Raccoon Logic, the studio behind Revenge of the Savage Planet, made a surprise appearance at Gamescom 2026. Instead of another adventure, it was hockey. Breakaway Hockey League is a fast-paced four-on-four simulator for PC that promises to bring the genre back to the desktop. The announcement took place during the Future Game Show at Gamescom 2026, and this is perhaps the most unexpected turn in the career of the Canadian developers. A release is planned for Steam and the Epic Games Store, but there’s no exact date yet. The game will reach players through Early Access, after undergoing alpha and beta testing with the community.
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The Story of Raccoon Logic, from Savage Planet to Hockey
Raccoon Logic isn’t just another studio. Its history is a ready-made documentary script. The founders started out as Typhoon Studios, which was acquired by Google in 2019 for Stadia. Journey to the Savage Planet was released in 2020, and everything seemed to be going well. But in 2021, Google shut down Stadia Games and Entertainment, and with it, Typhoon. The developers were laid off, and the studio was shelved. The employees didn’t give up. They gathered in Montreal, founded Raccoon Logic, and bought the rights to Savage Planet from Google. It wasn’t just a comeback—it was an act of vengeance. At GDC 2025, they even hung a banner referencing Stadia’s former boss. And now—hockey.
“We grew up loving hockey, but when hockey games disappeared from PC, we missed the intensity, teamwork, and skill,” said game designer and head of marketing at Raccoon Logic, Hugo Agostinho. Game Director Steve Masters added: “Hockey’s unique blend of skill, speed, and brutality creates the drama and spectacle perfect for competitive play.” Creative Director Alex Hutchinson noted that this month marks the studio’s fifth anniversary—almost ten, if you count the Typhoon era. To celebrate, they launched a merch store.
Breakaway Hockey League Review and Gameplay Features
Forget classic simulations. Here, everything is designed for action and excitement. Matches are five minutes long, with overtime and shootouts deciding the outcome if regulation ends in a tie. The player controls one player from a third-person perspective—no switching between the entire lineup. Every step, feint, pass, and shot is completely under your control.
Third-person controls and puck physics
The developers promise realistic puck physics—ricochets, rebounds, and battles for the open disc. Dynamic skating with transitions between facing and backwards, sharp turns, and sprints. Shots aren’t button-driven, but aimed, where timing and precision are crucial. Body checks are powerful and devastating. And all this is in a ranked mode, where team chemistry matters more than individual skill.
What sets Breakaway apart from other games is its no-nonsense approach. Five minutes of pure action, with no pauses for faceoffs. “Every shift is a potential highlight”—that’s how Raccoon Logic positions the game. The creators want moments from matches to be edited and posted online—dramatic breakaways, decisive saves, and last-second goals.
How Breakaway Differences from Competing PC Hockey Games
Let’s be clear: Agostinho said that hockey games “disappeared from the PC.” That’s not entirely true. Steam is full of games: Bush League Hockey (a remaster of Old Time Hockey with a 70s feel), Hoser Hockey, a retro arcade game set on frozen Canadian lakes, even Backyard Hockey ’02, a kids’ arcade game from the 2000s. But Raccoon Logic is aiming higher. They’re not making an arcade game for nostalgia. They’re making a competitive action game with a high skill threshold—and they want to fill a niche on PC that only EA’s NHL series has held for years (and even then, with varying success). The 4-on-4 format is a deliberate move away from simulating an entire match in favor of a dynamic and entertaining experience where every player counts.
“We’re aiming to preserve the soul of hockey while adding the purity of modern competitive action games,” Masters concluded. No management simulations. Just ice, puck, and skill. Easy to learn, difficult to master—a formula that works in any genre.
Breakaway Hockey League Release Date and Platforms
There’s no exact date. The Steam page already says “planned release date: to be announced soon.” The developers promise open development with the community: frequent alpha and beta tests, feedback-based adjustments, and rapid iterations. Then, Early Access. This isn’t a “release and forget” game. It’s a long road, where players will influence the final product. Platforms are currently limited to PC (Steam and Epic Games Store). No word on consoles. Considering Raccoon Logic is based in Montreal, and hockey is a religion there, you’d think they know what they’re doing. But console versions, if they ever do, are clearly not in the immediate plans.
Game Prospects and Is a Release Worth Expecting?
Definitely. Even if you’re not a hockey fan. Raccoon Logic is a studio with character. They survived Google’s closure, bought back their rights, made Revenge of the Savage Planet, and are now taking on a genre long considered dead on PC. If they succeed, we’ll get not just a hockey sim, but a fresh competitive action game with soul. If not, well, at least their merch is cool. Keep an eye on the Steam page and sign up for updates—alpha tests could start soon.
