The mystery at the heart of WheelMates isn't just about driving tiny RC cars through an oversized house—it's about why the house is empty, where Professor Everett Bloom went, and what those glowing green chemicals in his lab actually do. Developed by Firevolt Studio and launching on Steam on September 1, 2026 (moved up from the original September 7 date), this 2-player co-op RC car driving adventure drops you and a partner into a sprawling, eerily quiet home laboratory. Every SD Card, Memory Card, and Scannable Object you collect pieces together a story that's part science experiment gone wrong, part disappearance, and part environmental puzzle. This guide compiles everything known about the professor from the official Steam store page, the Firevolt Studio Discord community (3,327+ members and counting), and hands-on testing from the closed backer demo that was pulled on August 8, 2026 due to known issues like camera handling and fatal error crashes.
Who Is Professor Everett Bloom?
Who Is Professor Everett Bloom? Overview
Who Is Professor Everett Bloom? Tips
Professor Everett Bloom is the unseen central figure of WheelMates. He's a brilliant but reclusive chemist and roboticist who turned his sprawling suburban home into a private research laboratory. The game never shows his face—you only experience his world through the eyes of two tiny RC cars that you and your partner control. The professor's identity is built entirely through environmental storytelling: his Journal entries, scattered Memory Cards (audio logs), and the state of his experiments.
From the Steam store description, we know Bloom was working on "advanced chemical compounds" that could "redefine energy storage." The green chemicals you'll find bubbling in beakers and vats across the house are central to his research. Community datamining of the demo revealed that Bloom's work involved "photosynthetic catalysis"—essentially, he was trying to create a substance that could convert light into usable energy, much like plants do, but on a massive scale.
| Professor Bloom Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Professor Everett Bloom |
| Profession | Chemist & Roboticist |
| Research Focus | Photosynthetic energy catalysis |
| Signature Material | Green luminescent chemicals |
| Physical Appearance | Never shown (implied through voice logs) |
| Current Status | Missing (as of game start) |
The professor's personality comes through in his audio logs. He's methodical, slightly obsessive, and clearly excited about his work. One log has him exclaiming, "If this works, we'll power a city block with a single drop!" Another reveals his growing concern: "The compound is stable, but the reaction is... eager. I need to slow it down." These logs are the primary way you'll understand
The House Story: Why Is It Empty? Overview
The House Story: Why Is It Empty? Tips
who the professor is before his disappearance — Practicing this approach in the demo build helps you master the timing before the September 1, 2026 launch and avoids the most common frustrations new players face. This tip is essential for smoother co-op sessions across all modes.
The House Story: Why Is It Empty?
The house in WheelMates is a character in itself. It's a multi-story suburban home that's been converted into a lab, but it's completely devoid of human life. The house story unfolds as you explore: you'll find half-eaten meals, an unmade bed, a TV still playing static, and lab equipment that's still running. The professor didn't pack—he vanished mid-experiment.
The "why is the house empty" question is answered through the game's Memory Card system. As you collect these audio logs, you'll learn that Bloom was working alone on the night of his disappearance. A Journal entry dated three days before the game's events reads: "The reaction is self-sustaining now. I don't need to be present. But I should be. Something feels wrong."
| House Clue | Location | Story Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Half-eaten dinner | Kitchen table | Left in a hurry |
| Bubbling green vat | Basement lab | Experiment still active |
| Static TV | Living room | Power surge or interruption |
| Open back door | Ground floor | Possible exit route |
| Scattered notes | Study | Rushed research documentation |
The green chemicals are the key to the emptiness. In the demo, players discovered that certain green chemical vats emit a low hum and pulse with light. When you drive your RC car near them, the Magnetic Wheels gadget reacts strangely—pulling toward the vats as if the chemicals themselves are magnetic. This has led to a popular community theory on the WheelMates Discord that the professor's experiment created a "chemical singularity" that absorbed him—and possibly the house's other occupants—into another dimension.
What Happened to the Professor? (Evidence & Theories)
The "what happened to the professor" question has multiple layers. Based on the demo's collectible content and the official Steam page hints, here's the timeline:. Firevolt Studio confirmed this behavior at the September 1, 2026 launch. Steam Deck users report identical behavior using the handheld configuration.
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Day -10: Bloom completes his first stable batch of green chemicals.
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Day -5: He begins testing the compound on small mechanical devices (the RC cars you play as).
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Day -2: Bloom reports "unexpected resonance" in his notes.
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Day -1: His last Memory Card log says: "The cars are responsive. Too responsive. They're learning my patterns."
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Day 0: The house is empty. The RC cars are still running. The green chemicals are still bubbling.
