Virtual cycling platform Zwift has added a long stretch of road to its Watopia world.
19km of road has been laid down in Zwift, a coastal route across the south-east of the Watopia game world.
This addition was teased on the Zwift forums back in September, but will become part of the actual road layout this week.
The new areas is called simply Southern Coast, and Zwift claims it features some of the “most stunning views” of Watopia.
Part of the new route is Mayan-themed, while the Ciudad La Cumbre is a bright and colourful town you’ll get to ride through.
This is primarily a development for those who like long, flat riding rather than tough climbs, as there are none in the Southern Coast. There are, however, four sprint zones.
As part of this expansion, Zwift has added eight new Watopia routes, which include existing roads and the map’s famous Epic KOM climb.
Three of the new routes are over 40km, the longest being The Bing Ring at 48.9km. It snakes around Fuego Flats, the volcano region and through the jungle area, as well as taking in the new Southern Coast roads.
The new area is part of Zwift’s version 1.51 update. It says the software is rolling out today, but it may take until Friday before the entire user base is offered the update.
This release coincides with the fifth stage of the Tour of Watopia, which includes rides and races on the new routes. However, Zwift says riders will need to have reached level 10 to select the new routes after this event series ends in the middle of November.
After this update rolls out there are still two more changes ahead of us, announced back in September.
First up, there’s the Zwift Racing Score, due in November. The platform did have a previous iteration on this concept, but it was removed in September ahead of the upcoming refresh.
Just as the name suggests, folks who race regularly will be given a score, which is used to judge the sorts of races you might be a good match for.
November will also see the return of Zwift Academy, where players can opt into a pro-level training program. It starts on November 6. In previous years winners have been awarded pro cycling contracts.
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