Riders Republic was Ubisoft’s surprise reveal as part of its latest Forward video event today. The game is a massively multiplayer take on multiple extreme-sports disciplines. It debuts February 25 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia.
Riders Republic is a followup to Ubisoft’s Steep winter-sports game. It has players racing down mountains and cliffs, often against up to 49 other people. These competitions involve mountain bikes, wingsuits, snowboards, skiing, and more. Some events seem to combine all of those sports together into one giant X Games-like mess.
It is, as some have already dubbed it, “sportnite.”
But it’s not all about multiplayer. You can go through what looks more like a single-player campaign. This involves taking on missions and competitions to attract in-game sponsors and other bonuses.
All of this takes place across multiple biomes. These include snowy peaks and desert mountain valleys. And even within these natural spaces you’ll find variety in the form of extreme-sports playgrounds. These include what looks like a snow-covered skatepark with a pirate-ship and an inflatable shark. The trailer shows multiple players using this space at the same time to compete in trick battles.
Throughout the trailers, Ubisoft shows characters wearing a variety of cosmetic gear. Some are dressed as traditional extreme-sports riders, but others are wearing crocodile or giraffe suits.
The idea is that Riders Republic should work like other live-service games. You take any items you earn in single-player and then show them off during your multiplayer sessions against friends and strangers. And this is the kind of game that could do well on the new consoles. Live-service games tend to grow over time, and Riders Republic could do that as players pick up more Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 systems over time.
