» Uncategorized Posts

Hey Rivals Fans!

Some big news today. First off, we have updated our Steam Early Access build to 0.0.7. This update brings some great bug-fixes and balance changes. Along with the updates, we are also introducing some spooky Halloween themed color palettes for Rivals players to enjoy:

These palettes are in addition to the 6 that are currently available to players. If you are enjoying the game on Steam Early Access, you can check out the Patch Notes here.

We have some more exciting news. Absa, the Storm’s Architect, will be joining the other Rivals during Early Access. She will be available to players on November 19, 2015!

Absa will be available to all Early Access players throughout the program until launch. She will also coming to the Xbox Game Preview Program when Rivals becomes part of that.

Thanks to your support, we were able to find a candidate to help us with the Xbox One certification process. We are still discussing the opportunity but hope to add him to our team very soon. We want to be on the Xbox Game Preview Program as soon as possible but do not have a date to share with you quite yet. We’ll have more news about the Game Preview Program later this year!

Development has been going well now that we have a ton of players in our ecosystem. The response to Rivals of Aether has been amazing and we are incredibly thankful for all your support. Here are some great press and community highlights from the past month:

• Rivals of Aether on Game Grumps! (Youtube)
• Mang0 with a beautiful Wrastor Sequence (Oddshot)
• Rivals of Aether on Kotaku (Article)
• Keyori with a hilarious Orcane Montage (Youtube)
• Rivals of Aether on the Artifice (Article)
• Sunder with Making Fighting Games Accessible (Youtube)

Thanks again for all your support. Join us on our subreddit, get involved on Aetherboards, or follow me on twitter to stay on top of all the Rivals of Aether discussion.

Hey Guys! We are looking for a new member of our Rivals of Aether team! Right now we are integrating more features into our build and developing our platform for the Xbox market. This is where you could come in. We need a programmer to take the reins of our Xbox One branch with the goal of getting us into Xbox Game Preview Program later this year. If you share our passion for bringing a premiere platform fighting experience to next-gen consoles, check out what we’re looking for:

• Requirements: At least one of the following experiences:
  • 1+ Year(s) experience with Xbox One Requirements / Certification and 3+ Years general software development experience.
  • 3+ Years Game Maker / Game Maker Studio Experience.
• Qualities:
  • You have at least one shipped title on Steam, Microsoft Consoles, Sony Consoles, or Nintendo Consoles.
  • You can work remotely as a team and use Skype chat or gchat to check in.
  • You have familiarity with GitHub and other Source Control tools.
  • You can work with our contacts through email regarding our path to Xbox One.
  • You have some familiarity with working in agile-like sprints, and can manage your time effectively.
  • You’re efficient at communicating with our design and tech stakeholders.
  • You get equally excited about building a minimal viable product quickly as you are about cementing a feature in tested code.

This is a paid, remote contractor position that we’re trying to fill as soon as possible. Rate is negotiable based on your experience and resume. To apply please send a short cover letter in the body of an email, with your available start date in the heading, and an attached resume (.pdfs only please) to [email protected]. Please Label the subject line: Game Maker Programmer – Your Name.

In about 10 hours, Rivals of Aether will be available for purchase on Steam Early Access. Players will be able to join into the fun and start helping us shape the game toward our full launch sometime in 2016.

We will also be working hard next month on getting our Xbox One version off the ground. We are still targeting to have Rivals of Aether on the Xbox Game Preview Program before 2015 is complete. Then both Xbox One and PC players will be able to influence the balance as they play against friends both locally and online.

Today we would also like to announce the new center hub for the Rivals of Aether Community – Aetherboards! This forum will house feedback from both our Steam and Xbox One user-base. We will be posting patch notes, collecting bugs, checking out suggestions and just discussing the game with fans!

Head on over if you want to get involved in the community! We also have sections for coordinating tournaments if you are ready to test your skills!

Over the weekend, we gave out access to Rivals as a last minute test to a few streamers, youtubers and press. Many players got their first taste of online multiplayer and were having a blast! Check out Alpharad’s first day in Rivals and some of the crazy situations that unfolded:

In August, we were at PAX Prime 2015 showing off Rivals of Aether. It was a blast and we met a ton of new fans. We even had some Super Smash Brothers pros including TSM Leffen check out the game. We were in the PAX Rising Booth which featured games from upcoming indie developers. We were also at Microsoft’s campus for their ID@Xbox Showcase. We even got to meet a giant Cuphead mascot! Cuphead! I had a great time at PAX Prime and I am extremely thankful to the PAX and Microsoft team for inviting us to showcase. Check out some pictures from our week of PAX:

And that is all for now! September has been an amazing month and the next few are going to be even wilder! We hope you follow along for the ride.

Hi everyone! Today we are revealing the date that Rivals of Aether will arrive on Steam Early Access:

Windows users will be able to purchase the game on Steam on September 22, 2015. By purchasing it early, players will get access to the title as we update it and make balance changes. You can check out the Steam Page for Rivals of Aether and add the title to your wishlist.

Early Access will initially feature 6 characters, 5 stages, 1-4 Player Versus Mode with CPUs, Practice Mode, 1v1 Netplay through Matchmaking or Steam Invites, Xbox Controller Support, Keyboard Support, and Custom Controls.

Some of the game features will be released after Early Access is complete in early 2016 including Story Mode, Abyss Mode, and the two hidden characters.

We will also be bringing the preview version of Rivals of Aether to Xbox Game Preview Program later in 2015, but we do not currently have a date for that release.

If you want to share in your excitement for the release later this month, then come join us at our forum thread on Smashboards.

Hey Guys,

I am excited to let you know that later today, AZ Project Melee is hosting an 8 Person Invitational for Rivals of Aether at EVO 2015!

The tournament takes place today, Friday 7/17/2015, at 6PM PDT. You can watch the stream at https://www.twitch.tv/azprojectmelee.

With the tournament now over, you can watch the entire invitational through this Playlist:
Rivals of Aether EVO 2015 Youtube Playlist

Here is an epic showdown between Zman and Sethlon:

Thanks so much to Zman and the AZ Project Melee team for hosting, organizing and streaming this tournament. If you want to see more Rivals content, you can support the AZ PM team by checking out their Patreon!

Here is a list of some of the combatants:

• Sethlon: A SSBM and Project Melee Player, Famous Roy and Rivals of Aether Design Consultant (since we had a measly two characters).
• Hylian: A SSBB and Project Melee Player. Famous in his Brawl days for his terrifying Ice Climbers. Has played alpha builds with Sethlon.
• Keits: The Character Designer of Killer Instinct Season 2. Also a staple in the Fighting Game Community after starting UFGT. I have heard rumors about his Kragg.
• LiD: An old-school Melee player who got a ton of Rivals experience at E3 2015. Picked up the game extremely quickly and then demolished other attendees.