Descenders Next hit Game Pass today as a Game Preview (read: early access), and if you liked the original Descenders, this one swaps mountain bikes for snowboards and mountainboards. Here’s whether it’s worth your time right now.
What Is Descenders Next?
Descenders Next is the follow-up to Descenders (2019), the downhill biking roguelike from RageSquid and No More Robots that became a surprise hit on Game Pass. The original pulled in millions of players with its procedural tracks, tight controls, and “one more run” loop.
The sequel ditches bikes entirely. You ride snowboards down steep mountain slopes or carve rugged terrain on a mountainboard. The Career mode and Grand Tour are now linked together, making progression feel more coherent than the original’s disconnected node map.
Gameplay: What’s Different From the Original
The core loop hasn’t changed much — you pick a route, ride downhill, land tricks, and try not to crash. What’s new:
- Two disciplines: Snowboarding for icy speed runs, mountainboarding for rougher, trick-heavy terrain
- Linked Career + Grand Tour: Your career progression feeds directly into the Grand Tour, so you unlock parks, slopestyle courses, and race events as you go instead of grinding separately
- Squad multiplayer: Team up with other players worldwide to tackle group challenges
- Procedural tracks with more variety: Mountain environments change based on your discipline and difficulty tier
The trick system feels familiar if you played the first game — hold a direction, release at the right moment, land clean. The snowboard physics are looser than the bikes were, which takes about 30 minutes to get used to.
It’s Early Access — Here’s What That Means
This is a Game Preview release. RageSquid has been transparent about the game being unfinished:
- Content is limited — expect a few hours of fresh gameplay before you’ve seen most of what’s there
- Some performance hiccups, especially in multiplayer lobbies
- The trick system could use more depth — advanced players will max out the combo ceiling quickly
- UI is rough in spots (the map screen especially)
If you hate paying to be a beta tester, this will test your patience. But it’s on Game Pass, so you’re not paying extra for it.
The Original Descenders Set a High Bar
The first Descenders sits at “Very Positive” on Steam with over 35,000 reviews. It was one of those games that perfectly fit Game Pass — easy to pick up, hard to put down, and free with your subscription. The community built around it was genuine, not manufactured.
Next has big shoes to fill. The switch from bikes to boards is a bold move. Some players on Reddit and Discord are already calling it a lateral step rather than a clear upgrade, but it’s too early to make that call with the game in preview.
Performance and Platforms
Available on Cloud, Console (Xbox Series X|S), and PC through Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass. The original ran well on everything including low-end hardware — no word yet on how Next performs on Xbox One, and it’s not listed for that platform.
For PC players, check our Game Pass games for low-end laptops guide if you’re worried about specs.
Verdict: Download It, Manage Your Expectations
If you have Game Pass, there’s zero reason not to try Descenders Next today. The core riding feels good, the mountain environments look sharp, and the squad multiplayer adds something the original never had.
Just know what you’re getting: an early access game with limited content and rough edges. The foundation is solid enough that I’m optimistic about where it’s headed, but I wouldn’t blame anyone for waiting six months until it’s further along.
Claim it now, play a few hours, check back when it gets a proper 1.0 release. That’s the smart move with any Game Preview title.
Want More Game Pass Picks?
Check out our rundown of 7 hidden gems on Game Pass and our best Game Pass games right now for the full picture.
