The indie equivalent of Super Smash Bros. just got a whole lot better: Rivals of Aether rollback netcode has launched in open beta on Steam.
Rivals of Aether is a fighting game where characters from a bunch of indie games get together to fight each other in a fashion similar to Super Smash Bros. It's popular enough in the fighting game community to feature at the Riptide fighting game event. Naturally, it has online play as well, but it suffered from many of the same problems as other online fighting games. That all changes today with the first launch of rollback netcode.
Why Rivals of Aether Rollback Netcode is a Game Changer
The launch of Rivals of Aether rollback netcode was announced earlier today on the game's official website. It took a lot of work to make this happen, but it should ultimately make for a better game.
"If the phrase 'rollback netcode' leaves you feeling a little lost, the short explanation is that this feature will massively improve online Rivals matches for laggy connections," read the announcement. "Once rollback is fully polished up and on the live Steam branch, you can look forward to silky smooth matches with opponents far and wide."
In simple terms, rollback netcode will "rewind" the game's simulation behind the scenes to correct for any lag-based errors. It's not perfect, but it's probably the best system we can reasonably have in a fighting game. While games such as Guilty Gear Strive have used rollback netcode to stunning success, Unfortunately, not all modern fighting games have it -- the lack of rollback netcode in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is one of the long-running complaints about that game and it's unlikely we'll ever get it.
You can get into the action right now by buying Rivals of Aether for PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch via its official website for just $14.99, a 50% discount off of its normal price. Keep in mind, however, that you'll only be able to test out the Rivals of Aether rollback netcode open beta on Steam until the feature has finished testing.
What do you think of rollback netcode finally making its debut in Rivals of Aether? Do you think all fighting games should implement rollback netcode? Let us know in the comments below!
