Rivals 2 Funds $200K Kickstarter in 2 Hours
After a few years of teasing and anticipation, streamer Ludwig Ahgren livestreamed Rivals 2 gameplay for the first time on November 15. The hype is real. Before the start of Ludwig's crew battle against Mang0 to preview the game, Rivals 2 had already fully funded its $200,000 Kickstarter.
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What is Rivals 2?
Rivals 2 is the sequel to Rivals of Aether, an indie multiplayer brawler game. The goal of Rivals 2 is to “create the next generation of platform fighters,” according to Aether Studios’ Kickstarter page, appealing to both newcomers and masters.
Aether Studios has grown significantly since Rivals of Aether came out. Only two people were working on Rivals of Aether at first, which grew to eight during its development. Now there are over 25 people working at the studio. Despite having such a small crew, Rivals 2 is “ambitious” and plans to keep growing over time.
Meanwhile, Aether Studios is hoping to use Kickstarter to hire new team members to “kick the game out the door” and onto Steam on PC. From there, they plan to release Rivals 2 onto even more consoles.
Rivals 2 Gameplay
Rivals 2 is a brawler with unique characters and fast-paced gameplay. You choose a rival to fight with, using their powers and animal-inspired movement to beat up the opposition. Zetterburn is a fiery lion that fights with his fists, Ranno is a frog monk that uses his opponent’s attacks against them, Wrastor soars above his enemies and uses wind to his advantage, and Kragg is a giant beetle who uses the earth to pummel opponents.
Rivals 2 has familiar mechanics like wavedashing, wall jumps, parries, and hit falling. There will also be new special moves on the way. The Pummel Special can be used by hitting the special button while grabbing an opponent. The Ledge Special is used on the ledge and the Getup Special can be used when you’re knocked down.
The stages are “competitively viable” and visually stunning, inspired by nature. The game will launch with 10 stages — five balanced starter stages and five varied counterpick stages. Each character has a home stage, all 3D and dynamic.
On top of fighting with friends at home or battling enemies online, there’s also going to be a story mode. When the game comes out, it will only have Chapter 1. New chapters will continue to be released in time.
“The story in the Aether games has been building for nearly a decade now. This original universe is set in the world of Aether, where warring civilizations harness the power of the elements. The world of Aether is a world of strife. But has it always been that way? Through our games, we have explored the history of Aether and the neverending battles that reshape the planet,” developers said.
Online Play
It’s no secret that the FGC struggles with online play. This is especially true for Super Smash Bros. but any fighter with bad connection won’t be competitively viable. Luckily, Rivals 2 has server-based online powered by SnapNet, a rollback netcode solution built by High Horse Entertainment.
When Is Rivals 2 Coming?
Right now, we only know that Rivals 2 is coming in late 2024. No date has been confirmed so far. But if the Kickstarter goes to plan, there will be pre-alpha streams and developer tournaments by the first quarter of 2024. A closed beta will become available for backers in the second quarter followed by a larger beta test in the third. By quarter four, Rivals 2 will launch on Steam.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!