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We are still hard at work on netcode and matchmaking changes but before we can release those, we wanted to give players a chance to experience our new Ranked Mode updates. We have reworked the progression and rewards and are excited for players to progress! We also have some balance changes targeting our three newest characters who came out earlier this year.

Ranked Mode Update

• We have replaced Ranked Score as the main progression in Ranked Mode with a Ranked Tier system. There are 6 Ranked Tiers which each have 5 Ranked Levels inside their Tiers.
• Players progress through the levels by earning Stars. Each star that you earn progresses you higher into the Ranked Level. You’ll need 5 Stars to complete a Ranked Level such as going from Bronze 5 to Bronze 4.

• There are three different ways to earn stars:
  • Winning: Each set win gives you one star.
  • Win Streaks: While on a win streak of 3 or more, you earn 1 extra star. While on a win streak of 5 or more, you earn 2 extra stars.
  • Tier Difference: If you play an opponent who is a higher tier than you, you’ll earn 1 star for each tier they are above you.
• Each Tier has its own rules and rewards:

  • Bronze Tier:

    • Rules: You cannot lose stars.
    • Matchmaking: Bronze, Silver, Gold
    • Rewards: Player Icon

  • Silver Tier:

    • Rules: You cannot lose stars.
    • Matchmaking: Bronze, Silver, Gold
    • Rewards: Player Icon, Tier Border

  •  Gold Tier:

    • Rules: You cannot lose a star to drop a Ranked Level.
      (ex. from Gold 3 to Gold 4)
    • Matchmaking: Bronze, Silver, Gold
    • Rewards: Player Icon, Tier Border, Ranked Color Palette

  •  Platinum Tier:

    • Rules: You cannot drop below Platinum 5.
    • Matchmaking: Platinum, Diamond, Master
    • Rewards: Player Icon, Tier Border, To be Decided

  •  Diamond Tier:

    • Rules: You cannot drop below Diamond 5.
    • Matchmaking: Platinum, Diamond, Master
    • Rewards: Player Icon, Tier Border, To be Decided

  •  Master Tier:

    • Rules: Your Master Score is your position on the Ranked Leaderboard. You no longer win or lose stars.
    • Matchmaking: Platinum, Diamond, Master
    • Rewards: Player Icon, Tier Border, To be Decided

• Ranked Mode still uses Ranked Score (ELO) behind the scenes for every set even before reaching Master. This score is used to calculate your leaderboard position.
• We have lowered the Disconnect Rate punishment from 35% to 20% so players with high disconnect rates will have low Master positions.
• We now have a system to reset the Ranked Level and Ranked Score of repeat cheaters. Please report cheaters WITH their Steam Profile URL to [email protected] and we’ll investigate the reports.

Character Mastery:

• While playing Ranked Mode, you can level up your characters from 1-10 by playing Ranked Matches.
• Each win will earn you more experience than a loss but just playing a single match with that character will net you some experience!
• Here are our current plans for rewards:
  • Character Mastery Level 3: Character Emote Unlock.
  • Character Mastery Level 7: Character Emote Icon.
  • Character Mastery Level 10: To Be Decided

Emote System

• Ranked and all the other online modes benefit from the introduction of a new Emote System.
• Players can now share pre-built messages with each other while matched in a game lobby. The messages vary from greetings to questions to small suggestions.
• If you progress your character mastery levels, you can unlock fun messages to send your opponent while matching your favorite character.
• Let us know on the subreddit or discord what kind of new Emotes you would like to see added to the game!

Rivals Rep Icon Contest

In concert with the ranked progression changes above, we’re moving forward into the 4th season of Rivals ranked play. To make the start of this season even more exciting we’re announcing the return of a fan-favorite special event, the Rivals Rep Icon Contest, where you can help your favorite featured team get a skin in the game!

To find out more details on this community competition read the full post here.

Christmas Colors

Tis the season! Err… or at least close enough. Your Halloween colors have been replaced with festive Christmas skins. As always, these are usable in all game modes and can be accessed simply by rotating through your Rivals’ colors on the character select screen.

Gameplay and Balance Changes

• Landing no longer clears the right stick’s buffer. Instead, it turns it into a normal 6 frame buffer instead of the 8 frame right stick buffer.
• Tilt stick will no longer allow you to cancel a jab into a backward tilt.
• Purple aether kill effect logic adjusted: now checks all even numbered DI angles (19 total) instead of just checking 7.
  • OLD:
    • check full DI in
    • check no DI
    • check full DI out
    • check 12 degrees in
    • check 12 degrees out
    • check 6 degrees in
    • check 6 degrees out
  • NEW:
    • do all old calculations
    • check remaining even numbered angles (12 different angles)

• Jumping during the hitpause of Nspecial will always buffer a jump after hitpause ends.
  (This is useful for jumping after hitting a pillar or activating the purple kill effect)
• Uspecial’s final hitbox now has knockback staling: BKB starts at 7 and goes down to 5 (the current value) by the end of movement. This makes early hit Uspecial stronger.
• Dspecial’s spike hitbox is no longer techable and forces a missed tech instead of bouncing the opponent off the ground.

