Thanks to its initial reveal earlier this month, we now know that Rage 2 is being jointly developed by id Software and Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios (the original Rage was developed solely by id Software). It hasn’t been made explicitly clear how exactly each of the two development studios is contributing to Rage 2’s development, but we do at least know that Avalanche supplied its own in-house game engine to help bring the sequel to life.
When asked via Twitter which game engine Rage 2 will be using, Avalanche studio head and founder Christofer Sundberg confirmed it will be using Avalanche’s internal Apex engine, the same engine utilized by the Just Cause series:
It’s Apex – Avalanche Open-World Engine.
— Christofer Sundberg (@CHSundberg) May 15, 2018
Sundberg’s confirmation surprised some fans since it was assumed that, much like the original Rage, Rage 2 would use id Software’s own idTech game engine. Sundberg was asked in a follow-up tweet whether Rage 2 would be using a combination of Apex and idTech or just Apex, but he didn’t respond.
Even if it is just Apex under Rage 2’s hood, the sequel should still allow for plenty of chaos and carnage, as any fan of the Just Cause series can attest. Just Cause 3 in particular benefited greatly from the Apex engine’s capabilities, allowing players to cause some seriously stylish mayhem. It’s probably safe to assume that Rage 2 won’t be as zany and tongue-in-cheek as the Just Cause games, but if you’re looking for intense firefights, tense vehicle chases, and multitudes of explosions, you won’t be disappointed.
Rage 2 doesn’t yet have a specific release date, though publisher Bethesda has narrowed its release window down to spring, 2019. Similar to its predecessor, the sequel will be set in a post-apocalyptic world where the player must utilize firearms, vehicles, and other tools as they battle marauding wastelanders and mutants. Bethesda also confirmed that more Rage 2 gameplay will be shown during its E3 2018 panel on June 10, and hopefully that new reveal will also include a finalized release date.