| Sport | Drone racing (FPV) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2016 |
| No. of teams | 7 |
| Countries | International |
| Official website | https://dronechampionsleague.com/ |
The Drone Champions League (DCL) is an international first-person-view (FPV) drone racing series founded in 2016. It involves teams of drone pilots competing in both physical and virtual tournaments at various international locations. Events are held at outdoor landmarks as well as in digitally recreated environments known as “digital twins.”
The league is operated by Drone Champions AG, based in Ruggell, Liechtenstein. [1]
The first DCL events were demonstration races held in 2016 at Ehrenberg Castle in Reutte, Austria, [2] and inside the Salina Turda salt mines in Turda, Romania. [3]
The first full season was held in 2017, beginning on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, France, with an estimated attendance of around 150,000 spectators. [4] [5] Eight races were held across Europe, and the British team NEXXBlades Racing won the overall championship. [6]
In the following seasons, races were held at locations including the Great Wall of China, [7] Brussels, [8] Madrid, [9] and other international venues.
In 2018, DCL collaborated with THQ Nordic to develop DCL: The Game, a drone-racing simulator released for PC and consoles in 2020. [10] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was held entirely online using the simulator. [11]
In 2023, the DCL Super Final was held in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, [12] and in 2025 DCL co-organized the first autonomous drone racing championship with the Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) in Abu Dhabi. [13]
Teams and pilots: DCL functions as a team-based league, generally consisting of teams with four pilots. As of 2025, teams include Raiden Racing (Japan), Cyclone Drone Racing (United States), Spain Drone Team (Spain), Quad Force One (United States), Wildcard Team (United Kingdom), Phoenix Racing (Malta), and China Dragons (China). [14]
Race structure: The competition consists of timed FPV races through illuminated gates and obstacles, with team points determining event standings. Since 2025, the season has included three tournaments, each featuring 14 matches in a knockout format, concluding in a joint final. [15]
Venues: DCL races have taken place at venues such as the Champs-Élysées in Paris, [16] Laax in Switzerland, [17] the Salina Turda salt mines, [18] and the Great Wall of China. [19] [20]
DCL: The Game is an official simulator developed with THQ Nordic and released in 2020. [21] It includes realistic physics and virtual recreations of DCL racetracks and is used for qualification and training within the league. [22]
In 2020, Drone Champions AG introduced the “Big Drone”, a manned multicopter capable of aerobatic flight. [23] The prototype has been demonstrated in Croatia and later displayed at mobility events such as DRIFTx in Abu Dhabi. [24]
In 2025, DCL partnered with A2RL and UNICEF to conduct a seven-week STEM education program for secondary-school students in the United Arab Emirates. The initiative combined classroom instruction with practical drone assembly and flight training. Around 100 students from the UAE took part in the program. [25] [26] [27]