Developer Update - June 2024

As we get closer to release with more news to share, we think it’s about time to start putting out some sizable Steam news updates each month. For those following along, we’re still on track to release the game in Q4 this year, and are looking forward to revealing a release date as we get closer. This month was big for us and we’ve got plenty to share, so time for some dev logs!


We started doing monthly betas this Spring for our Kickstarter backers, and this weekend is our third one. We’ve been hard at work with this being the most feature heavy update yet.



There's a TON of new features in this beta including:

• Skins - You can now style on your opponents in style and customize your look.
  
• Character Progression - Level up your characters by gaining experience as you play matches. Our progression system is completely cosmetic, and as your characters level up, you’ll unlock rewards plus currency like Aether Coins.
  
• Beta Coin Shop - Spend your Aether Coins you earn from playing to unlock a variety of cosmetics for your character. Finally there’s something to do with your Aether Coins instead of hoarding them like Rivals 1!
  
• New Servers - New server technology allows for smarter routing and better connections.
  
• Balance Changes - We’ve made tweaks across the board to try and find the sweet spot for what makes Rivals 2 fun. We want to hear your thoughts so leave us your latest balance feedback and game suggestions on our June Suggestions Nolt Board.
  

If you’d like to get your hands on the game early in these backer beta rounds, you can still Late Pledge over on our PledgeManager page. Kickstarter betas currently happen one weekend per month.




This month also started off with a big announcement that we’re teaming up with Offbrand Games as our official co-publishing partner on Rivals 2. This partnership brings a lot of exciting opportunities for Rivals 2 players in the future - including more Rivals focused events, content, and eyes on our community! The news was announced on IGN Live with Ludwig, Thor from PirateSoftware, and Dan.

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We think Offbrand is a perfect fit for us. They're going to complement our indie studio by letting us focus on making a great game, while they focus on bringing more eyes to our community with marketing and events. We’re incredibly excited for the future and this partnership is a win for everyone who’s a fan of Rivals!



[h3]Workshop Contest Winner Reveal[/h3]
Last year we announced a crossover event that spanned both Rivals 1 and Rivals 2 with our new Workshop Character Contest. Creators were asked to submit original characters to our dev team with the winner being chosen to eventually become a character in Rivals 2.

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We had over 80 submissions of amazingly designed characters, and next week on the one year anniversary of the contest we’ll reveal the winner. Check out the characters in the Rivals 1 workshop and try them out yourself! Make sure to keep an eye out for the news on 7/3 to see a preview of a future character in Rivals 2.

[h3]Summer Events[/h3]
We’ll be at a few events this summer with a playable pre-release build of Rivals 2. Make sure to stop by to chat with us and play the latest build!

• Evo 2024 - We’ll have a booth at EVO again this year and are looking forward to sharing some news there on what’s coming for the July backer beta. Stop by and play!
  
  
• PAX West 2024 - More of the team will be at PAX West since it’s held in the studio’s “home city” of Seattle. We’ll be bringing our some new and old merch so make sure to come by to browse and play.
  
  
• Riptide 2024 - This 3-day waterpark tournament is a community favorite. We’ll be there with brackets for both Rivals 2 and Rivals 1. Registration is still open so sign up now.
  

Thanks for following along with our updates! Look out for another developer update next month with more exciting news as we get closer to launch.