How Subway Surfers City aims to expand the franchise with unique ways to play

• Subway Surfers City opens pre-registrations today, but the original won't be left behind.
• Rafael Rodrigues suggests the new title will answer years of fan requests as "the best spinoffs stem from genuine community demand".

Almost 14 years into Subway Surfers’ endless run, Sybo is launching a fresh runner to complement the original next month.

Named Subway Surfers City, the new title is another endless runner toting a "deepened" experience with new game mechanics, abilities and challenges. It’s been in soft launch in select regions since 2023 and today pre-registrations finally go live for the global launch.

Ahead of Subway Surfers City’s February 26th release, we speak with Sybo studio director Rafael Rodrigues about development, expectations for the follow-up title and plans for the original Subway Surfers going forward.

"Subway Surfers and its IP are stronger than ever, and enthusiasm from players for a second chapter to the game's story continues to grow. We’re excited to deliver just that with the launch of Subway Surfers City," he says.

"Building upon the original title, the game brings players home from the franchise’s World Tour and into the heart of the Subway Surfers universe, Subway City, with various districts for players to race through."

Ready, set, go!

Rodrigues explains that the years-long Subway Surfers City soft launch formed part of Sybo’s "commitment to creating a best-in-class user experience". Now the global release is just six weeks away, he says he's "confident it will become a key pillar of the brand's long-term growth".

While Rodrigues doesn’t confirm or deny whether it’s expected to reach the same heights as the original - Subway Surfers’ 4.5 billion installs makes it one of the most-downloaded games of all time - he does share that the primary goal is to "expand the franchise's footprint with a supplementary, equally entertaining experience".

We ask what makes Subway Surfers City stand out enough to warrant a brand-new title. Rodrigues answers that while it’s still a runner at its core, City has upgraded animations, unseen environments and a higher level of challenge. It also comes with new hand-crafted mode City Tour, a finite mode where levels have distinct goals and missions.

The team plans to build Subway Surfers City into something new for the endless runner space. And, Rodrigues teases more features and unique ways of playing the title to follow.

"Subway Surfers City is designed as a complementary experience to the original Subway Surfers, with thoughtfully crafted, unique gameplay that we’re confident will resonate with players," he adds.

"Our community has been asking for an extension to Subway Surfers since its early years and we’re proud to answer those requests.

"We understand that the best spinoffs stem from genuine community demand and we’re excited for both legacy and new players alike to experience the Subway Surfers universe through an entirely new lens."

Running side-by-side

Rodrigues assures that the original Subway Surfers will continue to move forward with its current cadence of live ops and in-game activations. The title has an active userbase of between 100 million and 150m players every month, so will still receive new World Tour updates every three weeks. A number of in-game surprises are also planned for 2026.

Meanwhile, fan-favourite characters from the original will reappear in City’s artstyle as the new title expands its roster, neighbourhoods and customisation options over time.

A range of hoverboards and outfits are also confirmed, offering players new style as they come to master the bouncy bubblegum shield, speed pads and other new mechanics. Subway Surfers City will also come with a stomp move to uncover hidden secrets.

Finally, we discuss social media presence.

Known for its strength in this department, head of brand Adam Collier shared at PGC London 2025 that the original Subway Surfers has an "expert team" of marketers and video content creators making the most of memes, the latest hit songs and what’s popular on Instagram.

A quick turnaround on viral posts has helped make almost all Subway Surfers’ marketing and resultant installs organic.

So, we ask Rodrigues whether Subway Surfers City will leverage those popular pre-existing social media accounts or build a new presence.

"Subway Surfers City has its own dedicated Facebook, Instagram, and X pages. Social media has been an incredible marketing tool for our games and has played an integral role in maintaining Subway Surfers’ momentum for nearly 15 years now. Our team is excited to take a similar entertainment-first and culture-driven approach for Subway Surfers City’s online presence."

Sybo will also be attending Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026, among the 3,000 delegates expected to appear next week. Tickets are available now.