So, it appears my digital plea for a new Burnout installment, expressed through the art space of an online map, has been acknowledged. If the information I received is correct, the news isn’t exactly what I was hoping to hear. However, this isn’t the end of my campaign.
For those unaware, I recently made my mark on wplace, a platform reminiscent of Reddit that allows users to create artwork on a shared world map. I left a request for a new Burnout game, scrawled somewhat clumsily in two different locations.
“New Burnout Please!” That was the simple message, placed near the Paradise City resort in Incheon, South Korea, and also alongside Shitten Creek in Oregon. Honestly, I expected my request to be ignored by the wplace community and the wider internet. I anticipated being dismissed as a delusional fanboy clinging to a forgotten racing franchise. But two days later, I discovered that wasn’t the case.
Directly below my appeal near the Korean resort, a clear response emerged: “Cancelled SOZ.” Someone took the time to visit my Paradise City location simply to deliver this disappointing news, rendered in the default black pixels, emphasizing the finality of the situation.
Initially, I hesitated. I could have revisited my other message, the “New BurnouT! PlS” beside the Oregonian creek, which remained untouched. Or, I could have attempted to contact the responder, whose Discord handle was visible within the pixels they used. Instead, I’ve chosen a third path.
“R u SurE about that?” I had to know. Using the same pixel art method, I’ve posed this question to the mysterious source of information on wplace. Perhaps they will respond again. We might even have a discussion that spreads down the Korean coast, towards the islands of Yeonghueng and Seonjae-ri. Maybe others will join in, and the conversation will expand eastward across Korea or westward into the Yellow Sea. Or perhaps they won’t reply, and the dream will quietly fade.
Regardless, this has broken the silence surrounding the lack of new Burnout games. Before I conclude, I should share which of the existing Burnout titles I consider my favorites.
Burnout 3: Takedown was my introduction to the series. It was one of the first games I owned on the PS2, and I dedicated countless hours to its road rage and Crash mode mayhem. I rarely achieved the perfect car angle for maximum damage, but I did occasionally manage to involve a bus for spectacular results. Despite its differences, I also enjoyed Paradise. The open-world environment felt like a natural progression, even with some drawbacks. And controversially, I actually liked DJ Atomika, likely influenced by growing up during the energy drink-fueled extreme sports era of the Colin McRae Dirt games, which warped my preferences.
Feel free to disagree with me on wplace, if you’re so inclined.