Te Reo Māori goes global as Mini Motorways game launches Rori Riki update for nine million players

A prominent Wellington-based game studio, Dinosaur Polo Club, has brought te reo Māori to millions of global screens with a new update to its international hit, Mini Motorways. As reported by Waatea News on 23 September 2026, the free update allows players to experience the game’s interface and gameplay entirely in te reo Māori. The game has also been gifted the Māori name Rori Riki by the translation company Kūwaha Ltd. The project reached a massive scale immediately upon release. According to Dinosaur Polo Club, Mini Motorways has reached approximately nine million players worldwide across various platforms, including Apple Arcade, Nintendo Switch, and Steam for PC and Mac. The initiative was timed to coincide with Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, aligning with this year’s national theme, “Ake, Ake, Ake – A Forever Language,” which focuses on integrating the language into everyday environments. Shalee Fitzsimmons (Ngāti Tūwharetoa), the Head of Art at Dinosaur Polo Club, led the Māori and tikanga initiatives for the project. Working alongside Kūwaha Ltd, the team ensured the localisation process went beyond simple word replacement. Instead, they focused on ensuring cultural context and tikanga were embedded into the digital experience. The studio noted that the project was designed to normalise the language within digital entertainment spaces where tamariki and rangatahi frequently spend their time. By allowing players to encounter and use kupu Māori while navigating menus and making gameplay decisions, Rori Riki creates a new pathway for language engagement outside of traditional classrooms. The success of the update serves as a significant example for Aotearoa’s technology and gaming industries on how Indigenous language and culture can be authentically integrated into products for a global market. From its origins in Te Whanganui-a-Tara to nine million players, the initiative highlights the potential for te reo Māori to thrive in an interactive, digital future.