SUNDAY RIVALS RELEASE NOTES - High Impact, Arcade Football Available on Steam!

AI

Tweaked AI logic to be more aggressive while losing in last chance situations late in the game

BUGS

Fixed a critical bug where players without first names would soft lock the game after having their season stats shown
Fixed a bug where the ref who did the coin toss would be stuck in the call pose
Fixed a bug where you could unintentionally sim a game on the season sim screen
Fixed some grammatical errors in post game interviews

BUGS

Fixed a bug where the lineup screen would show up during halftime and post game after skipping it

UI

Pre-snap milestone graphic rebranded as 'Hype Tracker', now includes player's season stats and totals
Added ability to skip intro cutscenes
Added shortcut to change pages in menus with the bumper buttons on a controller
Added shortcut to activate sort options in menus with X/Square on a controller
Changed the main menu settings shortcut key from tab to F1

PRESENTATION

Added a new postgame song
Added 2 more options for the 'crowd' setting allowing for medium and low density crowds
Increased the liklihood of rare interview responses
Added additional interview questions and responses

BUGS

Fixed multiple spelling and grammatical errors
Potential fix for a bug that forces the AI to go for it on 4th down late in games they're losing instead of kicking a field goal

BUGS

Fixed a critical bug that softlocked the game on QB running plays

UI

Added an icon to show when an option is locked out on the game setup screen

BUGS

Fixed a bug where the Gameday Rivals boost for RB2 was being miscalculated
Fixed a bug where the Gameday Rivals boost set ratings beyond 99
Fixed multiple bugs that resulted in the in-game MVP not matching the awards MVP listing after the game
Fixed a bug where selecting a player during pass preview wasn't changing the color of their name
Fixed a bug where non-championship games could be played in Rivals Stadium
Fixed a bug where the wrong stadium name was listed in social media posts
Fixed multiple spelling errors and broken dialog phrases

PRESENTATION

Added pregame team matchup cinematics
Added lineups cinematic
Added Gameday Rivals cinematic
Added coin toss cinematic
Added impact players cinematic
Added halftime and post game social media feed
Added post game cinematics
Added Player of the Game interview
Added contextual shutter screens for quarters, downs, and kickoffs
Added new background and title art for player highlight cinematics
Added special colors to denote Gameday Rivals in the HUD and UI
Added HUD callouts for top offensive and defensive players during play preview
Defensive HUD displays stats of last tackler
Defensive HUD defaults to top defensive player in coaching mode
Added positions to player stats screen, moved LB4 next to other LBs
Added intro and post game music

ART

Added referees
Added Veronika Kay
Added cameramen and camera flashes
Improved cubemap coverage across entire field
Added banners for team slogan and the stadium's name
Added environment art for championship game
Added a colored stripe at the 50 yard line
Added mustaches to some chain gang members
Improved shadow resolution during cutscenes

GAMEPLAY

Gameday Rivals get a single game, scaled OVR boost based on their position
Gameday Rivals have an increased chance of making an impact play
Touchbacks are whistled immediately once a kicked ball hits a wall
Before the snap, players can cycle backwards through defenders again

SEASON MODE

Rebalanced wins and losses to have a larger impact than point differential when determining ranking
GM conversations now recognize the playoffs and the end of the season
Title screen after advancing to the championship shows the name of the championship game
Title screen after winning the championship recognizes the win
Rebalanced player of the game recognition in sim games to match played games

BUGS

Fixed a bug where the game and stadium clock weren't displaying the same time
Fixed a bug where the Player of the Week summary wouldn't display the name of the next playoff round correctly
Fixed a bug where the defensive awards weren't being calculated correctly
Fixed a bug where a linebacker's scouting report would display incorrectly
Fixed multiple spelling errors in scouting reports

PLAYCALLING

Added the ability to call decoy plays in two player games
Added a dismissible help popup for decoy plays after the opening kickoff

SRFL

Complete name, appearance, and ratings pass on the entire SRFL

BUGS

Fixed a bug where double zero player numbers would only show a single zero on their uniform
Fixed multiple spelling errors across the game

SLIDERS

Increased the impact of the Run & Pass Blocking sliders on values above 50
Increased the impact of the Run & Pass Defense sliders on values below 50

BUGS

Fixed a bug where blocked defensive players would use the slider values of the offensive player they were engaged with

SEASON MODE

Added persistent, single game and season record tracking
Added menu icons to denote when a new record has been set
Added ability to reset records

FRONTEND

Added dynamic backgrounds
Removed camera changes between modes
Updated lighting and cubemaps
Updated cursor art
Removed news ticker
Swapped news and exit button positions
Sim games that go into sudden death will briefly display 'OT' until the game is completed

BUGS

Fixed a bug where kickoffs were erroneously counted as punts for kickers
Fixed a bug where field goal longs were neither tracked properly nor saved from games
Fixed a bug where the AI would not attempt 50+ yard field goals in simulated games
Fixed multiple bugs where QB rushes were improperly counted
Fixed a bug where Season Mode lineup changes weren't reflected during play previews

GAMEPLAY

Updated default button mapping, made prior mapping available as 'classic'
Added controls for run and dive taunting while carrying the ball
Added a detailed rating and role description for controlled player while in pass/defensive preview mode
Holding down a receiver's pass button will toggle to their detail in preview modes
Adjusted position of player names and OVR in preview modes
Pass spiral tightness now directly correlates to the quality of the throw
Improved variability of fumbles during a game
Improved support blocker's positioning as they run in front of the ball carrier
Improved animation for protect power running
Adjusted AI logic to more frequently kick a field goal in closing seconds of a game if the result will lead to a tie or win
Adjusted AI logic to more appropriately use their timeouts on defense
AI timeouts called in 'Watch Mode' games are now visible in the UI
Updated RB blocking on 'Jailbreak' play

