DRL launches its first drone racing mobile game

There’s now a mobile game all about drone racing, and it was created by one of the biggest leaders in drone racing, The Drone Racing League. Plus, this mobile game is free for download in the iOS and Android app stores.

DRL on Monday dropped what’s calledDrone Racing Arcade, a mobile game that simulates being a racing drone pilot. The mobile game was created by DRL in partnership with Skillz, which is a mobile games platform.

As part of the game, you’ll initially compete against a clock, where you’ll race virtual DRL drones through virtual courses. Like actual done race courses, you’ll fly around obstacles and through gates. But unique to the mobile game version, you’ll also be able to fly around collecting coins and boosts to rack up even more points and abilities.

To fly, you’ll use simple touch-screen maneuvers that mirror racing with a physical drone. Like physical drone racing, you’ll need to rise, push and tilt the drones to make it fly on the right path, giving you a feel for real-life drone racing skills and commands such as throttle, pitch and yaw.

Download it now, and from then you have a month to built up your app racing skills. That’s because this December, DRL will allow players to participate in Skillzhosted Drone Racing Arcade tournaments, which entails actual, exclusive prizes for the winners.

“Our Drone Racing Arcade game is the ultimate first foray into flying drones on mobile and gives players a fun, free and easy way to experience the thrill of drone racing,” said DRL Chief Marketing Officer Anne Marie Gianutsos.

Skillz makes many online mobile multiplayer video games, and is the company behind Tether’s Solitaire Cube game and Outplay’s Bubble Shooter League.

You can watch the game’s trailer below:

The Drone Racing League is in the midst of hosting its 2021-22 DRL World Championship Season, which is a combination of esports and real drone racing, that airs on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. on NBCSN and Twitter. In this season, the world’s 12 best drone pilots face off through 14 levels of racing, playing in both physical sports arenas and via DRL’s SIM virtual maps. Some iconic arenas they’ve raced through include Allianz Field in Minnesota (home to Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United) and the FedExForum in Tennessee.

The DRL 2021-22 season premiered on Sept. 29, 2021, whilethe DRL Algorand World Championship Season 2021-22 finale is set to play out live onJan. 5, 2022, and airing for remote audiences on Saturday, Feb. 12th and Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. The public finale race will be held during the same week as CES in Las Vegas, and tickets are free (though you must register in advance).

This latest drone racing mobile game marks another step in making the world of drone racing more accessible to any pilot, even if you’re not one of the lucky few racing on TV for the world championship races. DRL also has its own drone racing simulator for both PC and Mac, as well as PlayStation, Xbox and Steam.  That simulator allows you to fly virtual drones through digital versions of famous locations including NFL stadiums and historic palaces. While the newly announced mobile game is free, the actual simulator costs about $10.

And all that work to make drone racing more accessible seems to be paying off. DRL told The Drone Girl in April 2020 that its average year-over-yer viewership increased by nearly 200%. Meanwhile, its virtual drone racing participation increased by 90%, and its social media fanbase grew by 60%.