Milestone just lifted the hood on Screamer’s core gameplay system, and it’s nothing like traditional arcade racing. The new anime-inspired racer, launching in 2026, ditches simple boost-and-drift mechanics in favor of something that feels more like a fighting game on wheels. The “Echo System” revolves around two interlinked resources called Sync and Entropy that create constant strategic decisions about whether to push for speed, play defense, or go all-in on offense. It’s the most interesting arcade racing design we’ve seen in years.
Understanding Sync and Entropy
Here’s how the Echo System works. You have two core resources: Sync and Entropy. Sync builds passively as you race, but skilled players can build it faster by performing what Milestone calls “Active Shifts” – a timed button press when your vehicle’s engine RPM hits the perfect peak. It’s similar to how manual transmission works in racing games, but integrated into the resource system as a core mechanic. You can also gain Sync by slipstreaming behind opponents, rewarding both aggressive and defensive positioning.
Entropy is the second resource, and it’s generated whenever you spend Sync. So there’s a direct trade-off: every time you use Sync to boost or shield, you’re building up Entropy that powers your offensive tools. This creates a constant tension between building resources and spending them. Do you conserve Sync to build Entropy for attacks? Or do you spend it aggressively on boosts to gain position? The answer changes moment to moment during each race.
Sync: The Versatile Foundation
Sync does two things: it fuels defensive and mobility actions. You can spend Sync to activate a powerful boost for extra speed with rewarding timing mechanics – nail the timing perfectly and you get more benefit than just mashing the button. Or you can spend Sync to activate a shield that protects you from incoming attacks, creating a Burnout-style contact system where vehicles can knock each other around (or completely destroy each other in certain situations).
The genius is that Sync spending creates consequences. Every boost and shield you activate generates Entropy, which means you’re trading immediate advantages for long-term offensive capability. A player who boosts constantly will have lots of Entropy for attacks but might lack the defensive flexibility to avoid hazards. A player who shields excessively will be defensive but vulnerable when Entropy runs dry.
Entropy: The Offensive Arsenal
Entropy powers two offensive abilities: Strike and Overdrive. Strike is a short, violent attack that launches your vehicle forward with powerful force. If you hit an opponent while using Strike, you make their vehicle explode and perform what Milestone calls a KO. This wins you energy, position, and honestly, probably feels fantastic to land. Strike doesn’t consume your entire Entropy bar – just part of it. So you can throw out multiple Strikes if you’ve built enough Entropy.
Overdrive is the ultimate ability. You can save your entire Entropy bar and consume it all at once to enter an Overdrive state where you’re much faster, shielded briefly, and can KO any opponent you touch. It’s high-risk, high-reward because if you crash into a wall while in Overdrive, your car explodes. That’s the catch. Overdrive is powerful but leaves you vulnerable to environmental hazards. It’s the kind of risk-reward decision that separates good players from great ones.
The Meta-Game: Building the Perfect Strategy
What makes this system brilliant is that every race evolves dynamically based on how players manage these resources. There’s no single “correct” strategy. One player might adopt a conservative approach, building Sync and Entropy gradually while looking for the perfect moment to unleash Overdrive. Another might play aggressively, constantly boosting and shielding, keeping enemies off-balance with frequent Strikes. A third player might alternate between rushing for position and defensive play.
And because character abilities and vehicle handling differ between racers, every matchup creates different challenges. This is why Milestone kept emphasizing that races evolve across laps. The first lap might be about getting in position. The second lap about managing resources. The final lap about committing to that perfect Overdrive moment. It’s tactical, it’s skill-based, and it’s deeply engaging in a way that simple boost-and-drift mechanics aren’t.
