$19.99TRIBES 3: Rivals Shoot at full speed
A team shooter where skiing down hills and jetpacks keep every flag chase moving faster than you can aim.
Is TRIBES 3: Rivals worth it?
TRIBES 3: Rivals is worth it if…
- you love movement shooters and want speed that running can't give you
- you enjoy team games where your role, from flag runner to heavy defender, actually matters
- you like tinkering with match settings, from gravity to team size, and making your own chaos
- you have friends to squad up with and a taste for competitive capture the flag
Screenshots
Skiing and jetpacks, the whole point
Movement is the heart of TRIBES 3: Rivals. You ski down slopes to build speed, then hit the jetpack to carry that momentum across the map. The two combine into something few shooters offer: you can cross an entire battlefield without touching the ground, arcing over hills and ducking behind ridges at speed. It takes practice, and the learning curve is real, but a time trial mode lets you drill routes before a match. Once it clicks, going back to a shooter where you just run feels like walking after learning to fly.
Capture the flag at full speed
The core mode is team-based capture the flag, and it demands both individual skill and actual teamwork. One player skis a route to the enemy flag while teammates clear the path or hold their own base. You drop a jetpack thrust, sweep low across a ridge, grab the flag, and now the whole enemy team is chasing you. Classes matter here: light classes are built for speed and flag grabs, medium classes bring mobility and firepower, and heavy classes anchor the defense with serious armor. Choosing when to be the runner and when to be the wall is half the game.
Playing together, your way
This is a game made for lobby nights. You queue into 16v16 capture the flag for big, messy team battles, or a ranked 7v7 mode when your group wants something tighter and more competitive. Custom matches go further: pick your map, set team sizes, and tune settings like player health, energy, thrust, and gravity. Lower the gravity and the whole match turns into a slow-motion aerial ballet. Discord communities exist specifically for finding people to play with, which helps when you want a full lobby with friends rather than strangers.
What should you know before playing?
Can you play it solo?
Matches are team-based, so you queue with strangers rather than playing alone against the game. There is a time trial mode for practicing skiing routes on your own, and bot matches to learn the basics before facing real opponents. For full matches, the community Discord servers are the easiest way to find teammates.
How hard is the movement to learn?
The skiing and jetpack system has a high skill ceiling, and the learning curve is steep at first. The good part is that you can contribute before mastering it: pick a heavy class, defend the base, and let the flag runners do the flying. The time trial mode exists precisely so you can practice routes without the pressure of a live match.
Can you customize your character and loadout?
Yes. You choose between light, medium, and heavy classes, then tailor abilities, perks, and weapon loadouts within your class. Light classes trade armor for speed, medium classes balance mobility and firepower, and heavy classes carry the biggest guns and the thickest armor. Skins and cosmetics let you change how you look as well.
Is the game still getting updates?
Development has stopped, and that is the one thing to weigh before buying. The core game still works and the community keeps organizing matches through Discord, but if you want a shooter with a roadmap of coming content, this is not it. If you want the skiing, the jetpacks, and the flag chases, they are all here.
