A rift formed between the Air citizens who could fly and those who could not. However, after the Fire Kingdom burnt down the Aetherian Forrest, the winged citizens began to question the peaceful policies of the mountain-dwelling Elders.

A closed beta testing period is scheduled for 2023.Your browser does not support our video format! The game is scheduled to be released in 2024, on 'as many platforms' as possible. Rivals 2 was announced on April 1, 2022, during an annual April Fools' Day 'Rivals Direct'. Ledges were also added to Rivals 2 because the developers felt that it would make the game feel more familiar to veterans in addition to making it more approachable for newcomers. The addition of the shield mechanic was added to make the game feel more familiar to those who play platform fighting games, and the grab was likewise added as a counter to the shield. Rivals 2 is intended to have improved single-player content compared to Rivals of Aether that aims to allow casual players to transition into more dedicated players, though competitive play is the priority of the designers-they intend to have the game be prominently featured at Evo. Mechanics such as parries also return from the first game. Further mechanics include the ability to grab ledges and attack while hanging from them and the ability to attack while knocked down.

The game adds several new mechanics-including the ability to generate a shield able to block incoming attacks, the ability to grab others, even while they are shielding, and the ability to 'pummel' during a grab with either a short attack or a slower attack with a stronger attack with a unique secondary effect for each character. Unlike its predecessor, Rivals of Aether (2017), it is played in 2.5D and uses 3D models as opposed to being played in 2D and using pixel art sprites. Further information: Gameplay of Rivals of Aether

Rivals of aether characters download