The RollerCoaster Tycoon franchise is officially getting a brand new entry, with Atari and Springloaded revealing RollerCoaster Tycoon Wonderworks during gamescom Opening Night Live 2026. The theme park sim enters Early Access on Steam this winter for $24.99, with a full release planned for PC and consoles once the Early Access phase wraps up.
Springloaded is best known for Let’s Build a Zoo, and the studio is bringing its own visual identity to the series this time around. Buildings and park decorations are designed to look like highly detailed miniature plastic models, with the net effect of a tabletop model park come to life. The series’ signature isometric perspective returns, though, along with the familiar balancing act of guest satisfaction, finances, rides, and operations, plus one new wrinkle on the management side: meeting the expectations of your corporate bosses.
The coaster builder has been overhauled to let players design, adjust, test, and deploy their creations more intuitively, all backed by a physics engine that puts every design, upgrade, and maintenance decision to the test. Atari’s announcement even includes a reminder to finish the track before turning a coaster live. Chaos is a core part of the pitch here, with ride breakdowns, operational mishaps, and coaster catastrophes designed to turn even well-planned parks into memorable stories, while customization covers rides, scenery, decorations, and full park layouts.
According to Springloaded founder and lead developer James Barnard, the studio’s guiding vision was to “imagine what RollerCoaster Tycoon would look like if it were designed today” while preserving the systems that made the original games stick. Atari CEO Wade Rosen added that the company wants fans involved in the development process and is looking forward to hearing player reactions and feedback throughout Early Access.
When RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic came to Switch, we called RollerCoaster Tycoon arguably one of the best amusement park simulation games, and for many enthusiasts, the original is still considered the best entry after all these years. Wonderworks enters Early Access at the same $24.99 that RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic launched at on Switch back in 2024. Atari says more details can be found at atari.com, and we’ll be keeping an eye out for a firmer Early Access date as winter gets closer.
