Sprint City News

Coming from the original creators of the popular competitive platformer SpeedRunners, a first playable demo for Sprint City is live on Steam.

Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/02/from-the-creators-of-speedrunners-a-demo-of-sprint-city-is-live-now/

[p]The wait’s over!! The Sprint City demo is live on Steam right NOW!
So yeah, this is your official excuse to ping your run club, start some totally friendly rivalries, and decide who is the fastest once and for all![/p][h3]
[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]What you can do in the demo[/h3][p]We wanted this to feel like a real taste of the game, so here’s what you can jump into:[/p]

• [p]Explore a section of the shared city and start learning routes[/p]
• [p]Play Clockout with your friends (time = health, panic = guaranteed)[/p]
• [p]Grind Time Trials and Daily Challenges[/p]
• [p]Invite your Steam friends straight to your lobby[/p]
• [p]Create custom challenges and share a code or send a URL so friends can join instantly, even if they don’t have the game installed yet! (We are very proud of this one).[/p]

[p]If you want the full breakdown of Clockout, local hero Gary D. Tour tells you all about it here:[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]And if you joined the playtest and want to see what changed, check this update blog:[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][h2]Next Fest plans[/h2][p]Since we’re part of Steam Next Fest, we’re lining up a few fun challenges and events:[/p][h3]Daily Challenge reward[/h3][p]If you complete all daily challenges between Feb 23 and Mar 2, you’ll unlock an exclusive skin for Early Access. You can start a daily challenge from the main menu in game.[/p][h3]Dev livestream: Feb 23 at 19:00 (CET)[/h3][p]We’ll be live showing how we play, sharing tips, and probably messing up each other’s best times on stream. You can join us here on Steam via our store page![/p][h3]Community tournament: Feb 27[/h3][p]Huge shoutout to Zeadrasil from the SpeedRunners community, who helped us to bring a full-on Sprint City tournament to life![/p][p]It’ll be hosted through our Discord, so jump in there if you want to compete. If you’d rather spectate, you can watch the action straight from our Steam Store page on the 27th.[/p][p]What’s on the line?[/p]

• [p]Keys to the full game[/p]
• [p]And the big prize: the tournament winner will get to co-design an in-game skin with one of our artists. Your style and your ideas will permanently be a part of Sprint City![/p]

[h2]Tell us what you think[/h2][p]After you have given the demo a try, we’d really appreciate your feedback. It helps us build the game in a way that is enjoyable for you![/p][p]You can fill in our player feedback survey here (or select it in the main menu of the game):[/p][p]https://forms.gle/BbTfNCW4zYzfpm4k9[/p][p][/p][h3]Alright, that’s enough reading.
Get Running!

The Second Stage Studio Team[/h3][p]
[/p]

[p]Gary D. Tour here, and today I’ve got some proper big news from the city.[/p][p]In about a week from now, on the 18th of February, the official Sprint City demo will go live on Steam. And we’ll be participating in Steam Next Fest with it!![/p][p]The streets are about to get busy.[/p][p]But before that, I wanted to walk you through two things:[/p]

1. [p]What content will be in the demo[/p]
2. [p]What improvements we’ve made after the playtest[/p]

[p]Because a bunch of what’s in this demo? That’s thanks to all the playtesters![/p][h2]What’s In The Demo?[/h2][p]We have spent the last few weeks putting together a demo that will feel alive and fun to play.[/p][p]Here’s what you can expect:[/p]

• [p]A carefully selected section from the map for you to get a taste of the game in[/p]
• [p]Player-created challenges, you can pick a start and a finish line in the world, and then send a URL or code to this challenge to all your friends to play![/p]
• [p]Steam friend invites, making it much easier to jump into Clockout with people you actually know[/p]

[p]The demo should give you a strong feel for Sprint City, the movement, the competition, and the speed.[/p][h2]Built With Your Feedback in Mind[/h2][p]We recently ran playtests with our community. We got a lot of feedback, detailed, honest, and sometimes brutally precise (the city sees you, millisecond hunters).[/p][p]Here’s what has been improved and added for the demo:[/p][h3]Movement & Gameplay[/h3]

• [p]Improved grapple movement for more predictable control, especially on gamepad[/p]
• [p]Made non-grappable surfaces clearer and more visually consistent[/p]
• [p]Fixed physics issues, including cases where players could glitch into platforms[/p]

[p]Movement is the heart of Sprint City. It has to feel good. It has to feel fair. Some serious effort was put into tightening that up.[/p][h3]Multiplayer Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Added Steam friend invites[/p]
• [p]Made it easier to form parties and play with others[/p]
• [p]Introduced a Create a Challenge system, where players can build races and share them via a unique code, or a browser URL[/p]

[p]We planned for playing with friends to be easy in Sprint City. And in this demo it will be![/p][h3]Visual, Audio, & UI Updates[/h3]

• [p]Updated the world map[/p]
• [p]Refined player character visuals[/p]
• [p]UI and HUD improvements[/p]
• [p]Added more exciting race visuals[/p]
• [p]Added music[/p]
• [p]Updated sound effects[/p]
• [p]Fixed issues with in-game chat[/p]

[p]Sprint City is about speed, but it’s also about the vibe. The city should look alive. The races should feel intense. And the sounds of the city around you? Those matter.[/p][h2]Steam Next Fest[/h2][p]The demo launches on the 18th next week, just in time for Steam Next Fest.[/p][p] We will be hosting some challenges, live streams, and other events while the demo is live. So keep your eyes peeled for updates on those![/p][h2]Want In?[/h2][p]The demo store page is already live on Steam, so you can wishlist it and be ready the second it drops.[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]And if you’re looking for people to run with, join our Discord. We’ve got a growing group of Runagades already lined up at the starting line.[/p][h3]Stretch those legs
And I’ll see you in the city very soon.
Gary D. Tour


