Indie developer FireVolt has officially revealed WheelMates, a cooperative adventure game built around two players piloting remote-controlled cars through the home of a missing and eccentric scientist. The game is currently in development for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with a release planned for 2026.
Alongside the announcement, FireVolt confirmed that WheelMates will receive its first public playtest on Steam in February, offering players an early hands-on look at its cooperative mechanics.
Cooperative RC Car Adventure WheelMates Arrives on PC and Consoles in 2026
Set entirely within a sprawling household environment, WheelMates casts players as a pair of RC cars tasked with navigating rooms filled with mechanical puzzles, hidden routes, and environmental challenges. Progression is built around coordination, with players required to communicate and work together to uncover the secrets of the house—and the fate of its absent owner.
Unlike many co-op games that emphasize speed or competition, WheelMates is designed around a slower, pressure-free experience. There are no timers pushing players forward, with the focus instead placed on shared problem-solving and exploration at a pace chosen by the duo. The game supports both online co-op and split-screen play, allowing players to experience the adventure together locally or remotely.
Movement and traversal play a central role in the game’s design. As players progress, the RC cars gain access to experimental tools that expand how they interact with their surroundings. These include jump boosters for vertical navigation, grappling hooks to reach distant points, magnet wheels that allow traversal across metal surfaces, and magnetic devices for manipulating objects from afar.
Each room functions as a compact puzzle space, gradually revealing new paths and interactions as abilities are unlocked. FireVolt describes the structure as drawing inspiration from Metroidvania-style progression, encouraging players to revisit earlier areas to uncover secrets and solve puzzles that were previously out of reach.
According to the developers, WheelMates takes inspiration from classic RC games such as Re-Volt, while combining those influences with modern cooperative puzzle design. By placing small vehicles in oversized household environments, the team aims to reframe familiar spaces into playgrounds built around scale, coordination, and discovery.
WheelMates is currently targeting a 2026 release on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with additional platform details expected to be shared closer to launch. A developer-led playtest is scheduled to take place on Steam in February.
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Let us know in the comments section below whether you would be interested in trying WheelMates when it comes out or now.
