# List of vehicular combat games

Vehicular combat games are video games in which players fight one another from inside armed or armored vehicles, using mounted weapons, ramming, and vehicle-borne devices to disable opponents. The genre is cataloged under labels such as "vehicular combat", "car combat", and "vehicle combat sim", and its earliest entries date to the mid-1970s.<sup>[1](https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/vehicularcombat)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/carcombat)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/all/vehicle-combat-sim/)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Genre definition | Players compete in heavily armed vehicles, a form of fighting game built around cars, tanks, and other machines<sup>[4](https://gamicus.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Vehicular_Combat_video_games)</sup> |
| Earliest entries | The first car combat game was Crashing Race, released in July 1976; early vehicular combat games included Atari's Tank (1974) and Exidy's Death Race (1976)<sup>[2](https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/carcombat)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/vehicularcombat)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[18](https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/arcade-game-tank-ii/ywEK4qpxHMgnQg?hl=en)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[19](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/506748-first-car-combat-videogame)</sup> |
| Defining series | Twisted Metal (1995 to present), Carmageddon, Interstate '76 (1997 to 1999), and Vigilante 8 (1998 to 2008)<sup>[5](https://carmageddon.fandom.com/wiki/Carmageddon_%28series%29)</sup> |
| Highest-rated example | Twisted Metal: Black (June 18, 2001) holds a 91 Metascore<sup>[3](https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/all/vehicle-combat-sim/)</sup> |
| Recent output | 215 vehicular combat games were released on Steam in 2026, bringing the cumulative total to 1,235<sup>[6](https://steamdb.info/stats/releases/?tagid=11104)</sup> |
| Notable revivals | Destruction AllStars (Lucid Games, 2021, PlayStation 5) and Carmageddon: Rogue Shift (due early 2026)<sup>[7](https://squarefaction.ru/games?genre=vehicular-combat)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/events-conferences/carmageddon-rogue-shift-looks-like-the-death-race-game-weve-always-deserved/)</sup> |

## Definition and scope

The genre covers games where the vehicle is the combat platform rather than mere transport. A database definition describes vehicular combat games as a form of fighting game in which players compete against each other in a variety of heavily armed vehicles.<sup>[4](https://gamicus.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Vehicular_Combat_video_games)</sup> A narrower subgenre, car combat, places the player in control of a car that engages others in road-based combat, including shooting at or bashing other vehicles.<sup>[2](https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/carcombat)</sup>

The label also extends to military vehicle combat. Metacritic's vehicle combat sim category includes [War Thunder](https://www.edgepedia.org/war-thunder) (June 3, 2014), a next-generation MMO combat game dedicated to World War II military aviation, armored vehicles, and fleets.<sup>[3](https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/all/vehicle-combat-sim/)</sup> A further branch uses mech robots, or mecha, as the combat vehicle, typically played in first-person or third-person view.<sup>[9](https://img.sauf.ca/pictures/2025-08-28/bbffc277f04f00e5b2f64ec629292e2f.pdf)</sup>

Vehicular combat also appears as a gameplay element inside games of other genres. In the [Grand Theft Auto](https://www.edgepedia.org/grand-theft-auto) series it encompasses anything from using a vehicle to damage or disable other vehicles or run over pedestrians, to using a weapon in hand or built into a vehicle; specialized garages can arm standard road vehicles with machine guns, a car bomb, mines, or oil slicks.<sup>[10](https://www.grandtheftwiki.com/Vehicular_Combat)</sup>

## Major series and notable titles

**Twisted Metal.** The series began in 1995 and continues, and it is the genre's most frequently cited reference point. [Twisted Metal](https://www.edgepedia.org/twisted-metal): Black (June 18, 2001), the fifth game in the series, ran at 60 frames per second and featured Calypso tempting inmates from a local metal hospital to compete in a tournament of automotive mayhem; it holds a 91 Metascore.<sup>[3](https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/all/vehicle-combat-sim/)</sup> Twisted Metal: Head-On (March 24, 2005) put players in one of 14 lethal machines on wheels, each equipped with machine guns, turbo boost, and a unique special attack.<sup>[3](https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/all/vehicle-combat-sim/)</sup> Twisted Metal 4 (1999) was developed by 989 Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for [PlayStation](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation).<sup>[11](https://vandal.elespanol.com/juegos/0/videojuegos/809/combate-en-vehiculos)</sup>