Follow Sprint City on socials for more updates:[/h3][p]Discord X/ Twitter Instagram Bluesky YouTube Reddit TikTok[/p]

[h2]Helloooo Runagades,[/h2][p]You all know who it issss! Gary D. Tour, back with another update from the streets of Sprint City.[/p][p]I hope you’re all doing well. I’ve already spotted the first few of you tearing through the city this week, and honestly… watching you fly by has been incredible!![/p][p]Last time, we talked about Clockout. Today, I want to tell you more about what you can do in Sprint City when you’re not racing seven other Runagades to survival.[/p][p]Not every race needs explosions, knockouts, or other players breathing down your neck.[/p][p]Sometimes, you just want to go fast.[/p][h3]That’s where Time Trials / Practice Mode come in.[/h3][p]Time Trials are Sprint City’s solo point-A-to-point-B races, designed for runners who want to perfect their movement and really get to know the city.[/p][p]You start at Point A. You finish at Point B. How you get there is entirely up to you.
[/p][p][/p][p]
If you need a bit of guidance, there’s a handy route line to help point you in the right direction. But it’s just that: a guide. Feel free to ignore it completely if you think there’s a faster way through a side street, over a rooftop, or straight through a risky grapple you’re pretty sure you can land.[/p][p]Your fastest runs are recorded on the leaderboards, so if shaving off milliseconds sounds appealing (and I know it does), this is where that addiction begins.
[/p][p]Time Trials are also the perfect practice ground. Want to learn Sprint City’s layout? Test routes? Figure out how aggressively you can spam grapple without completely losing control? This is the place to do it. No pressure, no knockouts, no Runagades chasing you down.
[/p][p][/p][p]In fact, every Clockout race can be practiced as a Time Trial. Since most Clockout races are a single lap with the same starting and ending point, you’re training on the real course. When the timers start ticking later, you’ll already know where every jump, swing, and shortcut is hiding.
[/p][h3]Challenge Your Rivals (and Friends)[/h3][p]Soon, you’ll also be able to create your own challenges.[/p][p]You’ll pick a Point A and a Point B, generate a link, and share it with your friends or rivals. They’ll have a limited time to set their fastest score and when the dust settles, the fastest Runagade takes all the glory.[/p][p][/p][h3]Playtest With the Devs[/h3][p]Tomorrow at 7PM CET, we’ll have some very special runners hitting the streets of Sprint City.[/p][p]If you’re playing around that time, you’ll have a chance to race against some of the devs themselves. We’ll also be streaming in the Discord server, the town square of Sprint City, so if you’ve got burning questions, feedback, or just want to prove you’re faster than us, be sure to drop by.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Alright, I think I’ve yapped enough for one blog.[/p][h3]See you in the streets,
Gary D. Tour[/h3][p]
Follow Sprint City on socials for more updates:[/p][p]Discord X/ Twitter Instagram Bluesky YouTube Reddit TikTok[/p]

[h3]Gary D. Tour here again, back with another peek at life in Sprint City.[/h3][p]Today I want to introduce you to one of the most well-known (and most nerve-wracking) game modes Sprint City has to offer: Clockout![/p][p]It’s a racing mode unique to Sprint City, which mixes checkpoint time trials, with knockouts, with battle royale. I’m not kidding![/p][h3]
[/h3][p][/p][h3]So, how does Clockout work?[/h3][p]Every Runagade starts a Clockout race with a 10-second timer.[/p][p]As soon as the first player completes the first lap, everyone else’s timer immediately starts counting down. When you cross the finish line, whatever time you have left on your clock is what you carry into the next lap. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Lap after lap, the pressure builds. Timers get tighter. Mistakes get expensive. When a Runagade’s clock hits zero, they’re out! Simple as that.[/p][p]The race continues until only one runner remains.[/p][p][/p][h3][/h3][p][/p][h3]Where do you start?[/h3][p]I can tell by the way you’re reading this, you’re already itching to try it yourself.[/p][p]Clockout races (and other organized sprinting events) are started through Sprint City’s yellow kiosks, scattered all across the city. Walk up to one, interact, and a menu will pop up letting you choose what you want to jump into.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Got a crew with you? Perfect. Start a Clockout race and pull them in so you can settle, once and for all, who’s actually the fastest.[/p][p]Running solo? That works too. Just open the main menu and select “Find a Race.” You'll be dropped straight into a Clockout race happening somewhere in Sprint City.[/p][p]Just you, a handful of other Runagades, and a clock that really wants you gone.[/p][p]That’s Clockout in a nutshell: high pressure, high speed, and zero mercy for sloppy runs.[/p][h3]
Closed Beta [/h3][p]Some news you might have heard already, but it’s still worth repeating.[/p][p]The streets of Sprint City will be opening up to their first visitors very soon. We’re preparing a closed beta, and the best way to stay in the loop is by joining the official Sprint City Discord.[/p][p]Once you’ve had a chance to run the city, we want to hear it all. Do the routes feel fair? Do the jumps flow? Did your legs survive the experience? All that good stuff. [/p][p][/p][p]Anyway, that’s it for this blog! I’ll be back soon with more insights from the streets of Sprint City.[/p][h3]See you out there,[/h3][h3]Gary D. Tour[/h3][p][/p][h2]Follow Sprint City on socials for more updates:[/h2][p]Discord X/ Twitter Instagram Bluesky YouTube Reddit TikTok[/p]