Today Zwift announced Zwift Labs: “the Zwift club to test new features & event modes, discuss feedback & ideas with other members of the club, and have loads of fun!”
Event Types
The experimental Zwift Labs events are a place for Zwift’s game designers to test new concepts. Several different types of events are currently cooking in the lab. Here’s how Zwift describes them…
Segment Smasher
These are short, lap-based events where users will be challenged to “smash the segments.” You will be guided through the first few laps as you get a feel for when to conserve energy and when to throw down some big watts.
Think of it as a competition against yourself and others. Compete with others to lock in the fastest cumulative time across all segments, or compete against yourself to achieve negative splits, set a new PR, or get in an epic workout.
Group FTP Test
Looking for ways to improve your fitness? Check out these group workouts that leverage FTP Tests. FTP, or Functional Threshold Power, is the maximum power a cyclist can generate for one hour, and understanding your FTP can allow you to gauge your fitness level, set proper training zones, and moderate your efforts in hard events. Completing a proper FTP test is one of the best ways of determining your FTP.
FTP tests are challenging and can be intimidating for some cyclists. Does completing an FTP as a group make for a more enjoyable experience? Come together in these events for some collective suffering and find out!
RoboPacer Climbing Events
You’ve seen the RoboPacers on Alpe du Zwift—now they’re ready to test their legs on some new slopes.
These events will feature a wide range of RoboPacers designed to pace you to the top of your favorite climbs. Get on their wheel, settle in, and set some PRs!
Beat the Bots
The RoboPacers are at it again and this time they’re challenging you to a duel of human vs machine.
In this event, you’ll work with other Zwifters to cross the finish line before being caught by a speeding horde of bots. With a brief head start on the bots, you’ll need to put in your best effort to hold them off until the finish.
Mountain Mullets
It’s business on the way up and a party on the way down. In these events, you’ll tackle challenging climbs, pushing yourself to reach the summit. Your reward for reaching the top? Big gains and Big Wheels.
Hop on your trusty Big Wheel and relive your childhood summers as you rip down the descent and roll on through the finish arch.
Audio Workouts
What’s that lovely sound? It’s a group ride or workout utilizing AI-generated audio files! If you love a good workout but worry about missing the text prompts on screen, this could be the event for you.
Turn up the volume and get to work while being guided through your workout with audio prompts!
Dynamic Workouts
This is where the rubber meets the road. In these events you’ll be guided through an epic workout using the terrain to your advantage. Flats, rollers, climbs, and descents—they’re all part of your arsenal in these workouts that take you through your favorite routes. Time to embrace the quality of the road and get stronger!
Fondos
Is it a ride or is it a race? Fondos and sportifs are traditionally comprised of an eclectic mix of riders, some with their eyes on the podium, some competing for age group awards, and many seeking an epic personal challenge with a goal of completing the event.
These events will embrace the diverse group of cyclists that participate in Zwift Fondos. Whether you’re here seeking the podium or personal accomplishment, this event is for you.
Upcoming Events
The first set of events is now on the calendar:
- Mountain Mullets (May 23-25)
- Grab a Big Wheel atop the Volcano, then have blast descending and riding to the finish.
- Route: Volcano Climb, 1 lap (23.3km, 203m)
- Beat the Bots (May 26-28)
- Join the A pens and start 14 minutes before the bots. Work together to stay away from the bots until the finish!
- Route: Big Flat 8, 1 lap (31.5km, 108m)
- Group FTP Test (May 29-31)
- FTP tests are never fun… but are they better in a group? Join and find out!
- Route: Castle to Castle, 25 minutes
- Big Foot Hills Fondo (June 1-2)
- Looking for a long, “fun race”? Try a fondo! All categories start together in this format.
- Route: Big Foot Hills, 1 lap (69.7km, 713m)
See upcoming Zwift Labs events at zwift.com/events/tag/zwiftlabs
Goodbye, FutureWorks: Hello Zwift Labs Club
Zwift rolled out their “FutureWorks” label at Eurobike 2019, where they debuted steering via the Companion app. Since then, PacePartners (RoboPacers), Clubs, HoloReplay, and HUDless mode also launched under that label, eventually graduating out of FutureWorks and into the full game. (Some features, such as “Boost Mode“, never left FutureWorks.)
Is Zwift Labs the new FutureWorks? Zwift tells me yes. They’re hoping to get enough people signed up for the Zwift Labs club that it can be used as a cohort for test events and other in-game features, as well as the place where feedback is delivered via club chat.
For more info on Zwift Labs, visit the Zwift Labs website and join the Zwift Labs Club.
Your Thoughts
But what do you think of the Zwift Labs concept overall? Do any of the proposed events seem especially appealing (or perhaps especially unappealing) to you? Share below!
Is this only for this four weeks or are they going to continue testing things after this series of events? I think that this is a cool concept as long as their open to new ideas and they let the designers try new ideas because most of this events have already been done so they arent new concepts.
Zwift haven’t been open to new ideas in years. Just look at the forums. It would be great if they engaged with the community but that has never happened much.
Looking at this i’m mostly seeing a lot of wasted time that could be directed elsewhere.
Segment Smasher – Already being done
Group FTP – Already being done
RoboPacer Climbing EVents – Already being done
Beat the bots – it’s chase race already being done but could do with some work to help organisers improve them.
