What you need to know
- Apple has announced its brand new and exclusive Apple Arcade title 'Ultimate Rivals'
- It features all-star athletes from the NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB, and WNBA.
- It's the first time athletes from multiple sports have appeared in a single officially licensed video game!
Apple has announced its brand new Apple Arcade title 'Ultimate Rivals: The Rink'.
By way of a press release, Apple revealed the new two-on-two ice hockey game, developed by Bit Fry Game Studios. In the release, Apple states:
Apple today revealed "Ultimate Rivals" from Bit Fry Game Studios, Inc., a new sports game franchise that brings together athletes across hockey, basketball, football, baseball and soccer into a single officially licensed video game, a first in sports and gaming. In "Ultimate Rivals: The Rink," the first title in the franchise, players choose from more than 50 superstar athletes to compete in exciting two-on-two hockey matches. Players can combine, for instance, Alex Ovechkin and Alex Morgan against De'Aaron Fox and Jose Altuve or Skylar Diggins-Smith and Wayne Gretzky. Different combinations of heroes unlock unique ways to play and win against the AI or other gamers in online multiplayer matches. On the ice, the action is driven by players' quick reflexes and are brought to life with stylized visuals and immersive sound FX. "Ultimate Rivals: The Rink" launches today on Apple Arcade across iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac and will be followed by an NBA licensed basketball game, "Ultimate Rivals: The Court" in spring 2020.
The big news is the inclusion of some of the biggest names from several different sports, including Wayne Gretzky, JuJu Smith-Schuster and US soccer icon Alex Morgan. The other exciting news is that Apple plans to release another Apple Arcade title in the form of an officially licensed NBA basketball game in the series titled, "Ultimate Rivals: The Court".
The release promises 60Fps performance, more athletes to be added over time, short-session games with arcade rules and multiplayer matches. The game will be compatible with both touch controls and Bluetooth controllers such as the Xbox One S and Playstation Dualshock 4 controllers. Developer Bit Fry Game Studios Inc. has reportedly secured "groundbreaking licensing agreements" with nine major sports organizations including the NHL, NBA, MLB, and their respective player's associations, as well as the NFLPA and the WNBPA.
