Breakout Beyond Puts a New Angle on Atari's Classic Brick-Breaker

Breakout, the 1976 arcade classic, is getting a modern makeover nearly 50 years later. Breakout Beyond, developed by Choice Provisions (creators of the BIT.TRIP series), puts a fresh spin on the iconic brick-breaker formula. While retaining the core paddle-and-ball mechanics, the game introduces a unique sideways scrolling perspective, moving players from left to right across the screen.

The objective remains the same: break bricks! As players build combos, the visual spectacle intensifies with dazzling lights and effects. Special bricks trigger spectacular events, from massive explosions to the deployment of a laser cannon. Breakout Beyond boasts 72 levels in its main campaign, plus an unlockable endless mode featuring a global online leaderboard for competitive play. For those who prefer cooperative fun, a local two-player co-op mode is also included.

"We're thrilled to bring this gem to our players," stated Atari's Senior Director of Games Publishing, Ethan Stearns. "The team saw a brilliant concept—preserving the core Breakout gameplay while completely reinventing its presentation. Breakout Beyond is a worthy addition to the Breakout legacy, and we eagerly anticipate the incredible combos players will achieve."

The Intellivision Amico, announced in 2018 with a targeted 2020 release, remains unreleased, having faced numerous setbacks and delays over the years. Atari acquired the Intellivision branding and intellectual property rights last year, but not the Amico console itself.

Breakout Beyond is set to launch later this year on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Atari VCS.