I’m trying to understand the reasoning behind the current XP structure for completing multiple races:
• 1 race = 1,000 XP
• 2 races = 1,500 XP total
• 3 races = 1,800 XP total
• 4 races = 2,000 XP total
So the marginal reward for each additional race actually gets smaller:
1st race: +1,000 XP 2nd race: +500 XP 3rd race: +300 XP 4th race: +200 XP
If the objective is to incentivize riders to race more, shouldn’t the incentive work in the opposite direction?
For example, reward the rider who completes 4 races with the largest incremental bonus, rather than giving the biggest reward to someone who only completes 1.
I’m not saying 1,000 XP for the first race is too much. I’m asking what behavioral objective this structure is designed to achieve. From an incentive standpoint, it seems to encourage doing one race and stopping, because each additional race provides progressively less XP.
Wouldn’t something like 500 XP for race 1, 750 XP for race 2, 1,000 XP for race 3, and 1,250 XP for race 4 create a much stronger incentive to keep racing?
Another way to look at it is that it is structured to encourage people to try a race. They may be going by the thought that once people try a race, they will get hooked and want to do more. A good way to do that is to give people a big incentive to do their first one rather than push them to make a bigger commitment (multiple races) to get the rewards. I wonder if the bigger issue is not people doing more races once they try it, but rather people trying a race for the first time because they are intimidated. If most people who do one race already continue and do more, then they don’t need to incentivize additional races more, but rather focus on convincing people to do that first one with a bigger reward.
Usually with these bonuses the trigger is leaving the event. The intention is that happens when you finish the race, but entering the pen and immediately exiting the event works just as well.
FYI, Zwift’s system isn’t wrong; it’s just chosen an incentive curve that works well for getting people started. However, there’s likely a scientifically plausible alternative that could be better for sustaining long-term motivation.
1. It Violates the Dopamine to Effort Ratio
The brain continually evaluates whether the expected reward justifies the effort required. As fatigue increases through races 2, 3, and 4, the physical cost increases, yet the reward decreases.
2. It Triggers Extrinsic Devaluation
External rewards influence how people value and pursue behavior. The subconscious message becomes: “The first race is important. The fourth race is barely worth anything.”
If completing four races is the desired behavior, the incentive should reinforce the importance of reaching the end, not progressively devalue it.
3. The Endowment Effect Meets Fatigue
Zwift’s logic appears to rely partly on loss aversion: once a rider has completed two or three races, they may want to finish rather than leave XP on the table. But loss aversion has limits. As fatigue and the physical cost of another race increase, a small future reward becomes less compelling. The physical cost increases while the marginal reward decreases.
If the goal is to encourage riders to continue racing, the incentive curve seems backwards, but it’s just a thought and I’m not expecting many changes.
Would be better in the long run I guess. Till level 42 you have frames/wheels to buy, you could even say till level 100 you get rewards but after that xp become meaningless. And the amount of XP Zwift is throwing at us the last months is just way too much imho. Sure it will look good from the numbers guy perspective at Zwift, look we have 300k people on level 100, but what than when there is nothing to chase …
I really dont care about xp anymore. Ohhh a race for 1000 xp. Cant be bothered .. and so on.
Well I certainly do not expect any change to how this particular thing is set up since it’s already planned out, but looking at the general goal of getting riders to do a race (as opposed to a goal of setting up a quest) I would consider a different approach next time, like have a festival of racing with double XP for every race event for some period of time, or a prize spinner at the end of every race. People would go bananas for that.
Prize spinner with 5 new bucket hats. One has a skull and crossbones, another has a rainbow unicorn, another has a mouse and a piece of cheese. Will you race that
FYI the 1000 XP is awarded for the Zwift Racing 101 group rides, so no need to race at all to get it, just a leisurely 14km with ~50 people and no categories. You also unlock the black cap.