MUSIC

Added 5 music tracks to the frontend
Added 7 stadium music tracks

SEASON MODE

Added playbook selection option between Season Mode games

FRONTEND

Added a fully illustrated and updated How to Play section
Added option to set controller button display and layout directly in the How to Play section
Updated and reorganized settings menu with support for additional audio, control, and gameplay settings
Added interactive player 'role' description while adjusting a player's ratings
Updated scouting reports to use full range of data available to them
Added multiple tooltips to menu options
Added NUX for 'How to Play' section
Adjusted loading sequence to account for larger files at startup
Adjusted loading sequence for new players
Removed deprecated 'budget' slider

BUGS

Fixed a bug where the blocking UI would show up over the ball carrier in 2 player games
Fixed a bug where interceptions were excluded from the game summary and recap screens
Fixed a bug where QB-keeper style plays were incorrectly being counted twice for carries
Fixed a bug where QBs who ran out of bounds would be incorrectly counted twice for carries
Fixed a bug where the ball could pop out of a diving players hands if they collided with the bench

GAMEPLAY

Players can now fumble the ball on plays from scrimmage
Replaced 'inside 20' punting stat with 'pins', awarded when the ball is downed inside the 5
Improved player pursuit angles when players are parallel to each other
Improved AI runner's break point on outside runs
Improved AI receiver's awareness when quarterback is scrambling
Improved AI running logic after a turnover
Passes can no longer be dislodged when a player is on the ground after a dive
Increased likelihood of tipped passes in all directions
Increased likelihood AI will choose to kick their extra point if it will win the game

DIFFICULTY

Added pass disruptions and fumble difficulty sliders
Updated and cleared custom difficulty save file
Updated all slider descriptions
Updated preset difficulties
Rebalanced difficulty values for 12 sliders

PRESENTATION

Added celebration cutscene for defensive fumble recoveries
Added celebration cutscene for pins
Added more randomization to player reactions and celebration animations
Cleaned up improper player and sideline reactions
Cleaned up rotation jitter for unengaged blockers
Cleaned up animation for ball carriers who are tackled while getting up from the ground

FRONTEND

After a Season Mode game, the frontend will return you back to the Season Mode menu
Removed auto patching for pre v.17 rosters and new players at startup
Updated help popup text for player ratings

UI

Created animated event text and added support for fumbles
Updated summary screen with support for team stat totals and additional stats
Brightened the line of scrimmage

BUGS

Fixed a bug where the description for 'Pacific' weather used info from 'Northwest'

BUGS

Fixed a critical bug where punts could land in a location that players would not be able to pick up the ball from, effectively soft-locking the game

GAMEPLAY

Added the ability for tacklers to jar the ball loose immediately after a catch for a deflection
Lower rated pass defenders will position themselves for making immediate tackles rather than make a play on the ball
High tackle rated safeties and linebackers will choose to disrupt passes with hits more than deflections
Improved skilled safety's positioning and containment on slants and outs
Improved AI tacklers ability to discern 'useless' directional changes
AI will occasionally lunge for tackles when in range
Increased defender's speed during deflection attempts
Improved AI defender's route towards receiver while a catch is being made
Improved AI pass coverage positioning when players toggle in and out of passing modes
Decreased the knockback distance of weaker hits
Decreased camera shake on late hits

ANIMATION

Players react at the end of plays
Added multiple post-play reactions
Added a new touchdown celebration
Added two new tackle animations and polished existing ones
Added a new hit animation and polished all existing ones
Broken tackles play appropriate hit animations now

UI

Updated rating titles and descriptions on the edit player screen to better explain what each value does per position

BUGS

Fixed a bug where punts that were not immediately downed would be counted as an incomplete pass and give the ball back to the offense
Fixed a bug where pressing the Escape button would not correctly close the gameplay sliders menu while the game is paused
Fixed a bug where finger tape position was inverted in game

ART

Added 2 head options, updated the original one
Added 4 facial hair options
Added 3 hair color options, updated existing colors
Added single bar facemask option
Added finger tape to player's glove options
Added option to pop up player's helmet in customization menus
Some sitting sideline players will pop up their helmet while sitting on the bench
Players will pop up their helmet during touchdown celebrations
Goalpost flags hide correctly
Improved fidelity of jersey numbers

GAMEPLAY

Added late hits
Improved ball bounce trajectory on errant passes
More predictable ball deflections on overthrown and tipped passes
Low quality passes have higher chance of being tipped forward and picked off
High skilled punters will be able to land punts with backspin near the endzone
Added collision to stadium walls, uprights, and bench areas
Increased tendency for AI kick returners to take touchbacks in critical game situations
Increased tendency for AI punt returners to allow ball to bounce into endzone
Blockers will continue running towards their assignment even if their target is not moving
Players stay still until the ball is kicked on kickoffs
Decreased gunner's starting speed on kickoffs
Widened path for outside QB runs
Agile QB's will stay in pocket longer before deciding to scramble
Defenders will take better pursuit angles on QB scrambles
AI will call less 2pt conversions when only up by 6
AI will call less QB/WR runs on 3rd and 4th down

UI

Player model can be rotated using the trigger buttons in customization menus
Replaced outdated blocking assignments on some outside run play art
Disabled lights in some frontend menu screens

SRFL

Updated names and customizations on multiple teams

BUGS

Fixed a bug where a text field could be edited even after it loses focus or visibility
Fixed a bug where players experience unexpected navigation behavior when using the numpad for text customization
Fixed a bug where a short measurement resulting in a turnover on downs would incorrectly display as a first down
Fixed a bug where scouting descriptions for high-rated edge rushers were incomplete

GAMEPLAY

Improved forward momentum detection when spotting ball after tackles
Carries that cross the goal line while being tackled will now count as touchdowns/conversions
Added chain gang measurement cutscene on plays within 1 yard of the first down stick
Play preview art is now hidden in two player games
QB accuracy is decreased as rain and snow conditions worsen
Player speed is unilaterally decreased in heavy snow conditions
Receiver speed is slowed down out of catches, based on agility rating

