Rivals of Aether II News

Today is our first big update bringing monthly events to Rivals II! Events will be a permanent feature now that they're here, rotating each month with their own cool themes. This month's is RIVALS 3D - where we're going back in time with Low Poly skins and other Low Poly items like platforms, death effects, emotes, and icons. You can see the trailer that revealed the theme this weekend below:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

If you haven't heard us talk about events before, they're basically like a free battlepass. Just like you earn character XP, you'll also now earn XP on the event track. You can see your progress on the new event screen and unlock rewards as you level up, including Aether Bucks, coins, plus a range of Low-Poly goodies shown below. Once you hit the end of the track you'll even keep earning bonus coins for every extra level you hit. Events will also feature a themed bundle along with new individual items in the shop.



Event skins are also listed out for each event in game. These are skins that are on or similar to the monthly theme, and if you play matches using them you'll speed up your progress.

Since this is our first event we'll also be keeping a very close eye on XP gain rates and rewards, and make changes where needed so that everything feels good. All Rivals 3D event items will also remain in the shop after the event ends, so you don't have to worry about missing out.



[h3]Events[/h3]

• Rivals 3D event added!
  
  • The event track page in the store is now open. Players can earn event XP, rewards, and find other event themed items in the shop! The Rivals 3D event runs from 11/4 - 12/2.

[h3]User Interface/Experience Improvements[/h3]

• "Add CPU" button added to CSS player slots.
  
  • This should make it a little easier to hop in a game with a computer opponent.
• Added Discord Support button to top bar.
  
• Added a Feedback + Bugs hotkey when the top bar options menu is opened.
  
  • These changes make the support buttons more visible. Disocrd is still the best place to open up a support ticket if you need help, aside from emailing us directly. We may not be able to answer all requests immediately, but sending one here will make sure we can see it.
• Reworked the UX (user experience) for rebinding your controls. You can now press start to save, and hold start to cancel with no additional prompts.
  
• Reset to Default button renamed to -> Reset Controls, plus now shows a confirmation prompt.
  
• Ranked now shows a checkmark Some small blind character select (ranked) ui polish {shows a checkmark / makes it a little more clear that you're not supposed to see their character}
  
• Changed currency icons from Single to Small stacks.
  
• Added some safeguards to prevent invisible / accidental queuing.
  
• Added bonus coin graphic to currency, plus a bonus coin graphic to item unlock popup.
  
• Post match coin reward visuals properly account for Starter Pack bonus coins.
  
  • This makes it more clear that you actually are getting your starter pack coin bonus. Players who already had a starter pack were receiving these coins, they just weren't properly shown post-match.
  
  
• Made small interface improvements for ultrawide or other nonstandard window sizes.
  
• Fixed abyss medals going wild with particles.
  
• The Store Steam Overlay being open now prevents menu navigation.
  
• Fixed incorrect stage displaying on versus screen during arcade mode.
  
• Fixed text-only menu button highlight animation.
  
• Fixed an invisible platform on Orcane's break the targets stage.
  
• Moved location of settings save data to fix issues with steam cloudsave and playing on multiple devices.
  

[h3]Audio[/h3]

• Set master volume default to 60 instead of 80.
  
• Randomized main menu music after leaving the title screen.
  
• Added better transitions for background music when moving between menus.
  
• The main menu no longer has dead air after the current song finishes.
  
• Fixed a bug so that the training stage plays the training mode music regardless of the current stage platform layout loaded.
  

[h3]Replay Improvements[/h3]

• Adjusted Replay Auto-Save and manual replay save logic.
  
• Restructured how replays are saved in order to make them more efficient.
  
• Added a Replay Auto-Save setting in Gameplay Settings.
  
  • Lets you choose between "Off | Local Only | Online Only | All"
• If a player does not have the relevant auto-save setting on for their current match type, they can press Y to Save Replay on the results screen. In a local match this saves it immediately, in an online match the server will save and upload it for that player following the match.
  
  • Replays are only uploaded to playfab player data for players who request it or have the relevant auto-save setting enabled.
• Opening the Replay menu now downloads any replays if there are any before populating the list.
  
• Added a Refresh prompt on the Replay menu that will download any replays if there are any and then repopulate the list/
  
• Fixed an old bug where replay menu list would lose focus if you moved navigation up from top or down from bottom of list.
  

We hope you enjoy our latest patch! Let us know what you think as always over on our nolt board, and enjoy the extra pixels this month.

Last week we teased the Slam Dunk Ranno skin but didn't reveal much about it. Today we're happy to share that this isn't just a normal skin, but instead our first Esports skin made with the goal in mind of supporting community tournaments!



Our vision for supporting events with it means everything from giving this skin to scenes of all sizes to help boost attendees, to letting them use it to pump up the pot bonus or even do giveaways. This means (at least at first) getting this skin will be connected to the events themselves. However, don't worry if you see one you really like, because later down the line we'll make sure they're available for everyone.

If you're a local TO who is interested in learning more about this, coming soon we'll have a form for local events to submit their information, and receive Slam Dunk Ranno skins based on certain criteria like attendees.

We also took the opportunity to do some special palettes of the skin for some events that are already happening. Make sure to keep your eyes on these to learn more:

Week 2 of our month long Twitch Drop campaign is underway! From 10/30 at 10am PT to 11/6 at 9:59am PT, you can grab free Aether Bucks, drop themed icons, and palettes for Maypul and Kragg.

These purple palettes and icons can be unlocked for the whole cast if you watch during each of the different elemental weeks of our celebratory Launch Campaign.





