Season 3 — 2026 Now Open
The World's First Re-Wilding Innovation Olympiad
Supported by & in collaboration with
About RIO
What is the Re-Wilding Innovation Olympiad?
RIO is a global student movement that believes the next generation of innovators will be the ones who rewild our planet. It is not just a competition — it is a curriculum, a community, and a call to action for every student from Class 4 to undergraduate level.
Through three extraordinary challenge tracks — Nature & Ecology, Ritual & Culture, and Applied Imaginations & Cognitive Science — students discover that rewilding the Earth begins with rewilding the mind.
RIO is backed by the Pixodus character universe from Pixel Galaxy Studio's Saving Icebergs IP — a story of three RGB Whoctopus characters and a W8 guide who travel the planet teaching communities how to bring nature back. This is not a textbook. This is an adventure.
About RIO
Meet Your Pixodus Guides
dimension of planetary rewilding. Complete their challenges. Earn their badges. Join their mission.
PIXO R — Red Whoctopus
Nature TrackThe bold explorer of the trio. Pixo R dives into the most polluted ecosystems and sparks the cleanup. Students in the Nature track follow Pixo R's field missions — from coral reef restoration to urban forest mapping.
PIXO G — Green Whoctopus
Ritual TrackThe meditating philosopher of the group. Pixo G connects ancient ritual wisdom to modern ecological science. Students in the Ritual track study indigenous knowledge, traditional ecology, and ceremonial land stewardship through Pixo G's story arc.
PIXO W8 — White Chronicler
CogniSense TrackThe artist and visual chronicler who processes the world through creation. Pixo W8 holds the brushes, the data, and the questions. Students in the Applied Imaginations track design creative solutions using cognitive science and systems thinking.
OCEANO — The Whale Guide
All TracksThe giant silent guardian — sketched but never fully seen, always present. Oceano's intelligence guides all three Whoctopus characters and symbolises the planetary intelligence that students unlock through the Olympiad. The Grand Prize is named in Oceano's honour.
The Saving Icebergs Story
The IP Universe behind RIO
Saving Icebergs is the story of three RGB Whoctopus characters and their W8 guide on a journey to rewild Planet Earth. Each chapter of the book corresponds to one RIO challenge track. As students complete Olympiad rounds, they unlock new chapters of the story — making their academic journey part of a living, evolving narrative adventure. The book is published by Pixel Galaxy Studio as part of the GTM Fuel IP universe.
How to Join the Movement
Your RIO Journey — 5 Stages
your profile, and your planet-saving portfolio
Register Online
Open — 31 Aug 2026
Register free. Receive your unique Pixodus Participant ID via email. Unlock the Rio Voyage app starter missions.
Qualifiers Round
1 – 10 Sep 2026
25-minute online quiz. 10 questions across your chosen track. Score 8/10 or above to advance to the Quarter Finals.
Online Quiz
Quarter Finals
20 – 30 Sep 2026
25-minute advanced quiz. 15 questions. Score 13/15 to qualify as one of the top 1000 Quarter-Finalists. Earn the Wearable Badge of Honour.
Advanced Quiz
Semi-Finals
10 – 20 Oct 2026
3-hour online essay writing. Propose innovative, real-world solutions to a global environmental challenge. Top 100 become Semi-Finalists.
Essay Challenge
Finals
15 Nov 2026
Pitch your groundbreaking idea live. Top 10 Finalists named Defenders of Earth. Top Winner receives the Oceano Grand Prize — a fully funded trip to South Korea.
Grand Final Pitch
Choose Your Challenge
Three Innovation Tracks
has its own Pixodus guide, challenge curriculum, and prize path.
01
Nature & Ecology
Study and propose solutions to real-world ecological challenges — coral reef degradation, urban deforestation, wetland loss, and species extinction. Guided by Pixo R, the bold explorer.
02
Ritual & Cultural Intelligence
Explore how ancient indigenous practices, traditional ecological knowledge, and cultural ritual systems offer the most sophisticated planet-care frameworks ever developed. Guided by Pixo G, the meditating sage.
03
Applied Imaginations & CogniSense
Design creative, technology-driven solutions to planetary crises using cognitive science, systems design, AI, and imaginative thinking. Guided by Pixo W8, the white chronicler-artist.
Got Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — completely. Registration, all quiz rounds, the essay challenge, and access to the Rio Voyage app curriculum are 100% free. There are no hidden fees at any stage.
Not at all. RIO welcomes students from all streams — science, arts, commerce, vocational, and interdisciplinary programmes. The three tracks are designed to reward creative and cultural thinking as much as scientific knowledge.
Yes! Schools and colleges can register as institutional partners, receive the Green Campus Certification, nominate students for all rounds, and compete for the Educator of the Year and Champion of Change awards.
Essays are judged by a panel of environmental scientists, educators, and Pixel Galaxy Studio creative mentors. Criteria: scientific understanding, innovation quality, real-world applicability, and communication clarity. Detailed rubric provided in the app before the Semi-Final opens.
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Saving Icebergs is a published IP from Pixel Galaxy Studio — the creative company behind RIO. It follows three RGB Whoctopus characters (Pixo R, Pixo G, Pixo W8) and their whale guide Oceano as they rewild the planet. RIO’s curriculum is tied to this story — students unlock chapters as they progress through each round.
Rio Voyage is the free learning app that hosts all 45 RIO curriculum sessions across the three tracks. It includes video lessons, quizzes, character story chapters, and assessment tools. Available on iOS, Android, and web browser. All students who register get free access.
RIO is open to students from Class 4 (approximately age 9) through to undergraduate final year (approximately age 22). There are separate prize tiers for school-level (up to Class 12) and undergraduate-level participants in all rounds.