Roller Championsis Ubisoft’s latest free-to-play sports game. In quick matches and ranked play, two teams comprised of three players each battle for possession of a ball while rollerskating. To score, a team must pass through a series of gates with the ball in hand and then throw it through a ring goal. One rotation counts for one point, two rotations count for three points, and three full rotations count for five points. It sounds complex on paper, butRoller Championsis easier to understand by watching or playing it.
Roller Championsreleased last weekwithout much fanfare. Ubisoft provided little-to-no marketing for the game, and if it wasn’t for the streamers and content creators who got to play it around launch, most people likely wouldn’t realize it was available. As for the game itself,Roller Champions' core gameplay is unique, but the current state of the game is too barebones to warrant a long-term commitment from players.
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Roller Champions Makes a Bland First Impression
Upon booting the game, something seems off aboutRoller Champions. The loading screen (a piece of concept art containing three playable characters), user interface, and backgrounds appear basic. The character customization options are also limited, and the characters themselves don’t have facial expressions. There’s a certain lack of flair and polish, something unusual a game created and published byUbisoft.
YetRoller Championsis certainly made by a AAA video game company, as evidenced by the Ubisoft logo under theRoller Champions’title, a handful of copyrighted songs that play in the game lobby, and the in-game store with predatory overpriced, low-quality cosmetics. IfRoller Championsis trying to get players interested in the game from the get-go, it leaves much to be desired.
Unique Gameplay With Little Variety
These first impressions wouldn’t be so bad ifRoller Champions’core gameplay was fun; and it is, at least for a while. Players will get a kick out of traveling at breakneck speeds as they attempt to knock down their opponents and get ready to shoot the ball through the ring. SinceRoller Championsis so easy to pick-up and play, getting friends who aren’t up to speed on the game’s mechanics is simple. The game can be fun for a few hours or so, but once tedium sets it, players will realize there isn’t much toRoller Champions.
It doesn’t help thatRoller Champions' few maps are all just aesthetic changes of the same flat racetrack. Seeing that Acapulco is the next map doesn’t get players excited because it has no defining characteristics to stand out from the rest. It would be great ifUbisoft added some variety to each mapwith different obstacles, map layouts, and maybe even unique power-ups, which would give players an incentive to master every inch of every map.
Roller Champions is Over Too Soon
Aside from basic gameplay and rehashed map designs, another big issue withRoller Championsis its match length. Five points is too little a score number to warrant a win, as teams who manage to make three whole rotations around the racetrack can win the game in less than a minute. On the flip side, the seven-minute time limit tends to draw out games that are evenly matched, and it becomes a tug-of-war with tackles and runs that never seem to end. This results in matches becoming either too short or too long depending on both teams' skill levels.
Roller Championscan be fun when played occasionally but in its current state, there isn’t enough to keep players interested. It’s free, so many people will be able to try it, but if Ubisoft doesn’t continuously update the game with meaningful content that just isn’t skins and rehashed map designs,Roller Championsmight end up losing speedfaster than a player getting tackled at Mach 5.
Roller Championsis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with Switch, Stadia, and Luna ports in development.
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