BIOBUZZ Kickoff and Season Resources

The FIRST^® Tech Challenge BIOBUZZ™ presented by RTX game, part of the FIRST^® CANOPY™ season is here, and we want to help your team be as successful as possible for all of the excitement ahead. Now that you've watched the Kickoff Broadcast and seen the game animation, and are getting geared up for competition, we wanted to share reminders and helpful links to season resources.

Congratulations to all our teams, coaches, and volunteers that celebrated Kickoff this past weekend, whether you gathered in person with your local community or tuned in together as a team. This is the moment the whole FIRST Tech Challenge community waits for all off-season, and we can't wait to see what you build with BIOBUZZ!

Watch the Reveal

• Kickoff Broadcast: 2026-2027 BIOBUZZ presented by RTX Kickoff Broadcast — relive the official game reveal, rules highlights, and season Kickoff festivities.
• Game Animation: BIOBUZZ presented by RTX Game Animation — see how your team will take flight in BIOBUZZ, utilizing pollen and nectar to score on the hive and flowers.
  
  

Key Season Dates

In case you missed it, the key dates for this season were released in the Key Upcoming BIOBUZZ Season Dates blog, so be sure to check it out and mark your calendars. A few highlights coming up soon:

• September 14 — Nominations opened for the FIRST Leadership Award (for standout 10th and 11th grade team leaders).
• September 28 — Team Q&A and Volunteer Q&A both open for the BIOBUZZ season.

Also be sure to contact your local partner to verify key season dates specific to your region.

Season Resource Links (Quick Links)

Here is a grouping of quick links to resources that all teams should know:

AI Rules Assistant

An AI Chatbot is available to help teams find answers to rules questions. The chatbot is trained specifically on the current version of the Competition Manual and will be updated throughout the season. This chatbot can help you find what you're looking for in the Competition Manual, but it's still up to you to review and verify the answers!

StarterBots

This season, we've worked with AndyMark, goBILDA, REV Robotics, and Studica to create StarterBots for BIOBUZZ. We encourage all teams to utilize these build resources as they begin to explore the game. These robots are made from parts in each vendor's Starter Kits and build on the StarterBot Base drivetrain-and-intake designs. They are intended to be a starting point, not an ending point. Teams can build one of these designs and then choose to change and improve their robots throughout the season for competition. Each StarterBot design has similar capabilities to play a portion of the BIOBUZZ game.

If your team wants an additional head start, check out the FIRST Tech Challenge Skill Builders — a series of guided activities and mini-games designed to build foundational drive system, intake, and programming skills that carry directly into BIOBUZZ.

Team Webinars and Technical Resources

Team Webinars

Team calls are held for teams to get help from FIRST Tech Challenge experts! Teams should register for and mark their calendars for the Team Webinars this season.

Technical Resources

Below are quick links to Technical Resources available to FIRST Tech Challenge teams:

The FIRST Tech Challenge Tech Team also provides resources specifically for each season, hosted on FTC-Docs — check back throughout the fall as BIOBUZZ-specific technical guides are published.

Team Q&A and Team Updates

Team Q&A

The Team Q&A opens on September 28. In order to post to the Team Q&A, you'll need to use an official FIRST Tech Challenge team account.

Team Updates

The Competition Manual is updated frequently throughout the season to improve the clarity and intent of the rules, and to fix any errors found. Adults can sign up to get an email notification for all Team Updates. Team updates are listed individually and as a combined Team Update Summary document.

FIRST Leadership Award Nominations are Open!

Nominations are now open for the FIRST Leadership Award! Nominate your outstanding 10^th and 11^th grade students today! Nominations will remain open until Tuesday, December 15^th at 11:59pm eastern time. Check out the nomination instructions here!

Keep Celebrating

Want to keep the Kickoff energy going? Download logos, social graphics, and posters from the Fly Into BIOBUZZ brand resources page to share your team's excitement across social media, and follow FIRST Tech Challenge on Facebook and YouTube for the latest #BIOBUZZ and #FIRSTCANOPY updates all season long.

Congratulations on a great Kickoff! Now let's get building!