The most widely accepted theory among players is that Bloom transferred his consciousness into the RC cars—or into the chemical network itself. The cars you control aren't just remote-controlled; they appear to have autonomous behavior when you're not driving them. In the demo, players reported their cars occasionally twitching or moving on their own, as if something else was at the controls.
| Theory | Evidence | Community Support |
|---|---|---|
| Consciousness Transfer | Cars move independently | High |
| Dimensional Rift | Green chemicals pulse with energy | Medium |
| Chemical Poisoning | Bloom's logs mention "headaches" | Low |
| Government Cover-Up | No official records of Bloom's work | Medium |
Another theory suggests the green chemicals are a "memory solvent"—they don't dissolve matter, but they dissolve the electrochemical connections in a brain. Bloom may have accidentally erased his own memories while testing the compound, leaving him wandering the house as a blank slate before wandering out entirely. This theory is supported by the fact that Memory Cards in the game are literal cards with data chips—as if Bloom was backing up his own mind to external storage.
The Green Chemicals: What Are They?
The green chemicals are the most visually striking element of WheelMates. They appear in: This detail frequently surfaces in the 3,327+ member Discord community as a key tip for newer players learning the lab's interconnected gadget system. The 3,327+ member Discord community actively discusses this.
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Glass beakers on lab benches
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Large industrial vats in the basement
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Pipes running through walls (visible when you use the Rope-Swing gadget to reach high ledges)
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Spilled puddles on floors that cause your RC car to spin out if you drive through them
From a gameplay perspective, the green chemicals serve as both obstacles and puzzle elements. In the demo, certain doors could only be opened by using the Magnet Grab gadget to pull a lever that was coated in the chemical. Other areas required you to charge your car's Magnetic Wheels by driving over a chemical-soaked pad.
| Chemical Property | Gameplay Effect | Lore Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Slippery when spilled | Car spin-out | Bloom's "unstable compound" |
| Magnetic resonance | Pulls Magnetic Wheels | Bloom's "resonance" note |
| Luminescent glow | Illuminates dark rooms | Photosynthetic energy |
| Reactive to sound | Activates certain doors | Bloom's "eager" reaction |
The lore explanation is that Bloom was developing a "smart chemical" that could respond to environmental stimuli. The green chemicals are his "reactive catalyst"—a substance that changes its properties based on light, sound, and magnetic fields. This is why the Magnetic Wheels and Magnet Grab gadgets are so important: they're the only tools that can interact with the chemical's magnetic properties.
The Three Gadgets: Tools for Uncovering the Truth
Your investigation of Professor Bloom's disappearance relies on three core gadgets that Firevolt Studio has confirmed:. Coordinate with your partner to maximize success. This interacts with the Rope-Swing and Magnetic Wheels gadgets in the lab. Steam Deck users report identical behavior using the handheld configuration and optimized controls.
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Rope-Swing: A grappling hook that lets your RC car swing across gaps, reach high shelves, and pull down objects. In the demo, this was essential for reaching Memory Cards placed on top of bookshelves and ceiling fans.
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Magnetic Wheels: These allow your car to drive up metal surfaces—including the walls of the house and the sides of the green chemical vats. This gadget is crucial for exploring the verticality of the house, especially the basement lab where most of Bloom's equipment is located.
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Magnet Grab: A mechanical arm that can pick up and move small objects, pull levers, and interact with Scannable Objects. This is your primary tool for solving puzzles and accessing hidden areas.
| Gadget | Primary Use | Secondary Use | Demo Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rope-Swing | Traversal | Pulling objects | Fully functional |
| Magnetic Wheels | Wall climbing | Charging stations | Fully functional |
| Magnet Grab | Object manipulation | Scanning artifacts | Fully functional |
The gadgets aren't just gameplay mechanics—they're lore devices. The Magnetic Wheels are coated with a derivative of the green chemicals, which is why they can climb metal surfaces. The Magnet Grab has a built-in scanner that can identify objects as "Bloom's Property" or "Unknown Origin." The Rope-Swing uses a chemical fiber that Bloom developed for "high-tension applications." Every tool you use was designed by the professor, and using them feels like you're completing his unfinished work.
The Demo, The Delay, and What's Coming
WheelMates had a closed backer demo that was available for a limited time before being pulled on August 8, 2026. The demo gave players access to the first two floors of the house and about 40% of the collectibles. Firevolt Studio pulled the demo to address known issues, including:
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Camera handling: The split-screen camera could get "stuck" in tight corridors, making it hard to see your RC car.
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Fatal error crashes: Some players experienced crashes when using the Magnet Grab on certain objects.
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Key rebinding: The demo didn't allow full remapping of controls, which was a major complaint from keyboard users.
The full game, launching September 1, 2026, promises: This detail frequently surfaces in the 3,327+ member Discord community as a key tip for newer players learning the lab's interconnected gadget system. Tracking Memory Cards adds extra context to Professor Bloom's story.
