Summary
On May 27, 2025, platform fighter fans were delighted to see the announcement drop for the Steam release date ofRivals of Aether 2. Known across the past three years asRivals 2, the game has been renamed to better align with the existingAetheruniverse of games, comics, and other products, and to improve its visibility in the face of the upcomingMarvel Rivals. Although that was an unexpected pivot,Rivals of Aether 2has otherwise stuck to the year-long roadmap it proposed in its November 2023 Kickstarter campaign, and should launch with everything that it promised.
Returning to theAetheruniverse, players will once again take control of the magical champions representing the Fire, Wind, Earth, and Water kingdoms. The main heroes were last left stranded in the ominous Abyss, andRivals of Aether 2’s planned multi-chapter story modewill show how they escape and what happens next. In addition to that, the new server-based rollback netcode should ensure smooth matches for any mixture of two to four players.Rivals of Aether 2looks like a great addition to the platform fighter genre, though there are some caveats regarding what exactly is available at its October 23 launch.
Rivals of Aether 2’s Starting Roster
Little is more important in a fighting game than a compelling cast of characters, andRivals of Aether 2delivers a strong starting cast:
With the Steam Workshop Contest winner La Reina and others set to join in the future, all of them with no additional cost to owners,Rivals 2already has a powerful-looking roster. Eight of these fighters hail from the firstRivals of Aether, which is a hefty number considering it only had 18 characters. Newcomers Loxodont, a villain teased throughout the franchise, and Fleet, the protagonist from theSteam Deck-verifiedDungeons of Aether, round things out nicely for now.
What’s New In Rivals of Aether 2
Supporting these fighters are a host of new mechanics intended to makeRivals 2the next evolution of platform fighters. In addition to the new 3D visuals, voice acting, and SnapNet rollback netcode,Rivals of Aether 2has brought in several common genre mechanics its predecessor deliberately left out, including ledge grabs, grabbing in general, and defensive shields. Not content tojust reflectSuper Smash Bros., however,Rivals 2is also introducing Pummel, Ledge, and Getup Specials for every character, making this one of the most complex platform fighters yet.
What Rivals of Aether 2 Has Kept and Left Behind
Much of that complexity is due to how few mechanicsRivals of Aether 2has left behind. Parries, hitfalling, wavedashing, and more have returned, and the game will launch with five starter and five counterpick stages to ensure it hits the ground running. Unfortunately, besides an improved training mode, that’s it for returning features.Rivals of Aether’s popular Steam Workshop integrationis something the developers acknowledged but can’t commit to yet, and many other features have already been pushed back to future updates.
Rivals of Aether 2’s Plans For The Future
Various official statements, including some unmet stretch goals from the Kickstarter, imply that much ofRivals 2’s content will be coming after launch. Ranked online play, character tutorials, an arcade mode, the chapter-based action platformer story mode, and even console ports are potential later additions, which makes even its indie-tier price tag look rather steep. Fortunately, plenty of cosmetics, including pallets, costumes, emotes, and more will roll out across the game’s lifeusing a live-service model, and are intended to fund its ambitious long-term goals. It’s a risky venture, but ifRivals of Aether 2’s gameplay is as good as its ongoing betas and exhibitions make it seem, then platform fighter fans could be served well for years to come.
Rivals of Aether
WHERE TO PLAY
RIVALS OF AETHER is an indie fighting game set in a world where warring civilizations summon the power of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. Choose a Rival to bring into the battlefield and manipulate the powers of the classical elements and animal movement. Praised for its competitive gameplay and intensive training tools, Rivals of Aether is the perfect entry to the Platform Fighter genre.Choose VERSUS MODE to duke it out in competitive 1v1 or 2v2 fights, or jump into a free-for-all.Play STORY MODE to learn the backstory behind each rival and begin to uncover the hidden mysteries of Aether.Dive into ABYSS MODE to see how many waves of shadowy fighters you can defeat and reach the leaderboards alone or with a friend. Customize your Abyss Mode builds and challenge your friends in ABYSS VERSUS .Take your skills online in ONLINE VERSUS ! Play against your friends or test your skills in RANKED MODE to climb the leaderboard.Study TUTORIAL MODE to hone your skills from beginner to advanced lessons. Or boot up PRACTICE MODE to get your hands on all the frame data and hitbox visualizations.
