FIRST Tech Challenge Launches BIOBUZZ for the 2026–2027 Season
September 12, 2026
A new FIRST Tech Challenge season is officially underway!
Today, FIRST revealed BIOBUZZ™ presented by RTX, the 2026–2027 FIRST Tech Challenge game and part of the larger FIRST® CANOPY™ season. This year’s season challenges students to take inspiration from the natural world while using engineering, programming, teamwork, and creative problem-solving to design their newest competition robots.
Welcome to BIOBUZZ
The theme of the 2026–2027 FIRST season is biodiversity and the interconnected systems that allow the natural world to thrive. In BIOBUZZ, FIRST Tech Challenge teams will bring that theme onto the competition field as they develop robots capable of completing this year’s challenge.
Teams compete in two-team alliances, programming their robots to operate autonomously before drivers take control later in the match.
One of the central game pieces this season is POLLEN, a roughly three-inch plastic ball. With the complete game now revealed, teams can begin studying the field, analyzing scoring opportunities, and deciding which tasks their robots will be designed to accomplish.
The Engineering Begins
Kickoff marks much more than the introduction of a new game. For FTC teams, it is the beginning of months of engineering.
Students will now move from analyzing the rules to brainstorming robot concepts, developing prototypes, designing mechanisms, writing software, building electrical systems, and testing their ideas. As designs improve, teams will continually iterate on their robots in preparation for competitions throughout the season.
The challenge gives students opportunities to apply skills in mechanical design, CAD, fabrication, electronics, programming, autonomous control, strategy, and project management.
And, as always, the robot is only part of the experience. Teams will continue their outreach, documentation, fundraising, leadership, and community involvement throughout the season.
Part of FIRST CANOPY
BIOBUZZ is one piece of the larger 2026–2027 FIRST CANOPY season, which explores biodiversity and how science and technology can help build a thriving planet.
FIRST LEGO League teams are taking on BIOGLOW™, while FIRST Robotics Competition teams will have to wait until January 9, 2027, for the reveal of their new game, BIOCORE™ presented by Haas.
For FTC teams, however, the wait is over.
The field has been revealed. The challenge is here. And now it’s time to start building.
Good luck to all of the FIRST Tech Challenge teams beginning their BIOBUZZ season!