No, it’s not a joke. Aether Studios and Dan Florence LLC have officially released a new gameplay trailer for has announced Rivals of Aether 2, a fully 3D sequel to the incredibly popular 2D platform fighting game, Rivals of Aether, as well as reconfirmed its 2024 release date.
Rivals of Aether 2 Release Date, Mechanics, and History
First released on March 28, 2017, Rivals of Aether has grown and expanded to include a very of spin-offs, comics, and other media to extend its lore and universe, but the new Rivals of Aether 2 trailer is our first official glimpse into the gameplay and presentation of its successor. Rivals of Aether 2 will launch with a release date of sometime in 2024 for as many platforms as the team can muster, though it seems to be confirmed it will launch on Steam and the Nintendo Switch. The original Rivals of Aether is currently available on Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam.
Rivals of Aether 2, first teased back in April of 2021 along with the official creation of Aether Studios, brings the series into the next generation with a full transition into detailed 3D models, a massive visual shift from the 16-bit style of the original. The footage does not reveal every character, though it is likely that many of the same characters from the original Rivals of Aether will make a return for the sequel, albeit with an updated look and style adapted to 3D. So far, there is confirmation of the fiery lion Zetterburn, the wind-wielding avian Wrastor, and the poisonous frog martial artist Ranno, who each show off some of the updated gameplay for Rivals of Aether 2.
“Aether Studios is creating the next generation of platform fighters. Currently targeting 2024, our goal is to create our dream fighting game by taking our successes from Rivals of Aether and expanding on the formula in all the right ways for Rivals 2”, a statement from Aether Studios released alongside the Rivals of Aether 2 announcement trailer reads.
Rivals of Aether has always drawn comparison to the Super Smash Bros. series as a platform fighter, and the presentation of Rivals of Aether 2, as seen in the trailer, is very similar to the style of games like Super Smash Bors Ultimate. However, time will tell how they change things around. Characters now have shields as a defensive mechanism, as well as grabs to counter them. Aether Studios has included an FAQ page for Rivals of Aether 2 to answer some of the more detailed questions about the game, such as the reason for the release date, the finer mechanics that will be included, etc.