The film landed on YouTube this afternoon and sees the Austrian cyclist and stuntman mix impressive bike action with gamification

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Austrian cyclist Fabio Wibmer has uploaded his first significant film in more than two years – Video Game – which mixes bike action with gamification. In the film, Wibmer stars as the main character in a Grand Theft Auto style game that centres on his typically awe-inspiring biking skills.

Wibmer says Video Game is “very different from my other films”, which include Home Office (which has amassed 35 million views to date) and Wibmer’s Law (which has been seen 239 million times on YouTube).

Inspired by a passion for video games and immersing himself in things that seemed far away from reality, Wibmer’s new release sees his riding style mixed with elements from his favourite game.

Shot mainly in third person view, Video Game is made to feel like the audience are controlling Wibmer and directing him to his next destination in the French Riviera.  

The video starts with him hurtling down a forest line in Innsbruck before hitting the dirt, a crash which forced him to pause releasing video projects for over a year due to the ankle and shoulder injuries he sustained.

Key Facts

  • Video Game was filmed over 50 days in a Côte d’Azur heatwave with temperatures consistently hitting up to 40 degrees Celsius.
  • The ‘Bunny Hop from Bench to Bench Thailwhip off’ was the most technical trick in the film and required the highest number of attempts.
  • The Austrian cyclist has previously released films such as Urban Freeride Lives, Home Office, Wibmer’s Law, and Fabiolous Escape.

In Video Game, Wibmer navigates dizzying heights, performs his trademark handlebar ride and impresses members of the public with an array of tricks, speed, jumps and technical urban riding before ending with a pulsating downhill blast.

Wibmer says: “The individual scenes were very demanding and on top of that, I was not only on one bike, but on three completely different bikes that require different skill sets. The scenes were much more complex than in my other videos. Helicopter, boat, the jump from the cliffs, the set-ups in the city for example. Another challenge was connecting the differing scenes with each other to create a smooth rhythm and flow.”

The three different bikes Wibmer rides in Video Game are:

•    Trial Bike - Canyon Stitched CFR FW (2 colorways in the film)

•    Jib/Enduro Bike - Canyon Spectral

•    Freeride Bike - Canyon Torque

Accompanying the action are audio interactions, game style transitions, loading bars, a clothes switch, a bike respray, and in-play menus to bring to life the feelings of being a character in a game.

At various points, Wibmer takes control of a boat, helicopter and a sports car alongside riding his bike.

He explains: “It wasn’t easy to keep adjusting to the different bike disciplines during the shoot. My aim is to deliver my best possible performance at a high level in each discipline. That was a huge challenge from a sporting point of view.

“The motivation with this kind of project is to push myself, to find ways to make challenges work, even if it’s really difficult, until it’s done, and it works. The feeling when you get it right, that definitely motivates me.”