Beloved Smash Bros-style indie fighting game Rivals of Aether is getting a sequel, and it's already 300% funded

Nov. 20, 2023

“With Rivals 2 our goal is to create the next generation of platform fighter”

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The developers behind the acclaimed indie fighting game Rivals of Aether have silently been working on a sequel for three years, and they’re hoping it’ll usher in a new generation of platform fighters.

To give you some idea of how wildly popular the original game is, not to mention how good the sequel looks in the trailer, Rivals 2 started aKickstartercampaign less than week ago to help pad out the studio’s resources and it’s already tripled its initial funding goal.

Rivals 2 is a Smash Bros-style multiplayer brawler with unique, animal-based, elemental characters and fast-paced gameplay. It’s designed to support online play, which is one area the developers are seeking to improve for the sequel, as well as local battles “with a ton of content for competitive and casual players alike.”

The most immediately apparent change from the first game is Rivals 2’s delightful 3D models and 2.5D gameplay. There are also a bunch of new game mechanics including shields, ledges, grabs and throws in addition to returning features like hit-falling, wavedashing, wall-jumping, and parrying.

Although the core competitive modes are the current focus for launch, developer Aether Studios says a “completely overhauled story mode” is also in the works that’ll teach new players the ropes and include some “skillful puzzle platforming for veterans.”

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After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar’s west coast Staff Writer, I’m responsible for managing the site’s western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I’m too afraid to finish.

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