ART

Updated the football model and shader

UI

Better clarified relationship between weather presets and slider values by updating the preset value to 'custom' whenever sliders are adjusted
Current information tab is remembered between plays on the playbook screen
Coach dialog can override playbook information tab in critical situations on the playbook screen
Field hash arrow correctly positioned for away team on the playbook screen

Audio

Home team touchdown celebration music plays during extra point
Stadium music is muted heading into kickoffs

BUGS

Fixed a bug where the away uniform sock colors were incorrectly displayed in the uniform editor
Fixed a bug where the players uniform would incorrectly show snow in the uniform editor
Fixed a bug where the away team sock colors were incorrectly loaded in game
Fixed a bug where a punt returner would get stuck in the receive animation after switching over control on a long kick

ART

Added dynamic weather and time of day
Added rain and snow particle systems
Added impact particle systems
Updated field, sky, and stadium art
Added field degradation and footstep imprints
Increased total of custom field colors to 16
Added customizable grass quality
Updated stadium lighting, reflections, and support for night games
Updated scoreboard to support background animations
Added stadium and upright flags
Added chain gang to sidelines
Added collision to endzone pylons
Added field goal camera
Player uniforms show wear from heavy weather

GAMEPLAY

Kicks are now affected by wind direction and strength
Increased likelihood AI teams will kick field goals to win the game
Improved AI kicking aim
Ball bounces significantly less in thick snow
AI teams will use CPU set of slider values in watched games
Decreased odds of kicks being blocked
Increased time before a held down button is registered as a kick

SEASON MODE

Added weather forecasts and game start times to season schedule and pregame screens
Added start times and player of the game stat line to game results screen
Removed preseason hiring screen
Decreased frequency of ticker showing streaks over player stats
Sim engine uses all QB ratings to determine success of running plays now

UI

Updated and added new customization options for weather, stadium slogans, and grass quality
Added options to set time of day and weather conditions on game setup screen
Added wind meters to kicking interface and play call screen
Added long text support to multiple screens
Improved UI support for 21:9 screens

AUDIO

Added ambient weather sound effects
Added new sound effect for a kicked ball hitting an upright
Rebalanced audio mix

BUGS

Fixed a critical bug where pressing the 'sync league' button would fail and create junk data
Fixed a critical bug where players with blank first names could cause a series of cascading crashes in multiple areas of the game
Fixed a critical bug where pressing the 'sync league' button would silently crash the game
Fixed a bug where the defense would not pursue the ball carrier into their own endzone
Fixed a bug where incorrect data would be shown for the player of the week in the postseason

PLAYBOOKS

Offensive playcalling balance is visible now when selecting a playbook

CUSTOMIZATION

Re-worded 'Offensive Playbook Use' strategy slider to better communicate what the values actually affect in game

GAMEPLAY

Updated art and screen positioning for blocking UI
Improved how offscreen UI markers stick to the edge of the screen
Pass preview route colors now match the play art
Decreased odds of kicks being blocked

BUGS

Fixed a bug where 3rd and 4th down conversion stats were not counted correctly when the play resulted in a touchdown or turnover

PLAYBOOKS

Added 5 defensive preset playbooks and assigned them to the default SRFL league
Increased total amount of defensive plays to 64
Added support for 4 and 5 man coverage

PLAYCALLING

Improved AI's ability to recognize and counter opponent's playcalling tendencies

GAMEPLAY

Reworked man coverage to better utilize ratings, playcall, and team's defensive strategy
Man defenders no longer get caught up on other defenders in coverage
Man defenders' ability to recognize run plays is now based on AWR rating
Safeties will double team deep receivers in 3+ man coverage
Improved QB's ability to properly lead targets
Added ability for skilled AI-controlled QB's to aim around defenders
Changed QB's throwing animation speed to better align with pass distance
Improved receiver's ability to properly track and catch an overhead pass in stride

BUGS

Fixed various spelling errors

GAMEPLAY

Decreased odds of kicks being blocked
Max power kicks and punts get a significant distance boost
Skilled AI kickers use more of the field on kickoffs
Based on player ratings, increased starting speed on QB running plays
Based on player ratings, increased starting speed on bubble screen passes
Eliminated sliding around while kick returner waits to catch the ball
Awareness rating has more impact on how quickly the QB will recognize pressure and avoid sacks
Lowered scoring threshold for the AI to 'go for it' in a game-winning situation
Increased likelihood of 'balanced' offensive aggression strategy to 'go for it' when needed
Decreased likelihood of AI calling a pass during the final series of a game they're winning

CUSTOMIZATION

Added the ability to designate a FB as RB2 and be rated accordingly
Team OVRs are now visible on customization screens

BUGS

Fixed a critical issue where playoff games a user played/watched would not be recorded upon returning to Season Mode
Fixed a critical issue where the 'Advance' dialog box could be prematurely opened before the week was complete
Fixed various spelling errors

BUGS

Fixed a critical issue preventing advancement to the playoffs after a sim game
Fixed an issue where the control options for Coach & Watch were not reset after navigating away from the screen
Fixed an issue where temp data would show up in the preset playbook selection UI
Fixed various spelling errors

PLAYBOOKS

Added 9 offensive preset playbooks and assigned them to default SRFL league
Created a default defensive playbook and assigned it to all teams
Expanded in-game playcalling screen to support 5 categories and 25 plays
Reworked all 20 original offensive plays, added 55 new plays
Reworked all 20 original defensive plays, created new defensive categories, and added 5 new plays
Reworked existing special teams plays, created a new FG/XP kick defense play
Expanded offensive formations to 10 total
Consolidated defensive formations to 6 total
Updated play descriptions to fully support new playbooks

PLAYCALLING

Updated and adjusted all team strategies to support new playbooks and playcalling changes
Teams now have dedicated strategy settings for extra points, QB runs, and WR runs
Teams now have a dedicated strategy setting for determining how often and to what extent defenses will try and call what the offense is going to run
Improved AI's playcalling use of strategies and game situation to call appropriate plays
Improved AI's playcalling and clock management when leading in the 2nd half of a game
Updated sim engine to incorporate all changes to playbooks, strategies, and playcalling

