Atari revives classic titles with Activision on new 2600+ console

During the Gamescom expo in Germany, Atari Interactive revealed a collaboration with Activision to reissue 39 classic Activision games on physical cartridges for the Atari 2600+ console, a modern recreation of the 1977 system that includes HDMI output and wireless joysticks. Titles such as Pitfall, River Raid and Megamania will be backward compatible with both the new and original 2600 hardware, allowing owners of vintage cartridges to play them again.

Atari president Ethan Zoubek explained that the brand’s recent leadership has deliberately dismantled previous opportunistic licensing and refocused on its retro gaming heritage. Mike Mika, studio head at Digital Eclipse, emphasized the symbolic reunion, recalling that Activision was founded by former Atari programmers in 1979. The company’s recent acquisitions of studios like Nightdive and Digital Eclipse, along with the launch of the 2600+ and other retro hardware, signal a concerted effort to restore credibility among longtime fans.

Atari’s former owner Frédéric Chesnais had pursued gambling and blockchain projects, but new CEO Wade Rosen has shifted the focus back to classic games. The partnership also includes recreations of original fabric patches that were once offered as mail-order bonuses.