In the recent Genesis 9 event, a yearly gaming tournament series mostly focused on platform fighters, developers Aether Studios dropped the character reveal trailer of Kragg for Rivals 2. Kragg is one of the original playable characters from the game's predecessor, Rivals of Aether, therefore, his inclusion wasn't necessarily a surprise, but this is the first look fans have gotten of him in action.
The trailer features a short origin story of Kragg and his people, then shows off numerous gameplay clips in the game's new cel-shaded 3D style. Kragg is seen doing a lot of the new options that players will have available to them in Rivals 2, as opposed to Rivals of Aether. You can see Kragg using a lot of grabs and throws for combos, and even killing with a back throw after successfully shielding an opponent's attack. You can also see him use the new "Ledge Specials."
Rivals 2 was first revealed back in April 2022 via an announcement trailer, and, though still a platform fighter in every sense, it immediately showcased that it would deviate significantly from the original. Firstly, Aether Studios opted for more modern 3D models instead of the original's classic pixel-art aesthetic. Furthermore, the game added shields, grabs, and ledges, three gameplay mechanics that are traditional to the genre, as they were introduced in the original platform fighter, Smash Bros, but actually weren't in the first Rivals of Aether.
Lead developer Dan Fornace explained after the reveal that they had added these mechanics to make Rivals 2 feel more familiar to fans of the genre and also easier to pick up for newcomers. This is especially the case for shielding, as Rivals of Aether had a timing-based parry mechanic that wasn't easy to pull off without a lot of practice. Parries are still returning in Rivals 2, but now they're a high-risk high-reward option in addition to shielding.
Rivals of Aether first launched for Steam in 2017. Despite its smaller scope in terms of character roster and overall content, it was a respectably popular title, partly due to being one of the first games in the indie space to effectively emulate the platform fighter genre Smash Bros invented, while also having several of its own creative twists.
Ledge and Getup Specials are another addition to the gameplay formula of Rivals 2, and possibly to the platform fighter genre as a whole. Just like you can do normal attacks and specials when standing normally, you can now do them when getting up from the ledge, or getting up after a knockdown. As seen in the Kragg trailer, these are usually stronger, have more range, or have some beneficial effect, but will often be slower and easier to punish.
Rivals 2 is set to launch in 2024, platforms currently unknown.