GAME SETUP

Added 'Coach' and 'Watch' as control options on the setup game screen
Updated setup game screen to support new control options and additional information

PRESENTATION

Added new camera intro animation at the start of 3rd/4th down plays
Added new camera cuts to crowd and player reactions after non-highlight plays
Added presnap stat, drive, and milestone displays
Updated scoreboard messages
Updated player state box organization
Redesigned play recap UI element to display team name and colors
Improved post-play camera motion
Improved and added Defensive Coordinator's reactions to game stats
Updated coach's pregame opponent preview dialog
Added news popup to frontend main menu

GAMEPLAY

Added defensive 'reads' UI to defensive play previews
Updated AI running logic, ability to hit holes, and usage of power moves
Added pass 'wobble' on low quality passes and kicks
Significantly decreased amount of AI 'balloon' passes
Added animation for QB handoffs/pitches
Improved ball arc on very short passes and added QB shovel pass and animation
Updated AI running logic, ability to hit holes, and usage of power moves
Improved QB release point and throwing animation
Improved QB recognition of pressure and ability to transition into scramble without losing speed
Increased chance of deflections
Increased chance that receiver will drop a pass when a defender makes a play on the ball
Decreased dive distance by 40%
Improved AI pursuit angles
Increased the amount defenders will be affected by jukes and misjudge their pursuit angles as a result
Improved overhead catches and increased likelihood of proper animation to be used for it
Safeties no longer double team man-defended receivers by default, will pickup undefended receivers instead
Improved safety's ability to match receiver depth on deep coverage playcalls
Decreased distance pass blocks drive defenders forward
Decreased ability to sustain pass blocks for long periods of time
Added ability for blockers to sustain blocks on specific playcalls
Improved blocker's ability to not interfere with runners
Improved blocker's ability to follow a path before engaging in a block
AI punters use more of the field when aiming their kicks
Increased AI kicking accuracy
Greatly increased AI's ability to block FG/XP

BUGS

Fixed a critical issue where the game would soft lock when a punt hit the goal post
Fixed a critical issue where 'sim cpu games' button was visible on the schedules page when no cpu games were left to sim, causing a soft lock when pressed
Fixed an issue where a player would become invulnerable to tackles when they catch a pass inside the 1 yardline
Fixed an issue where player controlled kick returners would get stuck running backwards
Fixed an issue where the wrong kick returner would be displayed in the stat box during kickoffs
Fixed an issue where the incorrect record would be shown during the Player of the Week HYPE recap

UI

Added play descriptions to the playcalling screen
Added call tracking to the playcalling screen

BUGS

Fixed a critical issue where after completing a season and immediately starting a new one, a simmed game would play forever
Fixed an issue where the Player of the Week awards would be given to the same default player with no description
Fixed an issue where the wrong team would be listed for Coach of the Year
Fixed an incorrect player pose on the uniform editor screen

SEASON MODE

Sim games now show stat leaders at the end of the game
Sim games can now be manually progressed through without leaving the sim game results screen
Added the player's team name to various awards and Hype screens
Decreased return yards impact on winning awards

UI

Pressing the B/CIRCLE/6 button on most menus will go back to the previous screen

BUGS

Fixed an issue where an eliminated team appears to make and potentially win the playoffs
Fixed an issue that kept 'UI Text' customization option from saving correctly

SEASON MODE

Added Player of the Week awards for offense and defense
Added end of season awards for All-Star Team, Offensive & Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, MVP, and Playoff MVP
Added Awards section
Added Hype section
Added Awards cinematics
Made improvements to sim engine to better utilize secondary on passing plays resulting in more deflections and interceptions across the position group and impact of defense overall
Teams with a sizable 4th quarter lead will run more to use the clock up in sim games
Stat leader screen now lists player's first name initial and position
Improved post game stat summaries to use all available stats

CUSTOMIZATION

Updated character model and default pose

SRFL ROSTERS

Assigned a proper KR for San Diego

BUGS

Fixed a bug where interceptions were listed as touchdowns in the 'postgame' screen
Fixed a bug where no kick returner was credited with sim return stats when the role was left unfilled for a team, now defaults to WR1

CROWD

The home crowd will now appropriately react to plays made by the away team
Added new cameras for end of game

ART

Stadium art improvements

BUGS

Fixed a critical bug where the game would softlock when the QB scrambles for a TD

CUSTOMIZATION

Eligible players can be assigned as kick and punt returners when editing a player

SEASON MODE

Added the Lineup screen, allowing players to be swapped within position groups between games
Kick and punt returners can be changed between games in the Lineup screen
Added player scouting reports to the Lineup screen
Sim games better utilize kick returner's ratings
'Run after catch' stat is now tracked and sortable

HEADHUNTER

'Tackle For Loss' scoring bonus renamed to 'Tackling' and includes all tackling plays, increased scoring bonus threshold to 90
'Turnovers' scoring bonus renamed to 'Pass Defense' and includes deflections and touchdowns, increased scoring bonus threshold to 25
'Points Allowed' scoring bonus threshold increased to 80
'Tackle For Loss' record category renamed to 'Total Defense' and includes all defensive stats
Cleaned up in-game HeadHunter scoring summary to remove zero-value stats

GAMEPLAY

Pressing the trigger buttons on defense will toggle controlled player in and out of 'scrape' mode
Holding down the trigger buttons on offense will no longer rapidly toggle passing mode
'Run after catch' and return 'Long' stats are accurately tracked in game now
Default rosters have been updated with new kick/punt returners

ART

Stadium art improvements

General

'Practice Game' has been renamed to 'Single Game'
Custom League utilities are no longer accessible for the default league
Lowered the default mouse speed to 3

Bugs

Fixed a critical bug where the roster auto-patch would get stuck in a loop
Fixed a bug where the auto-patch would run on leagues that have already been patched
Fixed multiple bugs causing the wrong league to be loaded at startup
Fixed a bug that would show incorrect OVR's and team names in the pregame coaching preview
Fixed multiple grammatical and spelling errors in coaching dialog

