Zwift just released their latest “This Season on Zwift” announcement detailing key new game features and events arriving in the next few months. We’ve posted the complete press release below, and in the coming days will be diving into some of the announcements in more detail.
Watopia Expansion: New roads launching during Tour of Watopia – November
November brings an expansion to Zwift’s most-loved virtual world: Watopia. Zwifters may notice something unusual appearing from the ocean, just off Watopia’s coast – could they be ancient structures? Zwifters will need to wait until November for Stage 5 of the Tour of Watopia to explore this new land.
Stage 5 isn’t all that Zwifters have to look forward to during the Tour of Watopia this year. Celebrating a decade of cycling and running on Zwift, Zwifters will take in five stages of Watopia expansions, starting with some of the earliest routes. Zwifters will have the option of three distance options and double XP when completed live during Events, or 1.5x XP when ridden On Demand.
Revamped Heads Up Display (HUD) for a Customized Experience – Available Now
In response to community feedback, a refreshed Heads-Up Display (HUD) ensures the most critical information is right where users need it. With seven customizable metrics—including cadence, heart rate, average watts and watts per kilogram, among others—users can tailor their experience like never before.
Runners also receive an update to the HUD, featuring a fixed display of a heart rate zone distribution bar, heart rate and steps per minute. Wahoo KICKR Run owners will also see the new Dynamic Elevation display when utilizing Incline Control.
Zwift Ride Smart Frame Available Now
Available to purchase today, the Zwift Ride Smart Frame retails for $799.99/€799.99/£749.99 and is available in the US, EU, and UK from Zwift.com. The Zwift Ride Smart Frame is exclusively compatible with Zwift Ready smart trainers.
Unlock New Challenges and Earn Rewards – From September 9
Introducing a range of new challenges, which can all be accessed via the Challenges section on the Home Screen and can be completed alongside one additional ‘main’ challenge – Everest, Italy or California.
Cardio Crusher – Sept 9
Catering to a wide range of fitness goals and for time-crunched athletes, the Cardio Crusher Challenge offers five new workouts, all under an hour. Zwifters who complete all five workouts will unlock 250 XP.
Route Chaser: The Grade – Oct 3
Ideal for users looking for a Challenge to earn new badges. Zwifters must complete five routes to complete the challenge, three of which are new – Mayan 8 (23.1km with 241m elevation gain), Radio Rendezvous (20.5km with 736m elevation gain), and Power to the Tower (44.7km with 1492m elevation gain).
More Challenges will be added in the coming months.
Enhanced Racing Experience with Zwift Racing Score – October
Zwift Racing Score is set to revolutionize racing on Zwift. This update will ensure that racers are placed in the right category from the beginning of their racing journey, making races more competitive and enjoyable. The score dynamically adjusts based on your current fitness and also your performance in races. With improved matchmaking and rewards for strategic racecraft, Zwift Racing Score is designed to elevate the competitive experience.
Zwift Racing Calendar:
Zwift Racing has come a long way since the community first began to self-organize races on Jarvis Island. Today there are over 100 community event organizers organizing races on the platform, helping to create a competitive space for Zwifters globally.
Complementing Zwift Community events is the Zwift Racing Calendar. Split into four key pillars:
- zRacing Monthly – Year-round racing with new racing routes landing each month.
- Zwift Racing League – The largest team event in cycling with 2,610 teams participating in the 23/24 Season, the league brings Zwifters together offering 3 rounds consisting of 6 races each between Sept and Feb.
- Zwift World Series – Five races spanning from September to January, the tailor-made courses offer three tiers of monthly monument racing challenges.
- Zwift Games – Launching in March, the Zwift Championships will return for a second year, offering Zwifters the chance to race for Community and Elite levels with more to be revealed in the coming months.
More information about racing on Zwift can be found atzwift.com/racing
Garage Upgrades: Customize Your Ride – Q4 2024
The Zwift Garage is getting an overhaul for 2024. For the first time, Zwifters can look forward to upgrading their virtual bikes. Zwifters will be able to upgrade their bikes by completing Upgrade Challenges to unlock the ability to purchase the next Upgrade Stage using well-earned Drops. All bikes will have five stages of upgrades, offering enhancements such as weight reductions, improved aerodynamics, and lower rolling resistance.
For Zwifters with Drops burning a hole in their virtual jersey pockets, Zwift will also be introducing Halo Bikes. Halo Bikes like the Pinarello Espada will offer high performance and huge street cred. Only the most brand-loyal Drop Shop customers will be invited to purchase Halo Bikes. More details coming soon.
Fall Training Content
Zwift Academy returns: Aug 5-Nov 3
Zwift Academy is back and ready to challenge all cyclists to improve their fitness while competing for a chance to join a professional cycling team. This year offers an extended window for riders to compete, spanning from Aug 5 until Nov 3, which aims to make it easier for riders in both the North and South hemispheres.
2024 has a sharper focus on talent ID with the workouts really focused on testing physiological capabilities. Riders who complete the program can earn the in-game Zwift Academy kit, an in-game Zwift Academy Canyon Aeroad paint job, and a chance to earn a pro contract with CANYON//SRAM Generation or Alpecin-Deceuninck Development for the top-performing female and male respectively.
Zwift Camp: Baseline: Nov 18-Jan 5
Introducing a new Workout Program designed to help Zwifters learn more about themselves with six workouts with long and short versions to suit all athletes. Upon completion, Zwifters will receive a report helping identify their strengths and weaknesses based on their rider type. After the program, there will be new Challenges available for riders to take the next step with their fitness goals.
Celebrating 10 Years on Zwift – September-December
This season, Zwift is celebrating a decade of helping make more people more active, more often. In that time, the Zwift community has logged a collective 8.72 billion kilometres, climbing 81.56 billion metres. Zwift is a collective experience, so many of those kilometres have been earned riding alongside other Zwifters from all corners of the world in group events. Community event organizers are the backbone of Zwift events and have organized an eye-watering 4,034,556 events over the last ten years. To all those community organizers, we thank you!
To find out more about This Season on Zwift visitzwift.com/this-season-on-zwift
Your Thoughts
What do you think of Zwift’s plans for the next few months? Share below!