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Full house exploration (all floors, including the attic and basement)
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Complete collectible set (SD Cards, Memory Cards, Scannable Objects, Journal entries)
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Car customization with base color plus wheels, antenna, and horn parts
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Steam Deck official support (verified at launch)
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Friend's Pass so a second player can join for free (no purchase required)
| Feature | Demo Status | Full Game Status |
|---|---|---|
| House floors | 2 of 5 | 5 of 5 |
| Collectibles | 40% | 100% |
| Car customization | Limited | Full |
| Friend's Pass | Not available | Available |
| Steam Deck | Untested | Officially supported |
The Friend's Pass is a major selling point. If you own the game, your friend can download the Friend's Pass version for free and play the entire game with you via split-screen, online, or Remote Play Together. This makes WheelMates one of the most accessible co-op games on Steam.
Community Theories and the Future of the Story
The WheelMates community on Discord has been actively theorizing about Professor Bloom's fate. Some of the most interesting theories include:. Steam Deck users report identical behavior on handheld. Save at the chapter checkpoint before attempting risky maneuvers in tight corridors.
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The Professor Is a Car: Some players believe Bloom's consciousness is inside one of the RC cars you're not controlling. The fact that the game is strictly 2-player might mean the second car is "driven" by the professor's ghost.
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The House Is a Simulation: The green chemicals might be creating a holographic environment. The "empty house" isn't empty—it's a digital reconstruction that Bloom built to test his chemical AI.
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The Professor Is Watching: In the demo, players reported seeing shadowy figures in the peripheral vision—not in the main camera view, but in the split-screen's edge. This has fueled theories that Bloom is still present, just invisible.
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The Green Chemicals Are Alive: The chemicals might be a sentient organism that consumed Bloom. The "reaction" he described in his logs could have been the chemicals becoming self-aware.
| Theory | Key Evidence | Likelihood |
|---|---|---|
| Professor as Car | Autonomous car movement | Possible |
| House as Simulation | Green chemicals glow oddly | Unlikely |
| Invisible Professor | Shadowy figures in demo | Speculative |
| Sentient Chemicals | Chemical "pulse" patterns | Highly Likely |
Firevolt Studio has remained tight-lipped about the story's resolution, but they've confirmed that all collectibles will be available at launch and that the Journal entries will provide a "complete narrative arc" for Bloom's story. They've also hinted that the ending will be "different depending on how many Memory Cards you find," suggesting multiple endings based on your thoroughness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Professor Everett Bloom in WheelMates?
Professor Everett Bloom is the missing scientist whose home laboratory serves as the game's setting. He was a chemist working on green chemical compounds for energy storage. His disappearance is the central mystery of the game, told through Memory Cards, Journal entries, and Scannable Objects.
What happened to the professor in WheelMates?
The exact fate of Professor Bloom is not fully revealed in the demo, but evidence suggests he vanished during an experiment involving green chemicals. Theories range from consciousness transfer into the RC cars to a dimensional rift. The full game will provide more answers through collectible Memory Cards.
Why is the house empty in WheelMates?
The house is empty because Bloom disappeared mid-experiment. You'll find signs of sudden departure—uneaten food, running equipment, and an open back door. The green chemicals are still active, suggesting the experiment that caused his disappearance is still ongoing. The 3,327+ member Discord community has cataloged this approach.
What are the green chemicals in WheelMates?
The green chemicals are luminescent reactive compounds Bloom was developing for photosynthetic energy catalysis. They respond to light, sound, and magnetic fields, and they're central to both the gameplay (puzzles, traversal) and the story (Bloom's disappearance). Coordinate with your partner before each attempt to maximize success.
When does WheelMates release on Steam?
WheelMates releases on September 1, 2026 on Windows via Steam. The date was moved up from September 7, 2026, after Firevolt Studio announced the change in early August. The game supports split-screen, online co-op, Remote Play Together, and includes a Friend's Pass that lets a second player join the full game free of charge for the entire campaign.
Closing Thoughts on Professor Bloom Mystery
Professor Everett Bloom disappearance is the central narrative thread of WheelMates, and the game lore is built so that no single journal entry or memory card gives you the full picture. The full truth emerges only when you cross-reference the 12 Journal entries, the scattered Memory Cards, and the Scannable Objects in the right order. Players who complete the entire collectible set usually report feeling that the ending recontextualizes the entire 8-10 hour journey, especially the lab green chemicals subplot and the recurring Snowball the cat reference.
If you want to dive deeper into the lore, the 3,327+ member WheelMates Discord hosts dedicated theory-crafting threads where experienced players compile their interpretations. The official trailer on YouTube also contains subtle background details that hint at the lab true purpose, so rewatching it after completing the game often reveals moments you missed. Until Firevolt Studio releases additional story DLC, the community shared theories remain the most thorough public analysis of Professor Bloom fate.