Team Strategy

AI will call run or pass based on field position and strategy
AI will call short or long passes based on field position and strategy
AI will attack runners on expected running plays based on strategy
AI will pressure the quarterback on expected passes based on strategy
AI will adjust their playcalling to counter player trends based on strategy
AI will go for it on 4th down based on strategy
AI will go for 2 point conversions based on strategy
AI will use up extra clock while calling a play based on strategy

Season Mode

In-progress seasons will be reset after update
Added the ability to hire named staff during preseason
Added coaching breakdown and OVR comparison to pregame screen
Added scouting section to pregame screen
Added comparison marker to higher value in pregame screen
Sim games use strategy settings
Implemented chance for kick return touchdowns in sim games
Increased likelihood of tackle for loss in sim games
Increased interceptions for higher skilled QB's in sim games
Minor stat range balancing in sim games
Staff and management names show up throughout the UI

Gameplay

Rebalanced when defenders go for deflections versus interceptions
Removed tip penalty for defenders deflecting passes when they try for interceptions
Effect on catching high balls correctly uses agility rating now
Increased the effect of a player's height when trying to deflect a pass
Increased chance of higher skilled defenders making direct interceptions
Increased chance of receivers dropping passes
Increased pass inaccuracy and quality degradation when moving or getting hit
Decreased overall speed of ball on passes and punts
Decreased catching radius
Decreased chance of tipped-ball catches
Deflections are attributed to the first defender making contact now
Offense should no longer steal catches from kick returner
Time to touchback shortened by 50%
Game clock will not run during touchback sequence
Decreased speed boost after winning blocks on kick returns
Defenders on kick returns should more aggressively pursue returner
Decreased catch radius for kick returners
Kick returners no longer get stuck in catch pose when ball lands out of bounds
Kick returners should always run forwards now

UI

Added coaching, scouting, and leaders tabs to playbook screen
Changed kick defense to a single option on the playbook screen
Running clock animation and color change on the playbook screen
Updated background graphics of playbook screen
User tackles, deflections, and interceptions are highlighted in the HUD
Increased available stat options to display for selected player in the HUD

Teams

Custom teams are auto-patched after update, use default strategy values
Updated strategy settings for default league
Updated head coach names for default league
Updated GM name and budgets for default league

Bugs

Fixed a critical bug where after switching leagues, incorrect teams and data would show when starting a new season and potentially hang the game
Fixed a bug where the AI could snap the ball during play preview and selected defender OVR ratings would get stuck on screen after the snap

Presentation

Main stadium scoreboard shows animated text for the home team
Added additional small scoreboards that rotate through team stats
Added stadium music playing between downs and after home team scores
Added fanfare music to cutscenes
Added sound effects to UI shutters opening and closing
Offensive play previews now show the OVR rating of eligible players
Defensive play previews now show the OVR of the selected defender
Play preview camera can now freelook by moving the left stick

Gameplay

Added an inverted, ratings based speed boost to players who successfully overcome a block
Increased lower rated defenders' tackling success
Decreased pass accuracy and throw quality for lower rated QB's, especially while moving
Removed button mashing slowdown on kicking plays
Made blocking kicks possible again
Changed OVR weighting for TE's
Rebalanced kick meter accuracy to work with new sliders

Bugs

Fixed a critical bug where loading into a league would hang the game after finishing a game, returning to the main menu and advancing to playoffs without playing a game immediately afterwards. The game should load correctly going forward.
Fixed a critical bug where loading into a league would hang if you had previously loaded into a smaller league
Fixed a bug where quarter scores on the postgame screen were formatted incorrectly
Fixed a bug where a tipped, intercepted pass on a 2pt conversion would give the ball back to the offense
Potential fix for rare bug where players will lose the ability to use their controller after entering the pause or halftime menu and returning to game

Bugs

Fixed a bug where user difficulty sliders were reset between games
Fixed a bug where user difficulty overall ranking wouldn't update in all UI screens

Difficulty

'Custom skill' has been renamed to 'difficulty' throughout the game
Broke out blocking slider into 'run blocking' and 'pass blocking'
Broke out attack slider into 'pass rush' and 'run defense'
Re-balanced all sliders to better utilize the entire 0-100 range
Added 0-100 numerical value to difficulty
Removed AI-specific sliders
Force-reset sliders and save files
Replaced 'normal' difficulty with 'user'
Added 'pro' difficulty
Renamed 'beginner' difficulty to 'easy'
Rebalanced 'easy' and 'expert' difficulties to be more challenging/less punishing

Season Mode

Added 'playoff picture' to the standings screen, showing tentative playoff matchups starting in week 4
Conference-based playoff seedings now factor in division placement over league ranking
Adjusted seeding for 16 team 'ranked' playoff brackets

Rosters

Improved the overall defense for multiple teams, particularly CHI, BAL, and SEA
Adjusted how OVR's are weighted for running backs (more speed, less skill)
Adjusted how OVR's are weighted for defensive backs (more awareness, less speed)
Decreased ENG rating for most DB's in the game

Bugs

Fixed a bug where the incorrect round number for ranked playoffs was shown

Game Modes

Added Season Mode

Customization

Added the ability to swap player positions from the edit team screen

Rosters

Updated many default rosters defensive players to be in the correct positions again
Updated default custom leagues to have all fields correctly filled out

Bugs

Fixed a bug where helmet 3 wasn't loading correctly in game

Gameplay

Added 'quarter length' to the game options popup for all modes

Playbook

Changed DL & LB position names to better reflect their actual field positions
Normalized where DL & LB's line up across all formations

Misc

File format updates for future releases

Bugs

Fixed an issue where the up man would play the snap before the punter, breaking punts

Gameplay

Removed severe blocking imbalance on kicking plays

UI

Added a meter to visualize the amount of time it takes for a player's power moves to recharge
Added an animated banner to the playbook screen on 4th down and extra points
Added timeouts to the scoreboard portion of the playbook screen
Added potential field goal distance to the playbook screen special menu
Added a possession marker to the playbook screen
Playbook scoreboard correctly shows extra point details
Plays of less than 1 yard that result in touchdowns / first downs are rounded up to 1

