2025 Season: REEFSCAPE
SIREN
The 2025 theme for all the FIRST programs is DIVE, and the FIRST Robotics Competition game is REEFSCAPE. In this game, two competing alliances are invited to score coral, harvest algae, and attach to the barge before time runs out. Alliances earn additional rewards for meeting specific scoring thresholds and for cooperating with their opponents. The alliance that earns the most points wins the match!
2024 Season: CRESCENDO
Lowrider
The 2024 theme for all the FIRST programs is FIRST IN SHOW, and the FIRST Robotics Competition game is CRESCENDO. In this game, robots need to launch notes into their respective amps and speakers, earning 1 and 2 points respectively. Robots can also hang off their team’s stage by climbing a chain for additional points in human-controlled tele-operated mode.
2023 Season: Charged Up
Sidewinder
The 2023 theme for all the FIRST programs is Energize, and the FIRST Robotics Competition game is Charged Up. In this game, robots need to place yellow cones and purple cubes onto a three-level grid, earning more points on the higher levels. Robots can also balance on a charging station for additional points, both in autonomous mode and human-controlled teleoperated mode.
2022 Season: Rapid React
DANGER NOODLE
The FIRST Robotics Competition game for 2022 is Rapid React. The game and field is themed around loading cargo on airplanes. It was focused around a central hub balls were shot into and an innovative end game apparatus where robots had to climb up a set of rungs like playground monkey bars.
2021 Season: Infinite Recharge v2
QUICKER DRAW
Recognizing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption to the 2020 season, FIRST has determined that the 2020 INFINITE RECHARGESM field game will be replayed for the 2021 FIRST® GAME CHANGERSSM, powered by Star Wars: Force for Change, season. Adjustments may be made to the game, which will be announced during the Season Kickoff in January 2021.
2020 Season: Infinite Recharge
QUICK DRAW
The 2020 theme for all the FIRST programs is FIRST RISE, and the FIRST Robotics Competition game is Infinite Recharge. The game centers around a futuristic city theme involving two alliances consisting of three teams each competing to perform various tasks, including shooting foam balls known as Power Cells into high and low goals to activate a Shield Generator, manipulating a Control Panel to activate this shield, and returning to the Shield Generator to park or climb at the end of the match. The objective is to energize and activate the shield before the match ends and asteroids strike FIRST City, a futuristic city modeled after Star Wars.
2019 Season: Destination: Deep Space
OUTLAW
The 2019 theme for all the FIRST programs is FIRST LAUNCH, and the FIRST Robotics Competition game is Destination: Deep Space. The game centers around an outer space theme involving two alliances consisting of three teams each competing to place poly-carbonate hatch panels and orange rubber balls or “cargo” on rockets and cargo ships before returning to their HAB platform to climb at the end of the match.
2018 Season: FIRST Power up
PACBOT
The 2018 FIRST Robotics Competition game is FIRST Power Up. The game has a retro 8-bit theme and teams are required to place milk crates, or “power cubes”, on large balancing scales to tip the scale and gain ownership. Alliances can also trade power cubes for power ups, giving them a temporary advantage in a match. At the end of the match, robots can climb the tower attached to the center balancing scale using a rung attached to the tower, giving them additional points.
2017 Season: FIRST STEAMworks
SHERIFF
The 2017 FIRST Robotics Competition game is FIRST STEAMworks. The game has a steampunk theme and teams are required to shoot wiffle balls which represent fuel into a simulated boiler which transfers the generated steam into an airship in the middle of the field. Each alliance has one airship, which they pressurize with steam from the boiler and load with plastic gears from the field. At the end of the match, robots can climb and hang on team-supplied ropes (or standard ropes supplied by FIRST) attached to the airship for additional points.
