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.

Harmonix is teaming up with Entercom and their Los Angeles station KROQ 106.7 FM to offer a new, free Rock Band Rivals DLC pack featuring songs from the city’s best up-and-coming artists. With five hand-selected songs from KROQ’s “Locals Only” program, the Discover LA: KROQ Locals Only pack is a great way for Rock Band Rivals players to experience some of the best that the LA rock scene has to offer. The pack will be available for free to Rock Band Rivals players on both Xbox One and PS 4 beginning January 9th.

Explore the LA music scene with these five hand-picked songs from an assortment of up and coming artists. From the guitar riffing in “Open Water” to the tight harmonies in “Radio”, thumping drums in the shoegaze song “Who’s Your Lover”, back to the soft feeling throughout “Shy” and the back-and-forth duet in “Bloodhands (Oh My Fever)”, there’s a lot to love in this pack of songs. Check it out on January 9 and discover some amazing new music!

The full list of artists and tracks from the Discover LA: KROQ Locals Only pack is as follows:

• Assuming We Survive – “Open Water”
• HUNNY – “Shy”
• In The Valley Below – “Bloodhands (Oh My Fever)”
• Nightmare Air – “Who’s Your Lover”
• No Small Children – “Radio”

KROQ 106.7 FM is a part of Entercom Communications, the #1 creator of live, original, local audio content in the United States. Like Harmonix, KROQ puts the music first and is a champion of both local and global bands.  Whether it’s debuting the latest single from a longtime favorite or introducing music fans to the debut album of their next favorite band, KROQ has been at the epicenter of Rock Culture for more than 50 years. KROQ’s “Locals Only” program is known for uncovering and promoting LA’s next great bands. The Sunday night show features up-and-coming music from some of the Southland’s most promising new acts along with hits from the area’s most successful artists. In teaming with Rock Band, KROQ is placing a spotlight on local LA bands and bringing their music directly into the hands of music fans.