Bugs

Potential fix for a rare issue where a receiver will be tackled by no one immediately after catching the ball
Potential fix for a rare issue where a running back will not catch a toss
Fixed a number of issues causing players to be facing the opposite direction they were running
Fixed an issue where non-kick returners would face the wrong direction once they caught the kickoff
Fixed an issue where stadium scoreboards wouldn't update after scoring when time has expired heading into halftime/final
Fixed an issue where QB's wouldn't not be able to toggle back to passing mode until their power meter fully recharged

Animation

Added several all new, contextual catching animations
Added new blended catch anticipation animations
Added new run and leaning animations
Updated existing dive animations

Gameplay

Globally decreased maximum running speed by 10%
Added new catching system that takes into account relative ball location, quality of throw, and receiver's height
Receiver and defenders will now jump for high passes
Receivers will now side leap for out of reach passes
Receivers will now look at incoming passes and catch ball on the appropriate side
Defenders now make a decision between trying to intercept a pass or deflect it
Missed interception attempts have a chance to turn into tipped balls
Removed the ability for defenders to intercept a pass while trying to deflect it
Missed deflection attempts now have a chance to distract the receiver from catching the ball
Improved clarity on failed attempts to catch tips and dropped passes
Improved QB pass leading to better take into account a receiver's speed, direction, and distance
AI QB's properly move around and out of their pocket to avoid pass rushers
AI QB's have better understanding of a collapsing pocket
AI QB's are able to throw bullet passes more frequently
Decreased throw quality and accuracy on low strength rated QB's who are hit while throwing
Decreased throw accuracy on low agility / skill rated QB's throwing while backpedaling
Lessened throw quality penalty on low agility rated QB's throwing while on the move
Added a short delay before a pass can be thrown immediately after snapping the ball
Added a short delay before a juke/protect can be performed immediately after catching the ball
Added a ratings-based delay for defender's reaction after passes are tipped/caught
Players who are in a catch animation can no longer tackle a player until the animation is complete
Removed rotation jitter immediately after throwing the ball
Decreased movement jitter when receivers reach their destination at high speeds
Adjusted OL pass blocking to better utilize the awareness rating
Improved OL blocking on XP/FG kicks

Playbook

Updated blocking assignments in most passing plays
Reworked routes in a number of plays
Removed 5th receiver from 'Turbo' pass play
Updated play art to reflect changes

HUD

On offense, the player control ring does not turn green until the ball can be snapped
Pass destination target is hidden on player controlled passes and dead balls

Camera

Game camera now tracks players all the way to the sideline
Game camera now zooms in for a short period of time after a player completes a pass
Game camera now dollys in before the start of a play to show entire width of field
Updated game camera to initially be further back after a change of possession
Adjusted camera position for kicking plays
Goal posts fully fade out when next to the camera

Bugs

Fixed a critical bug where incomplete passes in own endzone silently crashed the game and resulted in endless safeties
Fixed a critical bug where saving a customized player with a blank uniform number crashed the game and corrupted the roster file
Fixed a bug that listed safeties as 6 points on the summary page's per-quarter scoring breakdown
Fixed a bug that allowed the OL to lineup sideways before the snap

Gameplay

Increased defenders ability to sack the QB based on the QB's AWR rating
Touchbacks are taken at the 25 now

Bugs

Potential fix for the rare occurrence of a player quickly pushed 20+ yards while catching the ball
Fixed another issue that was keeping AI-called timeout messages from being displayed in the UI

Gameplay

Improved AI decision making on running plays, especially on interior runs
Improved edge blocking awareness and responsibility, particularly for TE's
Significantly decreased the possibility of missed tackles flying through the ball carrier
Improved visual feedback and response on missed tackles
Increased AI controlled defender's break speed on pass defense
Awareness (AWR) rating has significantly more impact a on defender's pass defense ability
Skill (SKL) rating has an increased impact on defender's ability to overcome blocking
Pass deflection ability is more evenly distributed between a defender's ratings, defensive play call selection, user skill level settings, and situational factors
Slightly decreased likelihood of tipped passes being caught
Increased receiver's willingness to dive horizontally for passes
Improved blocking on field goals/xp kicks to eliminate automatic kick blocking strategies
On kickoffs, standing still in the endzone brings up a timed touchback meter
Remapped kickoff power bar so max power kicks can go out of the endzone
AI kick returners will now take touchbacks based on their ratings
AI kick returners no longer solely run in a straight line

Experimental

Removed collision when receivers are running their routes with the hope to decrease the amount of players getting stuck on each other

Customization

Added hyphen support to team and player information fields

Gameplay

Adjusted timing, boosting, and rating balance to improve offensive line blocking on running plays
Fixed situations where AI QB's would purposely roll into a pursuing defender rather than away
Improved AI QB's ability to recognize their chance of being sacked and willingness to make 'danger' throws to avoid them
AI QB's now take a receivers skill into account when deciding if they're open or not
Increased AI QB's willingness to make throws to covered receivers when they're being chased
Improved AI QB's understanding of prioritizing deep receivers on deep pass playcalls
AI QB progression speed is more directly controlled by their ratings now
Increased the ratio of tipped passes to deflections, as well as receiver's ability to catch them
AI defense reacts to offensive playcalling earlier in game
AI offense will call running plays in more situations
Boosted defensive attack when AI correctly identifies run-dominant playcalling trends
Proportionally increased the impact of the interception skill slider with a decreased impact on player ratings, giving skill level the priority on the amount of interceptions in game
Increased minimum running speed for sub-40 SPD rated runners to avoid missed handoffs/pitches

Animation

Sideline players now react to plays in real time
Added more celebration animations

UI

Added animated yard tracking and sound while runners carry the ball
Added animation to HeadHunter score changes

