Atari has announced thatqomp2, the follow-up to the 2021Pongcontinuation, will be released on February 20 on PC and console.
qompwas a game that dared to ask dangerous questions like, “What would happen if thePongball escaped from the confines of the court and went on an adventure?” I’m not sure how you extrapolate further on that, but Atari and Graphite Lab are going to try. They promise “An enigmatic story of doubt, fear, and self-acceptance, told wordlessly through simple effects and gameplay.” Sounds appropriately depressing.
Alongside the announcement of the release date, they released a short video of thePongballbeing interviewedin vertical cell-phone ratio, and I kind of hate it. I wonder if it’s the knee-jerk revulsion I have toward social media that’s the problem.
I didn’t play the originalqomp, but it does sound like a fun premise. For a little while, at least. The first game was only played using a single button, butqomp2adds a second one that is used for dash. It’s a logical evolution.Pongused no buttons,qompused one, andqomp2will use two of them.
This falls in line with Atari’s new focus on smaller games that leverage their existing brands. It’s a bit interesting that, while the original game was created by a group of indie developers under Stuffed Wombat,qomp2has been handed off to Atari’s frequent collaborator, Graphite Lab. I have to wonder if they’ll be able to capture the same charm and impact of the originalqomp.
qomp2will launch for PC, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 4 and 5 on July 31, 2025.