The After Party.- Gimmicky not really a new thing swapping bike at the top of a hill.
Audio Workouts – Could actually be useful.
Dynamic workouts – no comment as not 100% familiar with.
Fondos – Already being done.
So to sum it up we have possibly 2 new things both related to workouts.I would stop trying to second guess what the customer wants and deliver the basics would be a good place to start….where is club custom workouts probably the number 1 requested feature for workouts/clubs
good summary … almost nothing really new … I STILL PRAY FOR TESTING A VELODROME 🙏🏼
Gordon, I agree. I joined the ZwiftLabs group FTP this morning and (i) there wasn’t a group and (ii) a downhill in an FTP test – surely that’s counter-productive. I’m quite a light rider, I train daily, but came out of this FTP with a lower FTP than usual, which was really disheartening. From my perspective this was an utter waste of effort and time. I would’ve got more out of my session if I’d ridden up Mt Fuji.
Zwift tells me “And while we have only planned to have 4 weeks of consistent testing events, we do plan to have this be a hub for testing all things on a year round basis.”
So they relabeled FutureWorks but the (low) number of programmers and (slow) pace of innovation remain the same? Do I understand it properly?
Where will feedback be posted? Is the chat room in Discord?
Zwift told me: “We would love them in the clubs chat. The admins will go through the feed for compiling feedback.”
That seems like a pretty cumbersome way to do it, at least in the current form of club chats. Zwift forums can get toxic but you can also have some great constructive conversations in a way that’s much easier to follow.
BTW, longer headsup would be nice. I just did Castle to Castle this morning along with my weekly Zone 5 workout. I plan on Big Foot Hills June 8. Will be doing Tire in France on June 1. (I do longer rides on Saturdays and been planning on Boucle in France on May 25.)
Looks like the Big Foot Hills Fondo doesn’t have Category Enforcement enabled, which makes me wonder what is the purpose of the different categories. Will the events be set up as races on ZwiftPower? If it’s not a race and all categories start at the same time and do the same route/distance, why have categories? If it’s a race, why enable sandbaggers?
Those look like worthy additions. Which reminds me: too bad Zwift ditched boost mode entirely, I would have liked the occasional race using it…
Don’t recall any of these being requested by users in the forum… I might have missed them.
Elimination races would be a nice addition
Yes! Second that
Who needs elimination races when we have new Dino socks and confetti bombs? (irony)
One would assume that the first thing that they tackle would be native support on screen for chase races or points races which are so popular…but none of these are in the list.
It could only take one week Design Sprint to put a prototype in place and then get it tested via these Zwift Lab races.
I would say these arent any of the requests that users have asked for. These are things they have thought up to do while ignoring the many do-able things that Zwifters want.
I’d be interested in trying some of these. But in typical Zwift fashion they have them every 2 hours at the same time each day, which means none of them ever line up with when I can ride.
Good enough idea in theory but I agree with the comment about club chats. Do they realize what they’re asking for? I would not want to be that person who has the task of rummaging through the chat looking for valuable feedback. Or are they expecting very few to actually join bc we’re already maxed out on clubs so can’t join anyway? I would think they’d want the super users who are very involved to be part of their club, not just new members who haven’t become as involved.
Meh. These changes are the same as rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic as it sinks. Until VC/PE folks get rid of Min Zwift will continue its rapid descent to the bottom. Zwift Labs cannot save them.
The fact that Eric Min is still in charge and even outlived his appointed successor shows that investors actually really want for him to be there.
Without extremely strong support from VC/PE he would have been ousted a long time ago. There’s a long list of failures that would have cost him his job otherwise. Not many other companies where the CEO would have survived the hardware disaster for example.
Thank you for your update and all your hard work keeping us informed.
A paceline of bots sounds hilarious. I’ll do the event for a good laugh and a maybe a nice draft behind them.
Group FTP Test sounds cool too. Would be cooler if the events were within narrower w/kg groups. A big guy with a 2.6w/kg FTP won’t be riding next to a skinny person with a 3.2w/kg FTP for long (the 7% grade on Castle to Castle will split everyone up even further)
“beat the bots” sounds good. cant wait.
Agree with all, these ate just not the things people want resolving. The exceptions would be the workout additions. There were some bizarre boys charging around yesterday. Climb intro bots doing 13.3w/kg!! Not sure who they think needs a bot yo follow at 13.3w/kg!
They’re not designed to be ridden with. They just escaped from where they’re supposed to be. I’m not even joking, btw!
I sure hope the Big Mig Bot stays retired until after “Beat the Bots”
The event links for Zwift labs are broken. Redirects back to the listing page. I was able to find them on ZwiftPower.com
Fixed!
Thanks!
How about the storage shed? I don’t use about 90% of the kit and hardware in the garage and sorting through all the extra stuff is … less than optimal. We’ve been asking for The Shed for years. Come on Zwift…
Looking forward to the Beat the Bots especially! I have also thinking for some time now how it’d be fun to have some game events that Zwift could put on, such as some version of “capture the flag” where teams and riders use not only their power but also their route and map know-how to get around. They could turn on team-only chat for comms.
Big Foot Hills Fondo was interesting. Great event for cyclists who are very close to leveling up to a higher rank. A bit chaotic at the start but my time was only seconds different from my last attempt of the route. I didn’t particularly like it or dislike it.