Riders Republic’s Competitions Will Only Feature Real-World Players, No Bots

Riders Republic is going all in on being about massive races between large groups of actual players, as the game will not utilize bots to fill its competitions.

“Competitions will only feature real-world players,” Riders Republic game director Arnaud Ragot told GameSpot. So whether you’re snowboarding through a 6v6 Tricks Battle or mountain biking in a 64-person Mass Race, you’ll always be against other players.

Although this is an exciting prospect, there are also potential issues that could crop up with this, especially when it comes to populating a lobby and starting a game.

Riders Republic will also afford players some agency in how they experience its world. In trailers for Riders Republic, you can see the perspective switch between first- and third-person. Those transitions aren’t mandated by the game–you get to decide how you perceive Riders Republic’s world.

“Players can freely switch from third-person view to first-person view with a button at any time,” Ragot said. “This is not restricted to any content, mode, or sport. So it’s a matter of preferences, and also could be useful depending on the challenge.”

You can adjust the radio in Riders Republic as well, though not during races and competitions. “Players can turn off the radio or change the radio station/track during free roaming,” Ragot said. “They can also turn down the music volume in the sound option menu. However, during events, it’s not yet possible for players to adjust the radio.”

When I followed up to ask what songs would be included on the Riders Republic soundtrack, Ragot said that Ubisoft would have more details to share about that “soon.” He said the same when I asked whether Riders Republic would feature a unified control scheme or different controls for each sport.

Riders Republic is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, Stadia, and Luna on September 2.