Wildshade: Unicorn Champions – Tivola's mobile game is coming to Consoles this November

Wildshade is a fantasy horse racing game initially released to Android and iOS in late 2021. Further development for the game’s mobile version has drastically slowed since late 2022, as the team focused on the console port instead. We now know that this new version of the game will bear the title Wildshade: Unicorn Champions and will come to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series X on Nobember 9th 2023. The game’s console version is being published by French publisher and gaming accessories distributor Nacon.

For transparency’s sake: I worked as a freelance community manager for its developer Tivola between Spring 2021 and Fall 2022, buiding up the game’s following on Social Media leading up to its release. More on that in my previous articles on the topic:

The game appears to distinguish between Horses, Unicorns and Crystal Unicorns based on this screenshot…

…while other promotional screenshots make it look like unicorn horns have been added to all horses in the game.

The game’s store listings promise the following features:

• Gallop at high speeds, jump skilfully over obstacles and use your magical powers to overtake your opponents

• Earn new equipment by winning races and gift y our mounts beautiful saddles, bridles and saddle blankets

• Unlock 50 unicorns and magical horses with different types of coats and manes, then breed them to create the companion of your dreams from hundreds of possible combinations

• Play with your friends and family with the local multiplayer mode for up to four players

• Explore 40 fantastic racecourses and win all the tournaments to become the best horse rider in the world of Wildshade!

An interesting inclusion is the four player local multiplayer mode – a game mode that’s relatively rare in the horse game niche, but perfectly fits Wildshade’s Mario-Kart-like gameplay.

The console port was initially announced in the now closed Wildshade Discord server in October 2022, where Tivola confirmed that the console version would be a full premium game without any in-app purchases. Considering that the monetization was the main pain point for the game’s community back when I was involved, I’m intrigued to see what a premium version of Wildshade will look like, and how the game has been adjusted to fit the new platforms.