| Resource | How to Build | What It Powers | Strategic Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sync | Passive gain, Active Shift, slipstreaming | Boost, Shield | Mobility and defense; generates Entropy |
| Entropy | Generated when Sync is spent | Strike, Overdrive | Offensive capabilities; trade-off resource |
| Active Shift | Button press at peak RPM | Faster Sync generation | Skill-based timing mechanic |
| Strike | Spend partial Entropy | Powerful forward burst attack | Quick offensive action; can KO opponents |
| Overdrive | Spend full Entropy bar | Ultimate powered state | High-risk offensive push; wall crashes are fatal |
Online Multiplayer Gets Teamwork
What’s particularly interesting is how Milestone is approaching online multiplayer. The Echo System isn’t just designed for one-on-one racing. The developers specifically mentioned that teamwork becomes critical online. You could imagine scenarios where one player focuses on building Entropy for offensive plays while their teammate builds Sync for defensive support. Or coordinated Overdrive attacks where teammates rush opponents simultaneously.
This suggests Screamer might have team-based racing modes where coordination and communication matter as much as individual skill. That’s a layer of depth that most arcade racers don’t even attempt. The fact that Milestone built the Echo System with team dynamics in mind suggests they’re thinking seriously about the multiplayer ecosystem.
Why This Design Works
Screamer’s Echo System works because it removes the randomness from arcade racing while adding meaningful decision-making. Traditional arcade racers can feel like they’re decided by who drifts best or who has the perfect luck with randomized boosts. Screamer removes that luck. Every player has access to the exact same resources and mechanics. The difference is in how they manage those resources and when they spend them.
It’s like how a fighting game doesn’t rely on random stats. Street Fighter works because both players have the same toolkit and the winner is determined by player skill in resource management (meter building and spending), positioning, and reading the opponent. Screamer applies that fighting game philosophy to arcade racing. The result is something that feels fresh while respecting the arcade racing tradition.
FAQs
What is Screamer?
Screamer is an anime-inspired arcade racing game developed by Milestone, launching in 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It combines traditional racing with combat mechanics through the Echo System.
When does Screamer release?
Screamer is scheduled for 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store). A specific release date hasn’t been announced yet.
What is the Echo System?
The Echo System is Screamer’s core gameplay mechanic built around two resources: Sync and Entropy. Sync is used for boost and shield abilities. Spending Sync generates Entropy, which powers offensive abilities like Strike and Overdrive.
What is an Active Shift?
An Active Shift is a timed button press performed when your vehicle’s engine RPM reaches its peak. Successfully executing an Active Shift builds Sync faster than passive generation, rewarding skillful racing.
What’s the difference between Strike and Overdrive?
Strike is a short, powerful attack that consumes partial Entropy and can KO opponents on contact. Overdrive consumes your entire Entropy bar and puts you in a powered-up state with increased speed and shielding, but crashes into walls are fatal while in Overdrive.
Is Screamer a fighting game or a racing game?
Screamer is primarily a racing game, but it incorporates combat mechanics through the Echo System. It’s been described as “a fighting game on wheels” because of how much the combat mechanics shape the racing experience.
Will Screamer have online multiplayer?
Yes. Screamer is designed with online multiplayer in mind, including team-based mechanics where coordination and teamwork become important alongside individual skill.
Is there a story mode?
Screamer features a narrative involving mysterious racing showdowns and hidden truths, but Milestone hasn’t released extensive details about the single-player story structure yet.
Conclusion
Screamer’s Echo System is one of the most interesting arcade racing mechanics we’ve seen in years. By interlinking speed, defense, and aggression through two core resources, Milestone has created a game where every decision matters and every race evolves differently. It’s not just about having quick reflexes or landing the perfect drift – it’s about managing resources, reading your opponents, and knowing when to go aggressive versus when to play defensively.
In a genre dominated by similar mechanics and derivative designs, Screamer stands out by applying fighting game philosophy to racing. It respects the arcade racing tradition while adding genuine strategic depth. When it launches in 2026, it has the potential to become a reference point for how modern arcade racers should be designed. Milestone clearly understands that players are hungry for racing games with real mechanical depth, and the Echo System delivers exactly that.