[h2]How to Unlock[/h2]

All you need to do is watch streams in the Rivals of Aether II category that have drops enabled!



Once you've earned a Drop, you'll see a notification in your Twitch Inventory in the top right where you can claim your item. It will link you to this page, where you can log into your Aether Account, then click the "Unlock your Twitch Drops items in ROA2" button. Make sure you link your correct account or you won't receive your drops in game. If you're not sure what your Aether Account email address is, just press start on the main menu of Rivals II to see your account email.

[h2]For Streamers[/h2]

All you have to do to get the drops on your channel is opt in on your dashboard and stream Rivals II, that's it! This is an open campaign for anyone streaming the Rivals of Aether II category.

[hr][/hr]

Note: If you missed the first week (Fire Week) or are worried about not being able to get any of the drops this month, don't fret, these will become available again at a later date/method.

It's been just under a week since launch and we've been hard at work keeping things rolling with the huge influx of players. This is our first patch that's a little larger than a quick hotfix so we thought we'd list out some proper notes. We've been happily following your feedback on our nolt board, socials, and anywhere else people have been shouting about Rivals on the internet - so don't be afraid to tell us what you think.

You'll see a lot of fixes people have asked for already on here, and we've got even more on our roadmap. We are also VERY aware of feature requests like tutorials, and are actively working towards them. This was something we knew going into launch that we'd definitely want, but simply couldn't fit in with our budget and resources before release. With that in mind we are working on cooking up content and features for new players.

It's touching to see this being one of the most submitted feedbacks, since it's clear what everyone wants is for more people to love the game and be able to get into it as much as themselves. While we work on tutorials and other features, keep doing your part by being welcoming to new players, and giving them a chance to see how awesome our community is. More players = more games and a win win all around!





[h2]UI, Controls, and Other Polish[/h2]

• Ranked now has blind character select, meaning you'll only see your own character selection until all players are readied up and the match is proceeding to stage select.
  
  • Per popular request. Prevents game 1 counterpick shenanigans.
• Stage Select now shows each player's character choice along the bottom.
  
  • We couldn't bother to remember that from 5 seconds ago either.
• Added a sound effect for when a match is found during matchmaking.
  
  
• The store now refreshes after a purchase so new currency & items are present immediately.
  
• Added mouse-click functionality to some main menu UI buttons that were missing them.
  
• Added loading spinner after purchases to safeguard against duplicate purchases.
  
• Added "Confirm Email Address" prompt during account creation.
  
  
• FFA now always selects a random stage and skips stage select.
  
• Casual Singles no longer has stage bans. Instead the loser picks stage for game 2 & 3 from the full set of 10 stages.
  
  • Changed based on good feedback from a lot of players that striking and bans just wasn't something they were interested in for casual matches.
• Can no longer quit back to CSS in Casual Singles/Doubles/FFA.
  
  • Players now properly suffer the consequences of their actions.
• Ranno bubble achievement damage requirement adjusted.
  
  • While this achievement was possible to do, we thought it was unintentionally much too hard. If you got it before today you are Ahead of the Curve!
• Added Target Test music.
  
• Capped replay storage at 128 replays, if you have more than 128 replays older replays will be deleted as new replays are added.
  
  • Replay file size is not negligible, so we've implemented this system so the game doesn't eat up all of your storage space. If you would like to save additional replays manually, you can copy replay files from "%localappdata%/Rivals2/Saved/Replays".
  
  
  
• Store bundles and item previews now include Item Type.
  
• Removed placeholder "default guy" icons from featured store display when the store is loading.
  
  • RIP "default guy".
• Returning to the main menu now puts you on the expected main menu tab based on where you're coming from.
  
• Better currency formatting across regions.
  
  • Decimal markers are now more worldly and stuff like that.

[h3]A Note on Regional Pricing[/h3]
There's a short note on currency formatting above, so we wanted to also share a little bit of our thoughts on regional pricing in these notes. The people at Aether Studios and Offbrand games all really believe in fair regional pricing. We understand it's not as simple as making it for sale in another region at the usual exchange rate, because those rates often don't reflect the reality of purchasing power around the world.

When Rivals II launched, we had regional pricing set up for the game purchase itself, but our in-game bundles/other purchases weren't reflecting our currency rates for non-US regions. We are very pleased to say we worked hard to get this in ASAP and updated it in the game about one day after launch. If you're noticing that prices are lower in your region now and you did make a purchase in-game day 1, please open up a ticket on our discord and we can help get you the difference in Aether Bucks so you're getting a fair price.

• Added a fix for side taunts not working.
  
• Save / load state sound effects should no longer play when they shouldn't.
  
• Fixed an alignment issue with right player display on versus screen.
  
• Added a bugfix for a Forsburn Clone SD issue.
  
• Fixed a rare version check crash.
  
• "Match Cancelled" / "Match Forfeit" messsages should properly display after being sent back to the main menu to help provide context on why you're no longer on the server.
  
• Players should no longer get stuck in a ranked lobby if the other player connected & disconnected while in the "Players Joining" phase. If not all players are present at the end of the "Players Joining" phase the match will be cancelled properly.
  
• Local tourney mode no longer shows incorrect button prompt glyphs.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused issues in the local tourney mode menu after going back to the character select screen from Stage Select or by Quitting.
  
• Implemented fix for Casual FFA hanging on initial ready up.
  

Our first event is coming up soon! These are monthly progression tracks with free unlockables plus a new themed bundle each month. Stay tuned for more info on that soon.