Customization

Added 4 letter support to team initials

Bugs

Fixed a critical issue where facial hair settings were not being saved correctly, causing a silent crash. Facial hair and hair color should now update and appear correct in menus and the game
Fixed an issue that was keeping AI-called timeout messages from being displayed in the UI

Customization

Added RGB sliders for uniform color editing
Added a save dialog when moving between team and players after team changes were made
Added the ability to use numbers and ampersand in information fields

Gameplay

Increased AI values for the beginner skill level to create a slightly better challenge

League Customization

Added 4 custom league slots along with the default league. Default league can not be edited
Added variable league sizes
Added league realignment options
Added support and non-functioning information options for future updates

Team Customization

Added team information and UI color options
Added uniform designer
Added stadium and field designer
Added support and non-functioning options for future updates (weather, playbooks, coaching)

Player Customization

Added big player model
Added variable player sizing
Added new helmets, facemasks, and visors
Added uniform color options for neck and bottom of cleats
Added skin, hair, facial hair, and eye color options
Added gloves, arms, and socks options

HeadHunter

Each league will now have its own HeadHunter and records, existing tourneys remain
Changed scheduling to support variable league size and prioritize OVR range amongst teams
Updated scoring to track 1 point per defensive tackle, decreased value of sacks by 1 point
Reworked helmet positioning after defeating a team

Settings

Reworked settings page to save on-demand rather than per switch
Resolution options now include refresh rate
Separated out controller speed into 2 options to allow for better high DPI mouse support in the UI

Frontend

Redesigned frontend backgrounds and screen layout
Added profile data and first time loading screen

Gameplay

Removed ability to hold down snap during QB cadence to immediately snap the ball
Delayed kicking meter display time until shutters are completely open
Player collision radius scales with their body size

Bug Fixes

Fixed a critical bug for first-time players that caused roster data to improperly load, blocking the game from starting
Fixed a bug where the UI shutters would not completely clear the screen during a kicking play
Fixed incidents where long player names extended offscreen during highlight segments
Potential fix for unresponsive input collection during kicking plays

Skill Levels

Added custom skill level to the game, giving access to all 22 settings (10 human, 12 AI)
Custom skill level sliders can be edited while in game
Further balanced beginner and expert skill levels
Last selected skill level is remembered between games

HeadHunter

Added the ability to select skill level at the start of a new tourney, which is locked until completion
Record book is now divided into 8 pages to support records set at each skill level
Previous records and in-progress tourneys have been reset to support the update

Gameplay

Added variance to receiver route speed based on ratings and skill level
Deep fly routes are extended an additional 10 yards
Increased knockback power for weaker tacklers
Decreased effectiveness of diving tackles
Decreased likelihood of weaker runners breaking multiple tackles
Defenders make more of an effort to step in front of receivers on deflection attempts

Controls

Holding LT/RT on defense brings up a defensive play preview and allows for toggling control of defenders without the AI snapping the ball
Standardized the selection order when toggling through players on defense

Difficulty

Added 3 experimental skill levels (beginner, normal, expert) to try out

UI

Updated playbook field position display to better show hash mark, first down, and field position

Gameplay

Eliminated jittery rotations on collisions, allowing for more predictable bumping between players
Missed tackles, broken tackles, and jukes no longer phase through defenders, allowing for additional collisions and bumps to take place during a play. Low STR rated runners will get slowed or knocked back when holding down protect
Players no longer cease moving immediately after a tackle, allowing for additional hits and collisions to ball carrier
Increased likelihood of missed tackles based on runner and tackler's TKL ratings
Greatly improved blocking on field goals and extra points
Greatly increased ability and likelihood of QB to move around in pocket and avoid sacks
Slightly increased AI QB's wait to throw time
Slightly decreased slowing while turning, improving open field agility for higher AGL players
Decreased energy recharge time for power moves
Decreased downtime for failed blockers and boosted their blocking ability on subsequent block
Running backs no longer attempt to make illegal downfield blocks during passing plays
LB/CB zone defenders better adjust to receivers within their zone assignments
Safeties sag less off deep routes

Playbook

AI is now able to utilize the entire playbook, removing situational requirements for some plays
Defensive category 'run stop' has been renamed 'stack' and features new or significantly reworked plays using a more consistent 4-4 formation
Defensive playbook now displays each play's balance of attack vs. defend values
Defensive formations have been normalized to better mask what play has been called
Most defensive plays have been rebalanced to provide a better range of strategy and tactics
Short passing routes have been elongated to increase route time
Plays HB Tunnel, HB Phalanx, FB Knuckle, and QB Hero have been reworked
New play HB Elbow replaces FB Dozer and swaps position with HB Phalanx

Controls

Moving the left stick/directional keys no longer impedes the player from snapping the ball
Controller dpad can be used in menus and in game
On the playcalling screen, players can now easily close out the 'special' popup menu by pressing the back button (B/CIRCLE/6)

Analytics

Enabled Unity analytics to track gameplay trends and aggregate data

Presentation

Added full stadium crowd
Updated sideline art and player positions
Endzones show either the city or name of the home team (whichever is shorter)
Added a new player celebration sequence with custom cameras, animations, and player stats
All players on the field react to the celebrations
Updated ball art
Added in-stadium scoreboards
Improved lighting, material response, and post processing effects

HeadHunter

Whichever team has a higher OVR rank is the home team now

Gameplay

Player 1 can play as the away team in an exhibition game
Passes tipped by the defense are harder for receivers to catch
Decreased aiming error for AI kickers

UI

Pass previews show player names
Added option to switch between xbox, ps4, and keyboard on screen buttons
Stats screens list player uniform numbers
Added an information feed to the title screen

Stats

Punt yardage is tracked correctly now
Punts resulting in TD's are tracked correctly now
Punts landing inside the 20 are tracked correctly now
Less conflicting stat reporting

Bug Fixes

Fixed an issue where scoring a touchdown on 4th down and then failing the 2pt conversion gave the scoring team the ball back on the ensuing kickoff
Fixed an issue where the wrong animation was being played during a block after an interception
Fixed an issue where any player who touched the ball during a kickoff/punt received credit for a kick return

