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.

Brand new to Rock Band this month – a season pass to select, new Rock Band DLC. Each week for the duration of the season (eight weeks), players who purchase the Season 2 Spotlight Pass will be granted a permanent entitlement to whichever new release is featured as a Spotlight Song in that week’s Rivals Mode challenge (a total of eight songs). The Season 2 Spotlight Pass will cost $13.49 and be available for purchase beginning August 24 on both Xbox One and PlayStation®4 for the duration of Rivals Season 2, which ends on October 17, 2017.

DLC kicks off this month with two songs that were also featured on the Rock Band VR soundtrack – “True Confessions” by Blondfire and “Rebel Heart” by The Shelters. Both songs will be available on Xbox One and PlayStation®4 this Thursday for $1.99.

• Blondfire – “True Confessions”
• The Shelters – “Rebel Heart”

The full list of content coming to Rock Band in August is as follows:

• Arctic Horrors – “Black Seas” (Free DLC for Rock Band Rivals owners)
• The Black Cheers – “(You’re) Breakin’ Up” (Free DLC for Rock Band Rivals owners)
• Blondfire – “True Confessions”
• Catfish And The Bottlemen – “Postpone”
• Garbage – “Stupid Girl”
• Parks – “Sweater Weather” (Free DLC for Rock Band Rivals owners)
• The Shelters – “Rebel Heart”
• Spirit Kid – “To My Romeo” (Free DLC for Rock Band Rivals owners)
• Sugar Ray – “Every Morning”
• Ted Nugent – “Stranglehold”

The lead single off the latest Blondfire EP of the same name, “True Confessions” is a great way to introduce listeners to Erica Driscoll’s new style of heavier guitars and darker melodies. It’s even featured in Rock Band VR, where you can craft your own guitar line. The harmonies are quick to learn, while a disco beat keeps the energy high. There’s also a dance bassline running through the song that gives the whole thing a nice groove.

The Shelters’ song “Rebel Heart” is another track coming to Rock Band 4 from Rock Band VR. The lead single from their self-titled debut (which was co-produced by Tom Petty), “Rebel Heart” is one of many examples of The Shelters’ throwback, heartland-tinged sound. Twin guitars and harmonies permeate every track on the album. The guitar riff in “Rebel Heart” has an iconic sound, and the solo is great to play. All the instruments are swung in this track, meaning everyone will be working together to carry the song along.

Rock Band Blitz will no longer be available for purchase on or before August 28, 2017.

Released in 2012 for the Xbox 360 and PS3, the game itself is not backwards compatible on either Xbox One or PlayStation®4 (nor will it be in the future), but all 25 songs on the soundtrack are playable in Rock Band Blitz, Rock Band 3 and Rock Band 4 at no additional charge. Rock Band Blitz is currently available for $14.99. The Rock Band Blitz soundtrack contains the following 25 songs, all of which can be imported to play in Rock Band 4:

• All-American Rejects – “Kids in the Street”
• Avenged Sevenfold – “So Far Away”
• Barenaked Ladies – “One Week”
• Blink-182 – “Always”
• Collective Soul – “Shine”
• Elton John – “I’m Still Standing”
• Fall Out Boy – “A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More “Touch Me””
• Foo Fighters – “These Days”
• Foster the People – “Pumped Up Kicks”
• fun. ft. Janelle Monáe – “We Are Young”
• Great White – “Once Bitten Twice Shy”
• Iron Maiden – “The Wicker Man”
• Kelly Clarkson – “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”
• Kool & the Gang – “Jungle Boogie”
• Living Colour – “Cult of Personality”
• Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera – “Moves Like Jagger”
• My Chemical Romance – “Sing”
• P!nk – “Raise Your Glass”
• Queen – “Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to…)”
• Quiet Riot – “Bang Your Head (Metal Health)”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Give It Away”
• Rick Springfield – “Jessie’s Girl”
• Shinedown – “Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)”
• Soundgarden – “Spoonman”
• Tears for Fears – “Shout”