**Carmageddon.** Carmageddon's main rivals in the late 1990s were the Twisted Metal series, the Interstate '76 series (1997 to 1999), and its spin-off series [Vigilante](https://www.edgepedia.org/vigilante) 8 (1998 to 2008).<sup>[5](https://carmageddon.fandom.com/wiki/Carmageddon_%28series%29)</sup> The N64, PlayStation, and [Game Boy Color](https://www.edgepedia.org/game-boy-color) versions of [Carmageddon](https://www.edgepedia.org/carmageddon) were censored and had no way to patch in or unlock pedestrians.<sup>[5](https://carmageddon.fandom.com/wiki/Carmageddon_%28series%29)</sup> Later imitators included Clutch, also known as Armageddon Riders, released by Targem Games for PC in 2009.<sup>[5](https://carmageddon.fandom.com/wiki/Carmageddon_%28series%29)</sup> A new entry, Carmageddon: Rogue Shift, was unveiled during the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted and is due in early 2026; its trailer shows contestants fighting to the death in modified cars and vans with miniguns and rocket launchers.<sup>[8](https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/events-conferences/carmageddon-rogue-shift-looks-like-the-death-race-game-weve-always-deserved/)</sup>

**Other titles.** The late-1990s field also included Rollcage, Rogue Trip: Vacation 2012, Demolition Racer, and Vigilante 8.<sup>[12](https://www.gamesradar.com/from-destruction-allstars-to-twisted-metal-a-brief-history-of-playstations-vehicular-combat-games/)</sup> Motor Mayhem: Vehicular Combat League, a [PlayStation 2](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-2) car-combat game released head-to-head with Twisted Metal: Black, was described by GameSpot as different enough to appeal to genre fans not excited by Twisted Metal's darker turn.<sup>[13](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/motor-mayhem-vehicular-combat-league-review/1900-2775579/)</sup>

## History on PlayStation platforms

Vehicular combat has been a recurring part of PlayStation hardware launches. The original PlayStation's launch year produced three such games: Destruction Derby, a down-to-earth take where clipping a rival's rear wing would send them into a satisfying 360-degree spin; Twisted Metal, a bombastic approach equipping outlandish vehicles with machine guns and missile launchers; and WipEout, a futuristic racer that still allowed players to lay mines against chasing racers.<sup>[12](https://www.gamesradar.com/from-destruction-allstars-to-twisted-metal-a-brief-history-of-playstations-vehicular-combat-games/)</sup>

On the PlayStation 2, Twisted Metal: Black was one of the first truly great games for the console, and vehicular combat featured in the system's early online gaming: Hardware: Online Arena was one of Sony's earliest first-party online games, and Twisted Metal: Black received an online update.<sup>[12](https://www.gamesradar.com/from-destruction-allstars-to-twisted-metal-a-brief-history-of-playstations-vehicular-combat-games/)</sup> The PSP's first year included Pursuit Force, which let players chase down criminals and run them off the road, Fired Up, and Twisted Metal: Head-On.<sup>[12](https://www.gamesradar.com/from-destruction-allstars-to-twisted-metal-a-brief-history-of-playstations-vehicular-combat-games/)</sup> The PS3 era added third-party entries [Blur](https://www.edgepedia.org/blur-video-game), described as playing like [Mario Kart](https://www.edgepedia.org/mario-kart) with real cars, and Split/Second: Velocity, which let players use the track itself to wreck rivals.<sup>[12](https://www.gamesradar.com/from-destruction-allstars-to-twisted-metal-a-brief-history-of-playstations-vehicular-combat-games/)</sup>

Twisted Metal and WipEout both had their last truly new games in 2012, though WipEout Omega Collection was used in 2018 as a showcase for [PlayStation VR](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-vr), and Sony's headset also hosted a modern revival of Battlezone, one of the earliest vehicular combat games.<sup>[12](https://www.gamesradar.com/from-destruction-allstars-to-twisted-metal-a-brief-history-of-playstations-vehicular-combat-games/)</sup> Destruction AllStars, developed by Lucid Games for PlayStation 5 in 2021, drew on that heritage: key staff had worked on the WipEout games, and the basic action came straight out of Destruction Derby.<sup>[7](https://squarefaction.ru/games?genre=vehicular-combat)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[12](https://www.gamesradar.com/from-destruction-allstars-to-twisted-metal-a-brief-history-of-playstations-vehicular-combat-games/)</sup>

## Recent and upcoming releases

The genre's output on PC has grown substantially. SteamDB records 215 vehicular combat games released on Steam in 2026, with a cumulative total of 1,235.<sup>[6](https://steamdb.info/stats/releases/?tagid=11104)</sup> Recent examples include:

