Atari, of course, has a long history with the RollerCoaster Tycoon franchise, having served as the publisher for the vast majority of the series’ instalments, both mainline and otherwise. Where RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 itself is concerned, Atari and Frontier Developments have been involved in some disputes in the past – like the former being sued by the latter due to unpaid royalties – so this should put a neat bow on that rocky relationship.

“As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of RollerCoaster Tycoon with [series creator] Chris Sawyer, I am really pleased that we can unite this important and successful title in the series with the rest of the franchise,” said Wade Rosen, Chairman and CEO of Atari. ”This is going to create new opportunities for Atari as we continue the great work done by Frontier, and bring benefits to the fans of games across the RollerCoaster Tycoon franchise.”

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 originally released for PC two decades ago, in 2004. In 2020, the game was also ported to the Nintendo Switch.

Atari says it intends to “develop new titles, expand digital and physical distribution, and explore brand and merchandising collaborations as part of a long-term plan” to take the RollerCoaster Tycoon series to “new heights”.

The PC community has had a long-standing love affair with Frontier Developments’ 2004 amusement park management simulator RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, and it seems like the game might soon be coming to the Nintendo Switch as well. That makes sense. Like so many other games, it’s perfect for the Switch.

What’s interesting is that the game hasn’t officially been announced for the Switch. RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Complete Edition did, however, recently receive an update on the eShop, and has actually been in the eShop’s database since September 1 (via @NWPlayer123 on Twitter). Unlike retailer listings or other similar leaks, this one pretty much cements the game’s arrival on the Switch, seeing as it’s been found in the eShop itself.

An official announcement is likely coming soon, so stay tuned for that. Meanwhile, this isn’t the only game by Frontier Developments coming to the Switch. Jurassic World Evolution will also be launching on Nintendo’s hybrid system in November.

RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3: Complete Edition for Switch has leaked, looks like it's unannounced, just got an update pic.twitter.com/AL68G8Jddn

— Nikki™ (@NWPlayer123) September 7, 2020

Frontier Developments may have seen great success with Planet Coaster, its spiritual successor to the Rollercoaster Tycoon franchise, but it’s currently fighting for unpaid royalties owed for Rollercoaster Tycoon 3.

Frontier noted that it was suing publisher Atari which still owes $2.2 million in royalties for the third game. This was after Atari filed for bankruptcy in 2013 and Frontier amended its contract.

Though the original story broke through TMZ, Frontier COO David Walsh told Eurogamer that, “We can confirm Frontier is currently pursuing a complaint against Atari. We have attempted to resolve this issue without legal action since April 2016.

“We have so far been denied our contractual right to audit by Atari, and we are unfortunately left with no other way to resolve our concerns. We are unable to offer any further comment while the matter is subject to due legal process.”

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