Mobilizing Riders Republic Players for a Digital Climate March

This article is part of the Games Industry Goes Green series, in partnership with Playing for the Planet. When the Riders Republic team attended the 2021 Green Game Jam, it marked the beginning of Riders Republic Rebirth, an in-game event that featured a reforestation activity and the first-ever virtual climate march in a video game. The Jam, hosted by the UN Environmental Programme's Playing for the Planet Alliance, aims to bring together video game creatives to brainstorm innovative ways to inspire players to take action for the planet. The 2021 theme focused on conserving and restoring forests and oceans, and as the gameplay director of Riders Republic, an outdoor sports game developed by Ubisoft Annecy, I recognized an opportunity to bring the topic of reforestation to life in a fun and meaningful way. The game's development was centered around honoring the stunning landscape of the French Alps, where the studio is located, by reproducing several U.S. national parks. Creating a game that would foster a passion for nature and the outdoors was integral to our approach, and Project Rebirth was a natural extension of this goal. Project Rebirth is a two-week-long event centered around digital reforestation, featuring activities such as seed collection and planting, a virtual climate march, and a mass race with climate change themes. The event also included a dedicated base camp for socializing and interacting, special emotes, in-game banners, and unique outfits for participants. The concept of in-game demonstrations can be a powerful tool for raising awareness about societal topics, particularly among younger audiences. Video games provide a collaborative and interactive platform for deepening our understanding of environmental issues and sustainability. The Riders Republic team partnered with Ecologi to plant over 300,000 trees in the real world, demonstrating the positive impact that can be achieved through collective action. The march was designed to create a massive social experience, with features such as Rebirth-specific emotes and in-game banners that allowed players to express themselves and show their support for the cause. The success of the event was made possible through collaboration with the Playing for the Planet Alliance and internal teams at Ubisoft that research the positive impact of games on players' lives. The experience has empowered us to continue creating in-game experiences that promote environmental awareness and community engagement. Our next project, Phoenix, aims to demonstrate the devastating impact of wildfires and teach players about strategies to reduce their size and frequency. Registration for the 2023 Green Game Jam is now open, and we invite studios and developers to join our community of passionate individuals driving change in the industry.