Game Mode

Added Headhunter game mode

UI

UI refreshed for consistency and UX across the game
Added UI elements and screens to support Headhunter mode
Removed the ability to hold down a button and accidentally select something

Kicking

Changed the way kicks are aimed so that you players decide exactly where they want the ball to go
Changed the power meter ramp up speed to be non-linear and more difficult
Increased the difficulty in hitting long range field goals and more dependent on a kicker's SKL rating
Implemented new kicking UI meters
Out of bounds kickoffs are now taken at the 35+ yard line

AI

AI will go for it on 4th down when they are losing by a reasonable amount
AI will try to pin players deeper inside the 20 on punts
AI will go for 2 on more occasions than before

Gameplay

Changed the way ratings affect QB throws to create more interception opportunities
Increased the frequency of passes being tipped rather than outright deflected
Increased the effect AGL has on throw inaccuracy and quality
Increased the chance to tackle low TKL rated runners by 50%
Decreased the frequency of overpowered defensive teams continuously sacking the QB
Decreased juke effectiveness by 10%
Made an attempt to improve the expected spot of the ball after tackling a non-diving player

Stats

Implemented Headhunter stat and record tracking
Sacks no longer count against QB rushing stats
Defensive TD's are correctly tracked
2PT conversions are correctly tracked now
30/40/50+ FG's are correctly tracked now
Field goal distance is correctly tracked now
Interception yards were incorrectly being given to QB
Kickoff tackles were incorrectly being reported as TFL

Ratings

Increased the ratings of many middle tier teams to provide better parity across the league
QB OVR no longer factors in SPD and AGL, as a result those ratings have been lowered on many players who were artificially boosted before
Kicker ratings across the game are more varied now

Saves

Added save files for headhunter and headhunter records
Moved settings save file location to a more predictable location. As a result, players will have to reconfigure their settings with this release

Bug Fixes

Fixed an issue where kickoffs after a safety kickoff no longer took place from the 35

Frontend

Added a 'rosters' page to the frontend, giving access to a full list of ratings and player information for all 32 teams

Gameplay

Increased chance of pass deflections, especially for lower rated defenders
Kicks that hit the uprights will now bounce off and miss as expected
Pre-snap defender selection is remembered between plays and auto-selected at the start of the next play
During kickoffs, the playclock remains stopped until the ball is returned
Punting and kicking better reflects a kicker's ratings now

AI

AI makes appropriate play calls based on the score and quarter, passing more when they are losing and running more when winning
AI manages the clock effectively, calling timeouts appropriately in the last 90 seconds of a half
AI will choose to pass more with higher rated QB's
AI calls run stop defenses less often on 1st and 2nd down
AI punters take field position into account and try to avoid touchbacks

Presentation

On the playbook screen, an alert informs you now what the AI plans to do on 4th down
On the playbook screen, the player's selection is covered up immediately after calling a play
Parts of the ingame UI have been visually updated with a new font
P2 stat box is visible now when appropriate

Bug Fixes

BUG #6 - Fixed a critical issue that occurred when a player paused the game during slow motion possession changes. The game will now stay paused and return to slow motion when resumed
Fixed an issue that was displaying incorrect idle animations for quarterbacks and kickers
Fixed an issue that was causing P2's kicking aim to be inverted. The kick direction now matches the aim bar
Potential fix for players who experience a disproportionate amount of dropped catches, typically on lower end hardware

Gameplay

Added the ability to call timeouts immediately after the play, providing for better clock management opportunities

Bug Fixes

BUG #1 - Fixed a number of critical issues that occurred when a team caught a missed fg/xp kick. The ability to catch a missed kick has been turned off, which was the intended behavior
BUG #4 - Fixed an issue where timeouts were being charged incorrectly after possession changed
BUG #5 - Fixed a critical issue where exiting the 'stats' menu during the second quarter locked up the game's input, forcing a restart. This was a result of a deprecated navigation button appearing that has now been removed from the game
Fixed a critical issue where pressing the 'Y' button (8 on numpad) before the snap inhibited the snap from taking place afterwards. Investigating to see if this fix helps some of the other reported input lockup issues

Welcome to the start of Early Access! Sunday Rivals has come a long, long way over the last 8 months. The last few have been spent almost entirely on AI improvements to try and hammer down a solid gameplay base to build upon. There's a lot of rough edges still, but I think the game is starting to feel fun. Give it a run, let me know what you think!

Slowed all running speed down by 5%
Increased the number of playbook pages to 4 and the total number of plays per side to 20. This will hopefully lead to a better play experience with less obvious playcalling patterns from the AI
All QB ratings are hooked up to impact the quality of throws now. Backpedalling and cross-body throws affect trajectory and distance while throwing on the run affects accuracy
Additionally, QB's effectively checkdown to find secondary receivers, biasing for deeper routes and making throws under pressure
Improved target leading on crossing routes (without accounting for skill and situational inaccuracy)
Added a set of blended QB animations with different ball positions to play while they stand and move around the pocket
Changed throw speed and ball arc to be a bit more visually reasonable. This makes the ball stay on screen longer and generally move at pace that doesn't feel completely comical
AI runners do a better job finding open running space and understanding where pressure is coming from. This needs a lot of work still but it's heading in the right direction
AI ratings control power move usage now, so you'll see less WR's running over linebackers and TE's busting spin moves at top speed
Improved safety coverage on deep threats by sticking closer to open receivers and increased the frequency at which they make a play on the ball, leading to more deflections and interceptions
First pass on all 32 teams and ratings. Player OVR's are a weighted average based on position and then those are averaged to find team OVR's. Expect these numbers to change over time
Added QB shotgun stance
Run animations slow to a stop smoother than before
Team selection screen shows helmets, looks better
Fixed a bug where the kicker would face the wrong way after a kick
Fixed a bug where the QB would celebrate failing a 2pt conversion