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 ReverbNation and Firefly Music Festival for the second release in Rock Band’s free “Discover Series” – a Rock Band initiative that introduces Rock Band players to the world’s best up-and-coming artists. Discover: ReverbNation and Firefly Music Festival, a five song pack featuring artists appearing at the Firefly Music Festival, will be available for free to Rock Band Rivals players on both Xbox One and PS 4 beginning May 3rd.

For over a decade, ReverbNation has been a pioneering force in the music industry. Using its extensive network of venues, festivals, brands, labels and publishers, ReverbNation has helped millions of emerging artists get better feedback, wider exposure, and deeper industry access. ReverbNation is one of the largest online music platforms, offering tools and services to help bands manage and advance their careers. Its unique ability to provide artists with opportunities to connect with new fans is one of the reasons why ReverbNation is considered a premier tastemaker for the music and touring industry.

For seven years and counting, Firefly Music Festival has been providing the East Coast with the festival it deserves. Firefly Music Festival is a premier music experience set among lush wooded landscapes, featuring renowned headliners and emerging artists. Witness unforgettable performances and discover the engaging attractions nestled around every turn. Taking place in The Woodlands, a space within Dover International Speedway, Firefly Music Festival’s earliest weekend featured several dozen artists across three days. Now, it’s built up to feature well over a hundred artists on seven stages across four whole days. Each space offers a different focus, so you can take in the more intimate performances on the Coffee House stage, dance to a silent disco in The Thicket, which is right in the actual forest, or check out who’s on the Firefly Main Stage. This year’s festival, scheduled from June 14 – June 17, features performances by Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, and many more. For more information on the Firefly Festival (including dates and lineup) please visit the Firefly Music Festival website.

This year, again, Firefly Music Festival teamed up with ReverbNation to help choose artists for Firefly’s Big Break program, where fans are given an opportunity to vote for a band to earn a coveted spot on the Firefly’s lineup. Discover: ReverbNation and Firefly Music Festival, includes five finalists from this year’s Big Break program, including this year’s winner, Fly By Midnight. The full list of artists and tracks from the free pack is as follows:

• The Bergamot – “Forget About Tomorrow”
• Dolly Spartans – “I Hear The Dead”
• The Eiffels – “Body Like That”
• Fly By Midnight – “Vinyl”
• Jocelyn & Chris Arndt – “Shame”

Get to know the finalists of the Firefly Big Break program with these five hand-picked songs. Whether it’s the unique drums of “Forget About Tomorrow”, the tricky guitar solo of “I Hear The Dead”, the disco-inspired beat of “Body Like That”, a bass line in “Vinyl” that just doesn’t quit or the vocal octave jumps in “Shame”, there’s something for everyone in this great bundle. Check them all out for free on Thursday, May 3rd.