Honestly, if you're still playing platform fighters and haven't lost a weekend to the Rivals of Aether Workshop, you're missing out on the most chaotic, creative, and sometimes downright broken corner of the internet. It’s 2026. We have Rivals of Aether II out now with its fancy 3D models and updated netcode, yet the original game’s modding scene refuses to die. It's actually thriving.
Basically, the Workshop is what happens when you give a bunch of highly skilled fans the keys to a professional-grade engine. You get everything from high-tier competitive masterpieces to a playable version of a cheeseburger.
It's weird. It's brilliant. It's why the first game stays installed on thousands of Steam decks even now.
The Rivals of Aether Workshop Shift: From 2D to 3D
For years, "Workshop" meant 2D pixel art. You’d open up Steam, hit subscribe on a character like Mollo or Olympia—who were so good they actually became official canon characters—and they’d just appear in your roster. But the landscape changed recently. With the January 2026 release of the Rivals 2 Workshop Beta, the community is currently transitioning into the terrifying world of 3D modeling.
Don't get it twisted, though. The OG 2D Workshop is still the "Gold Standard" for sheer volume.
Creating a 2D character in the original game uses GML (GameMaker Language). If you can code a little and draw a lot, you can make a god. In Rivals 2, the bar is way higher. You're looking at Blender, hurtbox interpolation, and 3D rigging. It's a lot. Because of that high barrier to entry, the original Rivals of Aether Workshop remains the go-to for the "wild west" feel we all love.
Who are the legends?
If you're diving in today, you’ll see names that have been around for years.
- Giik: The mastermind behind some of the most polished technical fighters.
- RuberCuber: Known for pushing the limits of what a "platform fighter" even is.
- Archytas: If you want a character that feels like it was made by the actual dev team, look for their work.
Why Everyone is Still Obsessed with the OG Workshop
People always ask: "Why not just play the sequel?"
Validation. That’s why. In the original Rivals of Aether Workshop, the community has spent over half a decade refining "The Big Five" modding standards. There are actual competitive circuits for Workshop characters. We aren't just talking about Ronald McDonald fighting 100% Accurate Melee Fox—though that happens. We’re talking about original characters like Bar-Ex or Lode & Chary that have more depth than characters in AAA games.
There’s also the "F5" factor.
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One of the coolest things about the modding tools provided by Aether Studios is the live-update feature. If you're building a character, you can have the game running, change a line of code in your script, hit F5, and the changes apply instantly in the practice mod. No restarting. No long compile times. It makes the iteration loop addicting.
The "Sandbert" Legacy
You can't talk about the Workshop without mentioning Sandbert. He was the official example character Dan Fornace (the creator) put out to show people how to mod. He’s basically a blue blob with no animations. He's the "Hello World" of the Aether universe.
Every single top-tier modder started by poking around in Sandbert’s files to see how a "hitbox" is defined. It’s that transparency that made this game the king of user-generated content in the genre.
Getting Started: It’s Easier Than You Think
If you've got the itch to create, you don't need a degree. You just need patience and a copy of GMEdit.
- Download the Modkit: Go to the official site and grab the templates.
- Learn the Scripts: Everything is broken down into
.gmlfiles.init.gmlhandles your variables.attack_update.gmlis where the magic (and the bugs) happens. - Sprites are King: The game runs at a specific internal resolution. If your pixels aren't aligned, it’ll look "crunchy" in a bad way.
- The Workshop Helper: Use the community-made tools. Seriously. There’s a "Rivals Workshop Assistant" on GitHub that automates the boring stuff like sprite centering.
Common Pitfalls (The "Noob" Mistakes)
I've seen it a thousand times. Someone makes a character with a move that has 1 frame of startup and infinite knockback. It’s funny for ten seconds. Then nobody wants to play with you.
Real Workshop experts focus on "weight." How does the character feel to move? If you’re jumping and it feels like you’re underwater, your mod is going to sit at the bottom of the "Most Recent" tab forever. Balance is a myth in the Workshop, but feel is mandatory.
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The Future: 2026 and Beyond
The big question is whether Rivals 2 will eventually cannibalize the original Rivals of Aether Workshop.
Probably not.
Pixel art has a timelessness to it. Plus, the sheer amount of licensed "guest" characters—from Hollow Knight to Dead Cells—already exists in the 2D version. It would take years to recreate that roster in 3D.
We’re seeing a split now. The "Pro" modders are moving to the sequel to show off their technical chops in 3D, while the "Creative" modders are staying in 2D to experiment with weird mechanics that only work in pixels.
Actionable Insights for Players and Creators
If you’re just here to play, sort the Steam Workshop by "Most Subscribed - All Time." It filters out the low-effort memes and gives you the masterpieces. Look for the "Ex" or "Gold" tags in character names; these usually signify a higher level of polish and balance.
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If you’re here to build, join the Extended Workshop Discord. The documentation is okay, but the people there have solved every "why is my game crashing" error known to man. They’ve literally written the manual on how to bypass GameMaker’s limitations to create custom shaders and complex "buddy" systems.
The Rivals of Aether Workshop isn't just a mod folder. It’s a sub-culture. It’s the reason why, even in 2026, a tiny indie game from 2017 is still one of the most relevant titles in the fighting game community.
Go download the "Armando" example character for the new Rivals 2 beta if you want to see the future, but keep the original installed for when you just want to see a car fight a god.
Next Steps for You
- Check your AppData folder: If you're on Windows, navigate to
Local/RivalsofAether/workshopto see where your local projects live. - Install GMEdit: It’s the only way to write the GML code without losing your mind.
- Join a Workshop Tournament: Sites like Start.gg often host "Workshop-only" brackets. It’s the best way to see if your favorite mod can actually hold up in a real fight.