<s>
Rivals	O
of	O
Aether	O
is	O
an	O
indie	O
platform	O
fighter	O
video	O
game	O
created	O
by	O
Dan	O
Fornace	O
,	O
and	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
in	O
March	O
2017	O
,	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
in	O
August	O
2017	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
in	O
September	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
two	O
spin-off	O
video	O
games	O
:	O
a	O
dating	O
sim	O
,	O
Lovers	O
of	O
Aether	O
,	O
released	O
on	O
April	O
1	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
for	O
PC	O
;	O
and	O
a	O
deck-building	O
game	O
,	O
Creatures	B-Application
of	I-Application
Aether	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
on	O
September	O
28	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
PC	O
on	O
August	O
2	O
,	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
third	O
spin-off	O
game	O
,	O
Dungeons	O
of	O
Aether	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2023	O
,	O
while	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
,	O
Rivals	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
is	O
currently	O
planned	O
for	O
2024	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rivals	O
of	O
Aether	O
is	O
the	O
spiritual	O
sequel	O
to	O
Super	B-Application
Smash	I-Application
Land	I-Application
,	O
a	O
fan-made	O
remake	O
of	O
Super	O
Smash	O
Bros.	O
,	O
and	O
therefore	O
its	O
gameplay	O
mechanics	O
are	O
heavily	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
latter	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
contains	O
the	O
guest	O
characters	O
Ori	O
and	O
Sein	O
from	O
Ori	B-Application
and	I-Application
the	I-Application
Blind	I-Application
Forest	I-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
eponymous	O
hero	O
of	O
the	O
Shovel	B-Application
Knight	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
17	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
Maypul	O
and	O
Ranno	O
received	O
crossover	O
skins	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
characters	O
Ragnir	O
and	O
Wu	O
Shang	O
from	O
Brawlhalla	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
team	O
has	O
also	O
released	O
two	O
characters	O
via	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
Workshop	I-Application
:	O
the	O
panda	O
Guadua	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
April	O
Fool	O
's	O
Day	O
joke	O
character	O
Sandbert	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
April	O
1	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
announced	O
that	O
four	O
popular	O
fan-made	O
characters	O
from	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
Workshop	I-Application
would	O
be	O
officially	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
late	O
2021	O
via	O
a	O
free	O
update	O
:	O
Mollo	O
,	O
Hodan	O
,	O
Pomme	O
,	O
and	O
Olympia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
focus	O
in	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
making	O
it	O
faster	O
and	O
more	O
combo-oriented	O
than	O
Super	B-Application
Smash	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
On	O
August	O
22	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
Ori	O
and	O
Sein	O
from	O
Ori	B-Application
and	I-Application
the	I-Application
Blind	I-Application
Forest	I-Application
were	O
released	O
as	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
17	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
Fornace	O
released	O
two	O
more	O
DLC	B-Protocol
characters	O
,	O
Ranno	O
and	O
Clairen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Likewise	O
,	O
on	O
April	O
2	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
Fornace	O
released	O
another	O
two	O
DLC	B-Protocol
characters	O
,	O
Sylvanos	O
and	O
Elliana	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
14	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
Shovel	B-Application
Knight	I-Application
was	O
released	O
as	O
the	O
second	O
guest	O
character	O
and	O
final	O
playable	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2019	O
,	O
the	O
official	O
Rivals	O
of	O
Aether	O
Twitter	B-Application
account	I-Application
confirmed	O
that	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
workshop	I-Application
would	O
be	O
available	O
for	O
players	O
to	O
create	O
their	O
own	O
characters	O
and	O
stages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2020	O
,	O
Rivals	O
of	O
Aether	O
:	O
Definitive	O
Edition	O
was	O
reconfirmed	O
as	O
a	O
complete	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
containing	O
all	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
April	O
1	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
revealed	O
that	O
four	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
characters	O
released	O
via	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
Workshop	I-Application
would	O
be	O
officially	O
added	O
in	O
a	O
forthcoming	O
free	O
update	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nick	O
Valdez	O
of	O
Destructoid	O
scored	O
the	O
game	O
90/100	O
,	O
saying	O
it	O
is	O
a	O
fully	O
fleshed	O
out	O
fighter	O
that	O
adds	O
additional	O
depth	O
to	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Smash	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
formula	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alice	O
O'Connor	O
of	O
Rock	O
,	O
Paper	O
,	O
Shotgun	O
said	O
that	O
she	O
enjoyed	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
character	O
design	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
Pokémon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Megan	O
Farokhmanesh	O
of	O
Polygon	O
called	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
beautiful	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
the	O
indie	O
answer	O
to	O
Super	B-Application
Smash	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sin	O
Vega	O
of	O
Rock	O
,	O
Paper	O
,	O
Shotgun	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
making	O
all	O
the	O
characters	O
romanceable	O
rather	O
than	O
limiting	O
it	O
to	O
women	O
,	O
as	O
in	O
a	O
bishōjo	B-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
and	O
giving	O
them	O
"	O
more	O
personality	O
and	O
charm	O
"	O
than	O
a	O
typical	O
dating	O
sim	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
spin-off	O
,	O
the	O
deck-building	O
game	O
Creatures	B-Application
of	I-Application
Aether	I-Application
,	O
was	O
originally	O
released	O
on	O
September	O
28	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
and	O
later	O
received	O
a	O
PC	O
version	O
on	O
August	O
2	O
,	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
3D	O
fighting	O
game	O
sequel	O
to	O
Rivals	O
of	O
Aether	O
was	O
teased	O
on	O
April	O
1	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
titled	O
Rivals	B-Application
2	I-Application
one	O
year	O
later	O
complete	O
with	O
a	O
2024	O
release	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
formation	O
of	O
Aether	O
Studios	O
to	O
oversee	O
the	O
series	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
.	O
</s>
