We’ve known about Windjammers 2, the sequel to the ultimate frisbee-em-up for a while now. But today, developer Dotemu has confirmed the game will be coming to PS4 and PS5, as well as announcing the timings for an open beta starting August 11.
The sequel to the fan favourite disc-based sports title had previously been announced for release on PC, Nintendo Switch and Google Stadia, but Dotemu has revealed in a press release that it's also been working on PS4 and PS5 versions that will launch alongside the other releases. Given that the original game launched on PS4 and PS Vita, it was a likely possibility the sequel would make it to PlayStation platforms, but it’s always nice to have some confirmation.
Most excitingly, players can jump into an open beta starting tomorrow, August 11, across PS4, PS5 and PC. The beta opens at 6am Pacific / 9am Eastern / 2pm UK and lasts until August 22, giving players the chance to try out the newest iteration of competitive video game frisbee. The beta also offers cross-play between PlayStation consoles, and won’t require a PlayStation Plus subscription to try out, so anyone with a current PlayStation console can jump right in.
The beta features four stages and characters to try out. The stages include: Beach, Ring, Stadium, and Rooftop, and the characters are: Steve Miller, Gary Scott, Loris Biaggi, and Sophie de Lys. Each character has different abilities, strengths, and weaknesses, which will allow players to experiment to find the play style and character that works for them.
Windjammers last made waves in 2017 when Dotemu ported the classic 1994 Neo Geo sports game to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, with a Switch release following later in 2018. These new versions added online play, which breathed new life into the classic game, and brought a whole new audience to the series. Last year, IGN chatted to the developers about the challenges and opportunities of creating a sequel for this '90s classic in the modern era.
Dotemu CEO Cyrille Imbert also took to the PlayStation Blog to share his thoughts on the game, and why he’s so excited for the sequel to come to PlayStation platforms. According to Imbert, Windjammers 2 is the first game that Dotemu is developing “100% in-house”. Imbert also goes on to say that due to the positive support from the PlayStation community when they ported the original game, “bringing the sequel to PS4 and PS5 was a no-brainer”.
Windjammers 2 was originally scheduled for release in 2020, before being pushed back, but the game looks to be on track to fling its way into your life in 2021. Will you be trying out the beta, or just jumping straight in when the full game launches later this year? Let us know in the comments below.
Liam Wiseman is a Freelance News Writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @liamthewiseman