Sony's June 2026 State of Play had a lot going on, but the announcement that probably hit hardest for anyone who grew up with PS2-era arcade racers was Stuntman Hollywood. The series is back, and from the trailer alone, it looks like it remembers exactly what made the original games worth playing.
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Why this one has people paying attention
The original Stuntman games had a specific energy that never really got replicated. You were the person behind the wheel on a movie set, executing increasingly absurd sequences while a director yelled at you. Stuntman Hollywood is going back to that exact premise, but the inspiration list here is telling: the developers have cited Burnout and Split/Second alongside the original games. Those are not small names to drop. Burnout's crash physics and Split/Second's explosive set-piece design are two of the best things that ever happened to arcade racing, so if this game actually lands somewhere between those two, it has a real shot.
The licensing is also genuinely impressive. Universal Pictures and NBCUniversal are both on board, meaning players will be recreating moments from Fast & Furious, Back to the Future, Knight Rider, Miami Vice, and Death Race. Driving the DeLorean in a game built around stunt performance is not a pitch that needs much more explanation.
How the structure actually works
Here's the thing about Stuntman Hollywood's format: it's not just a series of driving missions. The game is built around shooting movies. Each film is broken into episodes, and every episode brings its own vehicle, environment, pace, and objectives. One episode might be all about tight drifts through a city block; the next could have you dodging fire or riding on two wheels. The variety is baked into the structure rather than bolted on as a separate mode.
Stunts are time-limited and players only get a set number of takes per scene, which is a smart way to keep the pressure on without making things feel arbitrary. Movies don't have unlimited budgets, and neither do you. A star system grades your performance, so there's a clear reward loop for players who want to push for perfection.
Stuntman Hollywood Revealed at State of Play
For players who want less structure, a free stunt mode opens things up and lets you experiment without the take limit hanging over you. There are also B-roll episodes, short filler films, and stunt arenas that add harder challenges and more unpredictable scenarios.
The garage and progression side
Beyond the missions themselves, there's a garage that tracks your in-game progress and stores your vehicles, trophies, and keepsakes from completed shoots. It's the kind of feature that gives the game a collector's spine, something to work toward between the action sequences rather than just jumping from mission to mission.
The announcement dropped during the same State of Play that revealed Until Dawn 2 and a release date for Control Resonant, so Stuntman Hollywood had real competition for attention. The fact that it still cut through says something about how well that trailer was put together.
Stuntman Hollywood Revealed at State of Play
No release date has been confirmed yet, but if arcade racing fans want to stay sharp on casual games in the meantime, there's no shortage of options. Stumble Guys is one of the more active party games right now if you need something to fill the gap, and the Stumble Guys guides are worth checking out if you want to get more out of it while waiting for Stuntman Hollywood's release window to firm up.
