Whether you’re qualifying for elite races or trying your first cycling esports competition, this global, month-long event is for you!
Many championship events are reserved for those who’ve worked hard to qualify and are racing for a win–while everyone else watches from the sidelines. Zwift, the global online fitness platform, believes that participating is more fun than spectating and wants the entire cycling community to join cycling esports’ newest championships, the Zwift Games!
This brand-new, month-long virtual race series includes three different cycling esports disciplines – Sprint, Epic, and Climb – for elite and community racers alike. There are many different ways to participate, giving cyclists all around the world many chances to enjoy the fun and challenge of competing.
In Zwift’s first major racing tour open to all cyclists, participants will enjoy racing on new routes created just for the Zwift Games, and earn unique unlocks. Elite male and female racers will compete for a $110,000USD prize purse, and there will be eight champions – male and female winners of each of the three disciplines and two overall champions. All eight winners will unlock an iconic, gold prize that’s sure to become the most coveted and highly sought prize in cycling esports.
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Elite qualification races for the Sprint championship will be held at multiple times on February 24 and 25, with the championship races for men and women following on March 2 and 3. Championship Epic races will be held on March 9 and 10, and the Climb championships will be held March 16 and 17. There is no qualification race for the Epic or Climb events, and all eligible Zwift racers may enter. All elite competitors will be subject to performance verification.
At the same time as the elite races, there will be five stages for community competitors and all Zwifters are encouraged to take part! Each stage will offer multiple race times throughout the day, with options for all pace levels, making it easy for cyclists in any time zone to participate. Anyone participating in the Zwift Games will have the chance to earn three unlocks that will be announced closer to the start of the event.
Those wishing to qualify for any of the elite championships should register their interest and meet all eligibility criteria by January 26. Complete information on the elite championships and the eligibility criteria is available here. Community racers should watch their home screen for information on how to register for the Zwift Games Community Races – the complete schedule will be announced in February.
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ZWIFT GAMES ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE AND DETAILS
Sprint Qualifiers:
Dates: Men - February 24th 2024, 2am, 10am, 6pm UTC Women - February 25th, 2024, 2am, 10am, 6pm UTC.
The Sprint Championship is the only event that will have a qualification round. Qualifier events will consist of a single scratch race. In order to earn a place on the start line of the Sprint Championship, athletes will need to place in the top 30 during one of the three qualifier races.
Dates: Men - March 2nd 2024, Women - March 3rd, 2024.
The Sprint Championship will consist of three back-to-back scratch races, similar to the Zwift Battle Royale format used for the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. A proportion of the top-placed riders will progress through each race, and only ten riders will make the start line of the final race.
Courses:
Race 1 - Watopia, new course, 2 laps | Distance: 24.9km | Elevation: 289m | Top 30 qualify for Race 2
Race 2 - Watopia, new course | Distance: 19.5km | Elevation: 212m | Top 10 qualify for Race 3
Prizes: 1st place - $7,000, In-game unlock | 2nd place - $5,000 | 3rd place - $3,000
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Epic Championships:
Dates: Men - March 9th 2024 , Women - March 10th, 2024.
The Epic Championship is the race for Zwift’s steeliest athletes, those who like to go long. This grueling scratch race will take on a brand new course in Zwift that has been specially curated for the Zwift Games. At more than 80 km long with lots of opportunities for attacking, this Epic parcours will test every facet of competitors’ resolve.
Course: Watopia, new course | Distance: 81.6km | Elevation: 878m
Prizes: 1st place - $7,000, In-game unlock | 2nd place - $5,000 | 3rd place - $3,000
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Climb Championships:
Dates: Men - March 16th 2024 , Women - March 17th, 2024.
The finale of the 2024 Zwift Games will be a memorable scratch race which winds its way up the 21 hairpins of the iconic Alpe du Zwift. A race for the pure climbers, the Climb Championship will definitively establish who is the best cycling esports climber.
Prizes: 1st place - $7,000, In-game unlock | 2nd place - $5,000 | 3rd place - $3,000
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Overall Championship
The Zwift Games Overall Champions will be the male and female athletes who have the strongest and most consistent performance across all three Championship events. The top 90 finishers in each Zwift Games Championship will be awarded points according to their final position. Points will accrue over the three championship races, and the racers with the most points at the end of the Climb Championships will be awarded the title of “Overall Champion.”
