Zwift is rolling into the Northern Hemisphere spring and summer season with a full slate of new in-game features.
According to the company… ‘Everything Zwift is announcing today – and other features being built – are designed to make indoor rides more fun and engaging, while ensuring cyclists have the right fitness to tackle their summer riding goals, whatever those might be.’
Coffee Stop (coming in May)
With Coffee Stop, Zwift is adding a much-requested feature. Created during a recent Zwift Hackathon, Coffee Stop lets Zwifters take a short break – up to three minutes – without falling behind a group they are riding with. This might be friends in a virtual cycling meet up, a Pacer Group, or other Zwifters riding with in free ride.
All Zwifters will have access to the feature. To take a Coffee Stop, Zwifters will select the option from the Action Bar or Zwift Companion App. Once activated, the Zwifter’s avatar will keep pace with whatever group they are riding with, while off the bike. The Zwifter will also keep accumulating distance and XP. After three minutes, the Coffee Stop expires.
Rider Teleport (coming this summer)
With Rider Teleport, will be easier to ride with friends on Zwift. Here, if in mid-ride, a Zwifter can teleport directly to a friend in the same virtual cycling world without exiting a current activity. Zwifters can also use Teleport with RoboPacers by starting with an easy pacer group and teleporting to a harder one once warmed up.
A teleport can be initiated from the Zwift Action Bar, and an avatar’s movement will appear as a straight line on a post-activity map.
Action Bar Update (coming this summer)
Zwifters will still access the Action Bar the same way they always have – with the up arrow on their keyboard, or via Companion App – but everything else about this interactive feature is changing.
Zwift adds that Action Bar has always been the one place where Zwifters control all in-game features, and it’s now easier to use. Instead of having to scroll far to the left or right to give a Ride On, change camera angle, or make a u-turn, actions have now been organized into easily navigated submenus.
Zwifters can click into the submenu for emotes to access all the reactions in one place – Ride On, elbow flick, toast, and wave. A different submenu will give options for Rider Teleport, showing Zwifters who they follow and RoboPacers in the same world. Zwifters will also be able to access Coffee Stop from Action Bar.
Climb Portal (coming this summer)
This new addition to Zwift will put users in a new Zwift environment with a completely new visual experience, but which still replicates real world places. Here, Zwifters will get to test themselves on legendary grades and iconic switchbacks with other riders.
At launch, two of the climbs available through the portal will be Col du Tourmalet and Col d’Aspin, both storied for their prominence in some of history’s most exciting bike races. Other climbs will be available.
Keep Everyone Together (coming this summer)
By turning on Keep Everyone Together in club events, Zwifters can plan no-drop rides for their clubs, making it easier to spend time with friends and socialize while pedalling, even if the group has a wide span of fitness levels.
This feature has previously only been available in select events. Now, any Zwifter who is an administrator of a club can turn this feature on for their club’s events. With Keep Everyone Together enabled, all participants in club rides will ride together, no matter their power output.
Club Notification Control (coming this summer)
Club Notification Control helps Zwifters to decide which Club Chats and Club Events they receive notifications from. Zwifters can now turn on notifications from their favourite clubs without being bombarded with chatter from the rest.
Pack Dynamics V.4 (live now)
The Pack Dynamics update aims to make riding in a peloton more realistic. Zwift notes that… ‘You won’t be overtaken as easily, and won’t get sucked up into a peloton while riding solo. Plus, the new in-game dynamics make it easier to float from the front to the back of the pack, if you want.
‘It’s also easier to break away if you want. If you aren’t trying to move up, your avatar will mostly stay in the same position relative to other Zwifters, as you would if you were riding in a pack in real life.’
Player Highlight (coming this summer)
Player Highlight makes it easy to see an avatar, pick out friends, and spot ride leaders on Zwift. The Player Highlight shrouds a Zwifter’s avatar, as well as those of Zwifters being followed and ride leaders in a glowing halo when riding in a dense pack.
The highlight fades in smaller packs and when riding solo. This dynamic enhancement is especially helpful in events when everyone is wearing the same jersey.
