Rage 2 trailer hints at silly sequel, mixing Mad Max with Borderlands

Rage 2 has been officially announced with a live-action trailer posted to Bethesda’s YouTube page. The game’s existence was leaked earlier this month by a Walmart ad. The new promo is filled with bright colors, gaudy weapons and a fast rock track. It looks as much like the recent Mad Max film and the Borderlands game series as it does the original Rage.

Rage 2 wasn’t the sequel we expected to be announced in 2018. The original Rage — a post-apocalyptic first-person shooter from id Software, designed as a showpiece for the company’s game engine — received mixed reviews. But its publisher Bethesda seems determined to make the most of its intellectual property, having revived in recent years Doom, Wolfenstein and even Prey.

Bethesda’s previous reboots have made significant changes to the play and tone of their franchises. This playful first trailer suggests similar changes may be in store for Rage. According to the closing card of the trailer, an actual look at gameplay will be revealed tomorrow, May 15.

Update: Rage 2’s box art reveals the co-developer is Avalanche Studios, best known for the Just Cause series and 2015’s Mad Max.