Rivals of Aether II — Steam Gift

Rivals of Aether II — the next-generation platform fighter on Steam

Rivals of Aether II is the direct sequel to the cult indie fighter from Aether Studios, released on Steam on October 23, 2024. The first game won over the platform-fighter scene with its pixel art and honest, no-item combat; the sequel carries that same soul into a fuller world — pixel 2D becomes slick 2.5D with 3D models, while the fighting stays fast, readable and deep. No random items, no gimmick stages — just you, your opponent and pure skill. Here you get the full base game delivered as a Steam gift.

What a platform fighter is, and why this one stands out

A platform fighter is built around floating stages where the goal isn't to drain a health bar but to knock your rival off the screen — the higher their damage percent, the further they fly. Rivals of Aether II refines that idea hard. Unlike the original, it adds shields and grabs, while the signature parry returns from the first game — a high-risk move that rewards precise timing. Pair that with unique mechanics like the Pummel Special and Ledge Special, and you get a fighter that's fair to a newcomer and a tournament veteran alike. Online runs on rollback netcode, so matches feel responsive even against distant opponents.

Elemental fighters and an ever-growing roster

The game launched with 10 playable characters, eight of them familiar faces from the first Rivals of Aether — the fiery fox Zetterburn, the icy Orcane, the stony Forsburn and other elemental warriors. Here's the key part: Aether Studios adds every new fighter to the game for free. By 2026 the roster had grown to around sixteen characters, with newcomers pulled from spin-offs (Fleet and Slade from Dungeons of Aether) and La Reina, an anthropomorphic wrestling insect who won a character-creation contest. Only cosmetic items are paid — they never gate gameplay or fighters.

What's included in the gift

You receive the full base Rivals of Aether II game (Standard edition — the game has no other editions). That means the entire online mode with rollback netcode, local multiplayer (1v1, 2v2, free-for-all), the single-player arcade, the current fighter roster, and every future character the studio ships in free updates. There's no season pass and no paid DLC fighters — it's an honest "buy once, get the whole core" model.

How we deliver the Steam gift

Delivery goes through Steam Gift via an automated bot. You provide your Steam friend invite link and your account region, then the bot adds itself as your friend, sends the gift, and automatically removes itself after delivery. You don't need to accept anything manually, and Steam Guard isn't required. The whole thing usually takes a couple of minutes after checkout, but we don't promise a hard deadline — occasional delays happen, and we work to fix them quickly.

Gift region — read carefully

This is the most important part of Steam gifts. For Steam to let you accept it, two conditions must hold: your Steam account region matches the gift region, and you don't already own the game. If the region is wrong, Steam simply won't accept the gift; if the game is already on the account, a duplicate gift won't go through either. So pick the variant for your region and enter your region honestly at checkout. Your Steam profile must also allow friend requests, otherwise the bot can't reach you.

How the sequel differs from the original

If you played the original Rivals of Aether, the move over feels intuitive, but there's plenty new. The headline change is the shift from 2D pixel art to 2.5D with 3D models — the camera and stages come alive while the plane of battle stays classic. Mechanically, shields and grabs are new additions absent from the first game, nudging it closer to the bigger platform fighters, yet Rivals keeps its aggressive, parry-driven identity. If you want to compare the feel to other arena fighters, look toward Brawlhalla and MultiVersus — each has its own pace, and Rivals of Aether II is the most competitive and technical of the bunch.

Who it's for

For players who love fair duels without randomness, who'll learn timings and matchups, and for friends who want to scrap in local multiplayer on one screen. The low entry barrier lets you get comfortable in an evening, while the tournament depth keeps you hooked for months. And since new fighters arrive for free, the game you get today only grows over time.

The essentials

• Full base Rivals of Aether II on Steam, Standard edition.
• All future characters are free; only cosmetics are paid.
• Steam Gift delivery: the bot adds itself and sends the gift, no Steam Guard needed.
• Accept conditions: account region matches the gift region and you don't already own the game.