, also shared excitement:
“Metro Rivals: New York feels gritty, fast-paced, and full of energy. It keeps you on your toes and blends the attitude of New York with the thrill of a competitive simcade racing experience – think Crazy Taxi meets Need for Speed: Underground. Early feedback from our new on-site Playlab has been fantastic, and we can’t wait to get it into players’ hands next year.”
Fans can check out screenshots of the game below:
Metro Rivals: New York will be released in early 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
