Want to see what happens when Berdly’s ego meets a Kragg pillar? It’s on YouTube. Want to settle the debate of whether Noelle is a zoner or a glass cannon? The modders have already coded her "Ice Shock" as a devastating charge move.
But in 2024, something strange happened. The game’s thriving modding scene, officially nurtured by the Rivals of Aether Steam Workshop, became ground zero for a crossover nobody saw coming. Suddenly, the fiery zetterburns and watery orcanes were being bodied by a classroom of anxious monsters from Toby Fox’s Deltarune . rivals of aether deltarune
Furthermore, the pixel art of Deltarune translates flawlessly to Rivals ’ visual language. Toby Fox’s art is already inspired by EarthBound and classic JRPGs. Rivals ’ lush, animated backgrounds and sprite scaling make the Deltarune crew look like they were always meant to be there—as if the Dark World simply has a new, more violent chapter. The irony is that the Rivals of Aether modding scene has done something that even Nintendo couldn’t: it gave Deltarune fans a fighting game. While we all wait—somewhat impatiently—for Chapters 3, 4, and 5 of Deltarune , the Workshop has become a holding pen for our hype. Want to see what happens when Berdly’s ego
Rivals of Aether didn’t just borrow Deltarune ’s characters; it completed them. In the main game, Kris is a silent protagonist defined by the player’s choices. In Rivals , Kris is defined by their actions. They ACT, they parry with their soul, and they swing a sword not to close a Dark Fountain, but to close a stock. The modders have already coded her "Ice Shock"
Yet, the thematic overlap is uncanny. Both games are fundamentally about . Rivals famously has no grabs and no shields, forcing aggression through parries and wave-dashing. Deltarune ’s combat is a puzzle of mercy and violence, where “FIGHT” is often the wrong answer. When you import a character like Susie into Rivals , she doesn’t feel out of place—she feels liberated. Her reckless, axe-swinging brutality finally has an infinite arena to match her attitude. The Workshop Revolution: From Sprites to Meta The official Rivals of Aether Workshop support is the real hero here. It allows creators to import custom sprites, movesets, and even unique mechanics. The Deltarune modding community has seized this with the ferocity of a Jevil boss fight.
For now, we’ll keep downloading, keep fighting, and keep praying for Chapter 4. The Dark World can wait. The ranked ladder cannot.
This is the story of how the Dark World found a new battlefield—and why Rivals of Aether has become the definitive fighting game engine for Deltarune ’s most beloved characters. On the surface, the two universes couldn’t be more different. Rivals of Aether takes place in a savage elemental warzone where nature itself is a weapon. Deltarune is a melancholic, turn-based RPG about suppressing your own identity and befriending a jock who loves rules.