<s>
Rivals	B-Application
of	I-Application
Aether	I-Application
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	O
of	O
Aether	O
,	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	B-Application
of	I-Application
Aether	I-Application
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>
Zetterburn	B-Application
,	O
Forsburn	B-Application
,	O
Clairen	O
and	O
Mollo	O
represent	O
fire	O
;	O
Orcane	O
,	O
Etalus	B-Application
,	O
Ranno	O
and	O
Hodan	O
represent	O
water	O
;	O
Wrastor	B-Application
,	O
Absa	O
,	O
Elliana	O
and	O
Pomme	O
represent	O
air	O
;	O
and	O
Kragg	B-Application
,	O
Maypul	B-Application
,	O
Sylvanos	O
and	O
Olympia	O
represent	O
earth	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>
Cecilia	O
D'Anastasio	O
of	O
Kotaku	O
described	O
Smash	O
Bros	O
.	O
move	O
sets	O
as	O
being	O
more	O
"	O
reserved	O
"	O
compared	O
to	O
those	O
of	O
Rivals	B-Application
of	I-Application
Aether	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
17	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
Maypul	B-Application
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>
In	O
the	O
Fire	O
Capital	O
,	O
the	O
Emperor	O
is	O
found	O
murdered	O
and	O
his	O
son	O
Forsburn	B-Application
is	O
the	O
primary	O
suspect	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Forsburn	B-Application
pleads	O
with	O
his	O
brother	O
Zetterburn	B-Application
,	O
claiming	O
he	O
was	O
framed	O
by	O
the	O
Fire	O
Council	O
and	O
new	O
Emperor	O
Loxodont	O
,	O
but	O
Zetterburn	B-Application
refuses	O
to	O
believe	O
him	O
and	O
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Forsburn	B-Application
is	O
forced	O
to	O
flee	O
to	O
the	O
neighboring	O
wastelands	O
and	O
is	O
taken	O
in	O
by	O
the	O
Smoke	O
Clan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
Loxodont	O
's	O
coronation	O
,	O
the	O
ceremonial	O
flame	O
is	O
stolen	O
by	O
a	O
figure	O
resembling	O
Orcane	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
is	O
pursued	O
by	O
Zetterburn	B-Application
,	O
who	O
attacks	O
Merchant	O
Port	O
in	O
a	O
rage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zetterburn	B-Application
begins	O
tracking	O
the	O
shadow	O
back	O
to	O
its	O
place	O
of	O
origin	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
real	O
Orcane	O
,	O
returning	O
from	O
his	O
mission	O
,	O
decides	O
to	O
follow	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
Aetherian	O
Forest	O
,	O
guardian	O
Maypul	B-Application
senses	O
a	O
strange	O
sickness	O
is	O
causing	O
the	O
plant	O
life	O
to	O
rot	O
and	O
leaves	O
her	O
sister	O
Mayreed	O
behind	O
to	O
search	O
for	O
its	O
source	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
encounters	O
Forsburn	B-Application
and	O
they	O
attack	O
one	O
another	O
,	O
believing	O
each	O
other	O
to	O
be	O
responsible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Maypul	B-Application
accuses	O
him	O
,	O
Forsburn	B-Application
reveals	O
he	O
had	O
an	O
encounter	O
with	O
a	O
shadow	O
resembling	O
his	O
brother	O
,	O
and	O
speculates	O
this	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
source	O
of	O
the	O
sickness	O
affecting	O
the	O
forest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
on	O
a	O
scouting	O
mission	O
for	O
the	O
Air	O
Armada	O
,	O
wingmen	O
Wrastor	B-Application
and	O
Bradshaw	O
spot	O
a	O
giant	O
breach	O
in	O
the	O
Rock	O
Wall	O
surrounding	O
the	O
Aetherian	O
Forest	O
and	O
descend	O
to	O
investigate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
they	O
are	O
attacked	O
by	O
Kragg	B-Application
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
Wallbuilders	O
tasked	O
with	O
maintaining	O
the	O
Rock	O
Wall	O
,	O
who	O
assumes	O
they	O
are	O
there	O
to	O
exploit	O
its	O
weakness	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kragg	B-Application
manages	O
to	O
severely	O
injure	O
Bradshaw	O
due	O
to	O
Wrastor	B-Application
's	O
carelessness	O
,	O
forcing	O
the	O
two	O
to	O
retreat	O
as	O
Wrastor	B-Application
swears	O
vengeance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kragg	B-Application
is	O
then	O
attacked	O
by	O
a	O
figure	O
resembling	O
Maypul	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kragg	B-Application
initially	O
believes	O
the	O
Wallbuilders	O
have	O
been	O
betrayed	O
by	O
the	O
forest-dwellers	O
,	O
but	O
Mayreed	O
arrives	O
to	O
confirm	O
this	O
Maypul	B-Application
is	O
an	O
imposter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
sends	O
Kragg	B-Application
to	O
track	O
down	O
the	O
real	O
Maypul	B-Application
,	O
unaware	O
that	O
he	O
is	O
being	O
followed	O
by	O
Wrastor	B-Application
.	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	B-Application
of	I-Application
Aether	I-Application
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	B-Application
of	I-Application
Aether	I-Application
:	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>
Rivals	B-Application
of	I-Application
Aether	I-Application
was	O
positively	O
received	O
by	O
critics	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>
A	O
3D	O
fighting	O
game	O
sequel	O
to	O
Rivals	B-Application
of	I-Application
Aether	I-Application
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>
