Marking the much-anticipated return of online play to Rock Band, Rivals mode also represents the most dramatic shift to the Rock Band meta game since the franchise’s introduction in 2007. In Rivals Mode, players band together to form crews of up to ten people to take on other crews around the world in a structured and ongoing series of uniquely themed gameplay challenges. At the beginning of each challenge, crews will be assigned to one of six tiers. When a challenge ends, the best crews will ascend to a new tier, while underperforming crews will face demotion. As crews get promoted they’ll earn badges and face stiffer competition in their quest to earn their place amongst the elite in the highest tier - Bloodstone.

Rock Band Rivals challenges are made up of two distinct gameplay elements - Weekly Challenge Songs and Spotlight Songs. Crews looking to climb the leaderboard will need to focus on both if they want to succeed. Performance in weekly challenges is determined by the overall score earned by all crew members while playing qualifying songs. For example, in the challenge “I Want to Know What Love Is,” playing songs and artists with the word “love” in them will contribute to your crew’s Rivals score for the week. Spotlight Songs are an opportunity for Rock Band’s best players to show their stuff. Here, a crew’s Rivals score is determined by the single best performance achieved by the crew as a whole for each instrument. Balanced crews featuring elite singers, guitarists, bassists and drummers will have an advantage.

Huge new releases and iconic hits from the 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s join the Rock Band 4 DLC music library this month. Kicking off the month is a “Hootie & The Blowfish Pack 01”, which will be available tomorrow, November 1, on both Xbox One and PlayStation®4 for $5.49. Each song can also be purchased individually for $1.99 per track:

• Hootie & The Blowfish – “Hold My Hand”
• Hootie & The Blowfish – “Only Wanna Be With You”
• Hootie & The Blowfish – “Let Her Cry”

In celebration of Friday’s release of Bon Jovi’s thirteenth studio album, This House Is Not For Sale, a new single from this album will join their 12 other career-spanning hit tracks in the Rock Band 4 DLC music library on Thursday, November 3 for $1.99:

• Bon Jovi – “Born Again Tomorrow”

Other artists set to contribute new tracks to join Rock Band throughout the month of November include:

• Avril Lavigne
• Bruno Mars
• Coldplay
• The Cure
• Cyndi Lauper
• Fine Young Cannibals
• … and more