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 under-performing 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.

This week marks the penultimate week of Rivals Season Two and what better way to kick off the home stretch than with two monster hits from the 80s? “Heat of the Moment” by Asia and “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor will both be available on Xbox One and PlayStation®4 this Thursday for $1.99.

• Asia – “Heat of the Moment”
• Survivor – “Eye of the Tiger” (First Appeared on Rock Band™ 2)

Asia – the progressive rock super group consisting of members of the bands Yes and King Crimson –  released their debut single “Heat of the Moment” in 1982. An instant hit, the song spent 6 weeks at #1 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and was one of the biggest singles of the year. The song opens with the epic main guitar phrase of distorted power chords. When the vocals kick in, the guitar creates a syncopated feel against the vocal melody and drum beat. Everything builds up to the release of the chorus, where the tempo picks up and the vocal harmonies kick in. Each part will keep you moving.

“Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor is a song that is no stranger to Rock Band, having first appeared on the Rock Band 2 soundtrack. The song’s impact on pop culture cannot be overstated. It has been featured in dozens of films and TV shows, fired up crowds at sporting events and topped countless charts worldwide. All parts get their knockout moment in this song. Keep your eye on the end of the choruses, there is a collective run of eighth and sixteenth notes that will be tough. Playing this song will pump you up for anything!

Additional content coming to Rock Band in Rivals Season 2 includes:

• Alice In Chains – “Down In a Hole”
• Alice In Chains – “Man in the Box” (First Appeared on Rock Band 2)
• Alice In Chains – “Them Bones”
• Asia – “Heat of the Moment”
• Survivor – “Eye of the Tiger” (First Appeared on Rock Band 2)

That’s just the tip of the iceberg for this month, stay tuned for:

• The remainder of the month’s DLC
• Rock Band Rivals Season 3
• A Rock Band development update
• Other surprises as we lead up to Rock Band’s 10th anniversary on November 20