• Standing on overlapping puddles will no longer cause Fspecial to fail to absorb the puddle.

• Hitting Ranno’s bubble and Sylvanos’ flower with Fspecial now only lets you jump cancel for the next 20 frames instead of indefinitely.

• Clone will no longer get locked out of exploding if his first explosion is interrupted (such as pillar breaking under him during the move’s startup).

• Can no longer hit himself when throwing a rock with Uair.
• Can no longer fastfall while being hit during armored Uspecial.
• No longers gets the benefits of being on ice when standing under low, ice-covered platforms.

• Can no longer bash Lily when she’s being despawned.
• Double jumping while trying to use Uspecial while it’s unavailable will no longer cause Ori to superjump.

• Bubble knockback will no longer reverse for outward hitting moves if the attacking player is facing left.

Sylvanos is getting a minor rework where we looked at his entire kit and wanted to balance out some of his annoying tendencies and distribute power elsewhere. We reworked his final two jabs to make them more varied and to differentiate Jab Special more from Neutral Special. We also took a look at the Neutral Special Flower to open up some creativity in how Sylvanos players choose to use grass instead of just coating the bottom platform with grass as often as possible.

• • Jab 1 range shortened.
  • Jab 3 replaced with large repeatable jabs.

• Jab special now spawns lower and travels a very short distance, allowing Sylvanos to place flowers on the ground underneath platforms. It will now also combo if the opponent DI’s jab 2 inward.
• Ftilt projectile now deals no knockback ever.
• Ftilt startup: 7 > 5 (reverted to pre-1.4.0).
• Utilt startup: 6 > 8 (reverted to pre-1.4.0).
• Sylvanos no longer jumps upward during the startup of Utilt, making the move significantly better as an anti-air.
• Dstrong angle: 55 > 50.
• Uair solo hit2 removed.
• Uair 2 base knockback: 7 > 8.
• Uair 2 knockback scaling: .5 > .65.
• Nspecial multihit damage: 2 > 1 (total damage: 14 > 10).
• Can now have 3 flowers out (when 3 flowers are active, the oldest flower is colored differently from the other two).
• Flowers only grow a small area of grass instead of the full platform (they still prevent the whole platform’s grass from dying when Sylvanos is away).
• Flowers now destroy the grass around them when they are hit.
• Flowers no longer have a single tile of grass missing.
• Grass no longer ages while Sylvanos is in hitpause from hitting an opponent.
• Jump cancelling Fspecial locks him out of airdodging for 10 frames.
• Uspecial’s bite is now invincible until the hitbox comes out.
• Dspecial now has a visual to show the howl’s range.
• Grass on the left edge of a platform will no longer die when using Dspecial.

Elliana is getting a couple buffs but she might have more in store down the road. She is a unique character with a meta that is still developing so we want to be careful when it comes to buffing and nerfing this hothead.

• Dash attack endlag: 18 > 16 (27 > 24 on whiff).
• Ftilt startup: 9 > 7.
• Fair hitbox size increased.
• Fspecial will no longer trigger the purple kill effect if the opponent is stuck.

Shovel Knight is FUN! Just like in his own game, the character is very fun to play as and against. The buffs we have for him are to make him more effective when he is playing well. By racking up damage a bit faster, he can start going for his unique kill options earlier.

• Jab/Nair damage: 5 > 6.
• Ftilt/Fair damage: 3 > 4.
• Utilt damage: 5 > 8.
• Utilt will no longer break Kragg’s pillar after it loses its hitbox.
• Dair damage: 6 > 7 (normal hit) and 7 > 10 (spike hit).
• Dstrong strongest hit hitpause scaling: 0 > 1 (bug fix).
• Mobile Gear now gets destroyed at the bottom blastzone instead of slightly above it.
• Uspecial’s spike hitbox is no longer techable and forces a missed tech instead of bouncing the opponent off the ground.
• Dstrong’s spike hitboxes force a missed tech instead of bouncing the opponent off the ground.

Symbiote Studios, who we partner with for our high-quality plushies, has just released a brand new festive look for our popular Orcane plush. Berry Blast Orcane maintains all of his original cuteness while also bringing a fresh look just in time for the holidays. He even comes with an exclusive Orcane pin!

This plush is available for pre-order now on SymbioteStudios.com and is available worldwide, with the first batch estimated to ship in early December.