Riders Republic - What We Know So Far

Ubisoft capped off its Sept. 10, 2020 Ubisoft Forward event by dropping a brand new IP. Billed as "an extreme sports fantasy land," Riders Republic is an online multiplayer game bursting with quirky characters and neon-soaked aesthetics.

In Riders Republic, you'll tear across different terrains inspired by American national parks while competing with up to 50 players at a time. A next-generation title, Ubisoft has designed Riders to run at 60fps in an open world. In addition to multiplayer modes, it will feature a career mode that allows competitors rise to the top of the leaderboards and sign with big, real-life sponsors from different outdoor sports. Players will also have the ability to customize their avatars in creative ways.

Riders Republic looks like it will offer plenty of action and social interaction, all with a large helping of high octane fun. Take a look at what Ubisoft has established about Riders Republic so far.

Riders Republic will release on Feb. 25, 2021 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One and Google Stadia. PC players will also be able to purchase the title exclusively through the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store.

The Standard Edition, Gold Edition, and Ultimate Edition are currently available for pre-order. With the Gold Edition, you get the base game and a Year 1 Pass, which includes eight exotic gear upgrade kits that unlock on a staggered schedule, the BMX Sport add-on, and post-launch content. Gold Edition purchasers also get seven days of early access to the exotic kits and the BMX Sport. With the Ultimate Edition, you get the Year 1 Pass plus four exclusive cosmetic packs: Cosmic, Rainbow, Neon and Skull'n Style. Ultimate Edition players also receive 20 helicopter tickets.

You can pre-order on any platform now to get the Bunny Pack, which includes a custom outfit, a blue bunny head, and rainbow snowboard paint. It looks like the Standard Edition will cost $59.99 while the Gold Edition costs $99.99 and Ultimate Edition will run you $119.99. Not all editions are available for all platforms at this time. 

Ubisoft released two trailers on Sept. 10: a short Cinematic Premiere Trailer and a longer Game Preview Trailer. The videos showed off some of the sports that will be available in the game, including skiing, snowboarding, biking, and wingsuiting. Additionally, you can check out many of the customization options for your avatars, view the different kinds of landscapes you'll compete in, as well as the sponsors that you can attract. There are many tricks to see  — and even a few epic wipeouts.

Longtime Ubisoft fans may note that Riders Republic appears be the spiritual successor (if not the actual successor) to a previous title from Ubisoft Annecy, 2016's Steep. Set in the Alps, Steep focuses on winter extreme sports. Of further note, the trailers provide a hint at how Riders Republic will look with 49 other competitors sharing the space, indicating this could be a pretty impressive title when it finally launches.

In the massive online playground of Riders Republic, players will engage in competitive races and trick challenges, 6v6 team matchups, and the super charged Mass Starts in which more than 50 people set out to prove their skills. Online cups offer ranked progression, too. If you're looking to dominate the leaderboards, you can choose one of six tracks: bike freestyle, bike racing, ski freestyle, ski racing, wingsuit, and rocket wingsuit. Mentor Brett Nale will offer you tips, as well as sponsorships from the brands that are included in the game.

The action unfolds across seven U.S. national parks: Bryce Canyon, Sequoia Park, Zion, Yosemite, Canyonlands, Mammoth Mountain and Grand Teton. According to Ubisoft, the developers used GPS data to create accurate representations of the locations, stitched together to form the best areas for play. However, the homepage notes, "We took some creative liberties to maximize gameplay opportunities and slightly modified these mountains to make the in-game activities even more exhilarating."

Ubisoft Annecy has promised "deep dive developer blogs every 2 weeks," so it sounds like gamers will have the opportunity to learn more soon.