Following from the worldwide release of Onrush last week, GTPlanet has had the chance to chat with the game’s director Paul “Rushy” Rustchynsky. We picked his brain from the game’s beginnings to a potential jump into esports. Check out all our questions below to see what inspired Onrush and what it could become in the near future.

You can read our full review of Onrush right here.

GTPlanet: Do you see Onrush as a way of fighting against a (slightly) stagnant arcade racing genre? Compared to other offerings, Onrush doesn’t borrow much (if anything) from other racing games currently on the market.

Rushy: I think arcade racing has a lot more room for innovation than it’s given credit for! With Onrush, we’re breaking every rule and convention of racing to create something that will get your adrenaline flowing no matter who you are or what kind of racing game you normally play. It definitely has an arcade spirit and you’ll be rewarded for your driving skills and flair, but speed isn’t the only decisive factor here. Takedowns, stunt driving and team-play all have a huge part to play in the competition too, so it opens up the game to give you more ways to play.

In this respect, and with many of the rules we’ve introduced, we’ve taken a lot of inspiration from outside of the racing genre as well as capturing the essence of what we love from the classic arcade racing games we love and miss on this generation.

We get a big kick out of challenging the status quo and by remixing the old and the new to create something innovative. Onrush was born from desire to combine the boost, takedowns and wild locations we love from classic arcade racers with the non-stop action, fighting spirit and incredibly deep team-play that brings people together in other genres like fighting games, first-person shooters and sports games.

It makes Onrush feel like a huge breath of fresh air and it’s a great game to play with friends that wouldn’t normally be able to enjoy racing games because of an uneven or unmatched skill level. There isn’t a barrier to playing together here. You can support each other and play to your strengths, and anyone can make the game-winning play. It’s an absolute blast and I really hope you enjoy discovering the depth it has to offer.

GTPlanet: There have been initial comparisons to other off-road racing games that Evolution Studios was involved in, is Onrush an extension on that series or has it always existed totally unique from other games the team (and Codemasters) have been involved in?

Rushy: I think because of our history there are always going to be comparisons like that. It’s only natural to look back at what we’ve done before, but we’re completely focused on looking forward. Onrush is a clean slate for us, a fresh start, and the breath of fresh air we felt we needed to bring to the genre. Sure, we’ve taken influence from everything we’ve worked on in the past, just like we have from other games we love like Burnout, SSX, Street Fighter, Overwatch, Titanfall, Rocket League and many others.

GTPlanet: What can we expect from competitive seasons? Will specific modes be used here or will the four main offerings all rotate in a playlist?

Rushy: You can expect a much higher level of competitive play, that goes without saying, and there will be a lot of cool new rewards to play for! We’re planning to use all the game modes and a rotation that’s best well balanced and best suited to this kind of environment. It’s not something we’ve got set in stone yet, because the key to a great competitive experience is to build it and balance it around the competitors themselves. So we’ll be working with the community to get this right, to keep evolving and fine-tuning Ranked play to keep it competitive and exciting for everybody.

GTPlanet: Are there plans to offer season end rewards like Rocket League, Overwatch and that type of thing?

Rushy: There will be a lot for you to play for and not just at the end of the season, either. There will be rewards to play for during the season, with new rewards added every week. Then of course you can expect to be rewarded at the end of the season based on the highest rank you were able to achieve within it.

GTPlanet: Onrush has a pretty varied set of modes, do you have plans or even initial ideas to bring new modes over the course of the game’s lifespan?

Rushy: We want to make sure the game keeps evolving and expanding over time, and I think the variety in the modes and the rules of the game will be a key part of that. It’s too early to say anything about new modes, but of course we have ideas and we’d love to hear from the community about this. I’m sure they have good ideas too!

GTPlanet: Other games that focus primarily on multiplayer tend to keep things fresh with new cosmetics. It’s not something racing/driving genre fans are particularly involved in but do you see new car shells, character designs and liveries coming in future updates?

Rushy: Keeping things fresh and expanding on what people love is absolutely key to keep the multiplayer fire burning, and we have lots of plans for this. New gear is part of those plans for sure. You’ll see plenty of new body shells, liveries, characters, victory animations, tricks, tombstones and more over the next few months!

GTPlanet: If you could sell Onrush to someone totally on the fence in only a few sentences, how would you do it?

Rushy: I’d say Onrush is the first of its kind and an absolute blast to play, what are you waiting for!? Treat yourself to a new breed of arcade racer that will instantly put a huge smile on your face and give you hours of entertainment as you experiment with unique vehicle classes, game modes and tactical team-play while chasing bigger and better takedowns and fight for the top spot as MVP! It’s non-stop, over-the-top, hard-hitting, team-based fun. Go get it!

GTPlanet: Do you see an esports venture possible with Onrush or is it still too early to determine?

Rushy: It’s still too early to determine at this stage, but it’s a definite possibility. We’re really excited about esports and we think Onrush has all of the right ingredients, so we’ll see how the competitive community grows around the game.

GTPlanet: Lastly, who’s idea was it to include Micro Machines throwback icons? A very cool easter egg for a hardcore V3 fan such as myself to find.

Rushy: Haha! It’s a very cool idea and it’s great to share some of Codemasters heritage. Credit goes to Jamie Brayshaw (the Assistant Game Director) for that one. He’s a huge fan too. I personally like MM2 better than V3!

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