Watopia gets even bigger, Climb Portal now has difficulty scaling and Tour of Watopia is back in Zwift's latest update

The indoor cycling giant Zwift has announced a host of new features coming to its virtual world in the upcoming months. These include an expansion to Watopia and the return of the experimental gamified racing experience Tour of Watopia, plus Climb Portal difficulty scaling and much more. Here are the key details of what you can expect around Zwift's virtual roads going forward.. 

New roads in Watopia 

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Watopia is a top choice for many Zwifters and from October, you'll be able to ride 19km of new roads. 

Incorporated into this expansion is a new coastal expressway, offering Zwifters a direct route from Fuego Flats to the Mayan Jungle, bypassing the Epic KOM.

The new routes are flat and fast, establishing key connections and eight new routes, some spanning up to 48 kilometres, providing Zwifters with extended rides and diverse coastal scenery in Watopia.

Tour of Watopia is back

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The Tour of Watopia is a popular, annual event on Zwift giving riders the opportunity to earn double XP and level up faster. Starting on 2nd October, Tour of Watopia comprises five stages which are all available on-demand, with Stage 5 featuring the latest Watopia expansion. Registration for the event opens on 25th September. 

Climb portal difficulty scaling

In Zwift's summer update, we saw the introduction of the 'climb Portal' that allows Zwifters to access gamified versions of real-world climbs, such as the Col du Tourmalet and Col d’Aspin. 

Starting this autumn, Zwifters will gain the ability to adjust the difficulty of the climbs they choose to conquer. Upon entering the Climb Portal, Zwifters will be presented with the option to tackle a lifelike replica of the climb, similar to the current experience, or modify the climb to 50% or 75% of its original difficulty. 

Also, the Climb Portal entrance located in Watopia will bring Zwifters to a rotating selection of climbs, offering more variety, and the France portal will feature a "climb of the month". 

Zwift Ride Series: Pretzelfest

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The Zwift Ride Series is a series of rides with a theme, starting with Pretzelfest that takes its inspiration from a certain Munich beer festival. There are four stages between 4th September and 1st October.  

Completing all four stages will unlock the Lederhosen kit. We'd recommend having your beer and sausage post-ride...  

Workout discovery in the Zwift Companion App

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In November there will be an update to the Zwift Companion App which is said to make it easier to explore the workout library before launching the main Zwift App. 

2023 Zwift Academy

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The Zwift Academy is an annual programme offered by Zwift, designed to challenge cyclists of all levels to improve their fitness while providing an opportunity to compete for a spot on a professional cycling team.

Held in November this year, it will feature six workouts as well as two Zwift races and if you complete them all, you'll earn the in-game Zwift Academy kit, Zwift academy Canyon Aeroad paint job and a chance to earn a pro contract with CANYON//SRAM or Alpecin-Deceuninck for the best female and male.

Zwift racing score 

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Zwift Racing Score is coming in late November and it's a new metric to measure racing results, taking into account factors like power, race results, and Zwift skills to rank Zwifters' overall racing skill. This score can then be used to help you find the most evenly matched competition.

Zwift Racing Score will be updated after each race and the more you race, the more accurate your score will be. 

It isn't an outright replacement for Pace Group categories (A-D), but Scored Races are expected to become popular. 

Women's training club 

Live now, Zwift has introduced the Women's Training Club which aims to encourage women to train together as a community. 

It offers structured training plans, scheduled group workouts and rides, all led by world-class female coaches. 

Play Beta experience advances

> Zwift Racing: Top tips for placing higher in virtual competitions

The Zwift Play Beta experience is set to advance further this autumn with new steering experiments using Zwift Play. 

One new feature is a gamified racing experience in Crit City with boost pads and hazards which utilises Zwift Play's steering and braking controls. 

There's also Repack Rush Multiplayer Mode which is an experimental multiplayer racing mode where Zwifters can test their skills in a downhill race with time deductions and hazards, alongside boost pads. 

Zwift Hub now comes with a one year Zwift subscription

In addition to the plethora of updates, Zwift has also announced that Zwift Hub smart trainer will come with a year's free Zwift subscription, available from 13th September.

Hub bundles cost £549, including one year of Zwift and your choice of cassette: 8-, 9-, 10-, 11-, or 12-speed.

You can check out more details on the updates on Zwift's website.