- **Fumes**, an early access car combat game by the four-person Fumes Team, set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland with no drivers, only cars and weapons strapped to cars; it features car-mounted turrets with infinite ammo, randomized loot, and an infinite procedural wasteland.<sup>[14](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/im-a-haunted-mad-max-muscle-car-with-2-shotgun-turrets-in-this-early-access-vehicle-combat-game-and-its-just-as-rad-as-it-sounds/)</sup>
- **Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks**, a combat racer by Caged Element released May 22, 2026, for Xbox Series X, Windows PC, and [PlayStation 5](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-5) at $19.99, with PvP and PvE modes running on 8v8 chaos.<sup>[15](https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/indies-idxbox/move-over-forza-warhammer-40-000-speed-freeks-is-the-ork-version-of-twisted-metal-ive-been-hammering-for-waaagh)</sup>
- **Carmageddon: Rogue Shift**, due early 2026, described as a Death Race-style spectacle of contestants fighting to the death in modified cars and vans.<sup>[8](https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/events-conferences/carmageddon-rogue-shift-looks-like-the-death-race-game-weve-always-deserved/)</sup>
- **Crossout Mobile**, an online multiplayer vehicular combat game developed by Targem Games and published by [Gaijin Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/gaijin-entertainment).<sup>[16](https://vandal.elespanol.com/juegos/0/videojuegos/809/combate-en-vehiculos/inicio/1)</sup>

## Related and adjacent games

Several games sit at the genre's edges. [Rocket League](https://www.edgepedia.org/rocket-league) is described as not really vehicular combat but falling under the category of using cars for unintended purposes.<sup>[12](https://www.gamesradar.com/from-destruction-allstars-to-twisted-metal-a-brief-history-of-playstations-vehicular-combat-games/)</sup> [BeamNG.drive](https://www.edgepedia.org/beamng-drive) is less a traditional racing game than a vehicular sandbox, notable for a soft-body damage model that most licensed games cannot match because of manufacturer agreements.<sup>[17](https://www.pcgamer.com/the-best-racing-games/)</sup>

## References

1. [Vehicular combat video games (Game genre concept), UVL](https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/vehicularcombat)
2. [Car combat video games (Game genre theme), UVL](https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/carcombat)
3. [Best Vehicle Combat Sim Games, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/all/vehicle-combat-sim/)
4. [List of Vehicular Combat video games, Codex Gamicus](https://gamicus.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Vehicular_Combat_video_games)
5. [Carmageddon (series), Carmageddon Wiki](https://carmageddon.fandom.com/wiki/Carmageddon_%28series%29)
6. [Steam Game Releases Summary for Vehicular Combat, SteamDB](https://steamdb.info/stats/releases/?tagid=11104)
7. [Vehicular Combat games list, Square Faction](https://squarefaction.ru/games?genre=vehicular-combat)
8. [Carmageddon: Rogue Shift looks like the Death Race game we've always deserved, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/events-conferences/carmageddon-rogue-shift-looks-like-the-death-race-game-weve-always-deserved/)
9. [List of vehicular combat games (PDF)](https://img.sauf.ca/pictures/2025-08-28/bbffc277f04f00e5b2f64ec629292e2f.pdf)
10. [Vehicular Combat, Grand Theft Wiki](https://www.grandtheftwiki.com/Vehicular_Combat)
11. [Juegos de Combate en vehículos, Vandal](https://vandal.elespanol.com/juegos/0/videojuegos/809/combate-en-vehiculos)
12. [From Destruction AllStars to Twisted Metal: A brief history of PlayStation's vehicular combat games, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/from-destruction-allstars-to-twisted-metal-a-brief-history-of-playstations-vehicular-combat-games/)
13. [Motor Mayhem: Vehicular Combat League Review, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/motor-mayhem-vehicular-combat-league-review/1900-2775579/)
14. [Fumes early access preview, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/im-a-haunted-mad-max-muscle-car-with-2-shotgun-turrets-in-this-early-access-vehicle-combat-game-and-its-just-as-rad-as-it-sounds/)
15. [Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks preview, Windows Central](https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/indies-idxbox/move-over-forza-warhammer-40-000-speed-freeks-is-the-ork-version-of-twisted-metal-ive-been-hammering-for-waaagh)
16. [Juegos de Combate en vehículos (pág. 1), Vandal](https://vandal.elespanol.com/juegos/0/videojuegos/809/combate-en-vehiculos/inicio/1)
17. [The best racing games on PC, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/the-best-racing-games/)
18. [Arcade game:Tank II - Google Arts & Culture](https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/arcade-game-tank-ii/ywEK4qpxHMgnQg?hl=en)
19. [First car combat videogame](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/506748-first-car-combat-videogame)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Game genres › Simulation and social games › Vehicle simulation games*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license