Gab Hernandez 
Big news about Rivals 2 has just dropped at EVO 2024, and it has some fans wonder if the game will be free-to-play.
Rivals of Aether is one of the most successful platform fighters to be inspired by Super Smash Bros. Once a spiritual successor to fan game Super Smash Land, Rivals has since become a franchise that stands on its own merits. Its success led to the development of a sequel, simply titled Rivals 2.
Unlike its predecessor, Rivals 2 will feature a 2.5D visual style with 3D models, much like its original inspiration. The game will reportedly improve upon the first games’ single-player and casual content while still having a strong slant towards competitive play. Aether Studios’ latest announcement at EVO 2024 showcases both those promises in action.
Will Rivals 2 be free-to-play?
Rivals 2 will not be free-to-play, but all of its characters, including DLC, will be made free post-launch. Rivals of Aether was not free-to-play and its DLC characters all required an additional upfront cost. This has been the standard for fighting games in modern times, be it Mortal Kombat 1 or Street Fighter 6.
Aether Studios announced that every single character for Rivals 2, including future DLC characters, will be free to play. This means players have years of free major content to anticipate, which could cultivate a loyal base of fans eager to support the game through other means.
The free characters also mean a larger pool for all players to try out, which is great for the game’s competitive scene. The developers have also made their intentions of having Rivals 2 be a staple at EVO well-known. The team even added shield and ledge mechanics to make the game feel more familiar for Smash players. Given Nintendo’s perceived mistreatment of the competitive Super Smash Bros community, Rivals 2’s presence may be much appreciated.
Will Rivals 2 get free DLC characters?
While Rivals 2 will not launch as a free game, it will receive free DLC characters post-launch. Rivals 2 will feature 10 playable characters at launch, seven of whom are returning characters. Stretch goals also included four characters post-launch for Rivals 2. In addition to the free characters announcement, Orcane’s gameplay was revealed at EVO 2024. The cel-shaded graphics give Rivals 2 an appealing style that makes up for the lack of pixel sprites.
Overall, it looks like Rivals fans have plenty to look forward to in 2024 and in future years to come. As fans of games like Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and Mortal Kombat 1 complain about the cost of DLC characters, Rivals 2 players won’t have to open their wallets even one more time after buying the base game.
