We've got a small Hotfix for our most recent update 1.2.
The Final Judgement no longer appears as a void of absolute darkness.
Comedic Lick card changes adjusted to reflect previous patch notes.
The Endorsements news data now links to the 1.2 patch notes correctly.
As always, thanks for the feedback and bug reporting!
Here's a bonus pic of Tashtego as a pup!
Battle Bands Update 1.2
You're listening to Riff Radio, brought to you by Rod's Lightning Rods "Shockingly good value!", located in downtown Riff City right next to Shady Steve's!
Update 1.2 has a few new things for you all, including a new highly requested feature tied to Milestones and Prestige Levels called Endorsements, a "new" card for the Keyboardist, 4 new moments and a bunch of card changes.
New Feature: Endorsements
Endorsements are a way for you to alter your starting deck(s) at the beginning of each Tour.
Complete Milestones to unlock Endorsement slots at Prestige Levels 3, 6, and 10.
Each Instrument has 3 unique Endorsements to unlock.
Endorsements are unlocked at every Prestige level starting from Level 3 and stopping at Level 10.
Your band can have a total of 3 active Endorsements once all 3 slots are unlocked.
You can activate the Endorsements you want from the "Prestige" tab in the Compendium.
Check them out and let us know if there are any Endorsements you would want to see in a future update!
New Moments
There are 4 new moments to find as well. Some of which give you new ways to use the "Rubber Duck" gear.
New Fishing Spot
A Council of Birds
The Shadowy Hitchhiker
Riff City Duck Races
Card Balance & Changes
Grand Hook card added to Keyboardist deck.
Previously, we had two achievements tied to beating or losing to us developers and players ranked Legend in Royale Mode. This has been updated so players can be additionally granted this achievement through winning or losing to an Iconic Band (Gold plated name) in Royale Mode.
Removed upgrade Warm, replaced with Furious (Adds 1 Fingers Furious Keys to Graveyard on Play)
Aggressive Upgrade now gives only 1 Broken Things to random opponents hand instead of 2.
Grand Hook now does -3 to the opposing band’s protection on Complete.
Soothing Melody now gives +2 protection While in Play.
Repeat The Beat now has Retain by default.
Fun Hook now gives +1 Protection on Complete.
Finger Furious Keys now gives +1 hype to all other “Finger Furious Keys” in current Song Section.
Echo Of The Shred! now gives +1 hype for every other “Echo Of The Shred!” in current Song Section.
Dramatic Keys replaced Pensive upgrade with Mean
Prestigious Jam added upgrade “Epic”.
Comedic Lick -1 base hype and now removes 1 hype from opposing band per 1 performance in your current Song Section on play.
Mirroring Melody gained +1 protection and the Safe upgrade was replaced with Quickly.
Rockin’ To The Beat gained Well Timed upgrade.
Soothing Melody gained +1 protection while in play.
Killer Jam gained Distracting upgrade.
Head Shake -1 base hype and replaced Jacked Up with With Feeling upgrade.
Guitarist’s Catchy Chorus had the Defensive upgrade replaced with Engaging.
Enticing Riff had the With Feeling upgrade replaced with Engaging.
Mock Their Buddies now has 1 less pip required to upgrade the card. Upgrade With Feeling replaced with Wicked, and Mean replaced with Ruthless.
Yielding Howl now has 2 less pips required to upgrade the card.
Well Practiced Chorus now has +1 Protection on Complete.
Blistering Finale now has +1 hype.
Interpretive Interlude now has +1 hype.
Tell The Crowd They Are The Best now has 5 base protection.
Hoot is now Tier 3.
Movement of Calm had it’s hype reduced by 1.
Promises of Success had the Pleasant upgrade replaced with Maintain.
Quick Dig now does -3 Hype to opposing band.
Clever Dig now does -4 Hype to opposing band.
Sick Dig now does -6 Hype to opposing band.
Head Slam had the Mean upgrade replaced with Ruthless, and the Inspire upgrade replaced with Repeatable.
Dance Section had the Quickly upgrade replaced with Distracting.
Muse no longer gives self 1 Honest Sadness per turn.
Thank you to our Discord community for all the thoughtful feedback, these changes are the direct result of your support. Special shoutout to Nar for the card-balance-brain-dump and compilation!
Bug Fixes
Prestigious Jam typo fixed.
Missing "Duck Moments" added.
Tell the Crowd card play restriction fixed.
Disconnected players will no longer show in reloaded Tours as bots with the same name.
Experimental fix for Shadow Band sometimes creating Snare Hit(s) in a player deck.
And that's it for Update 1.2! A big, big thanks to everyone giving us feedback! Be sure to check out the Discord if you have any feedback or are looking for someone to jam with. Thanks for listening!
Battle Bands Hotfix!
Hi all, here's a little hot fix for you!
Bot skin presets are now saved when reloading a campaign
Royale server stability improvements
Fixed an issue with Welcoming upgrade on Performance cards
Improved experience on Tour Map when running on Super Ultra Wide Screen resolutions
Fixed typo in Halloween timeline item
Fixed Royale vendor with odd number of gear
Fixed bug preventing some score-based Achievements from being awarded properly.
Thank you all for the continued feedback! Be sure to join our Discord if you haven't already!
Battle Bands Update 1.1
What's shaking, Riffians? You're listening to Riff Radio!
Our first Community Update after full release brings a ton of balance changes, bug fixes, and quality of life updates brought to our attention after release! This not only includes Card changes, but new Gear, the variant arenas from Tour in Royale Mode, Moment updates and everything that we could think of to make Battle Bands Better for all of you!
With that in mind All Instrument Experience is DOUBLED!
Thank you all for your feedback and keep it coming!
Card Balance:
"High Pitched Wail" +3 hype, -1 protection
"Fun Hook" +1 hype
"Kick Drum Drop" gives no hype now, costs no energy.
"Expecting Taps" now adds a "Snare Hit" to hand instead of deck.
"Deft Keys" gives 2 less hype, costs 1 less energy and upgrade "Speedy" replaced with "Burning"
"Peaceful Interlude" +1 hype, -3 capacity and upgrades replaced with "Burning" and "More"
"Killer Keys" -2 hype, -1 energy cost, -1 protection
"Truck Driver" no longer exhausts.
"Distracting" upgrade on Song Sections now discards 2 random opponents card on complete.
"Welcoming" upgrade now gives the Common version on "Acquaintance"
"Gratitude To The Crew" upgrade "Attractive" replaced with "Welcoming"
"Inside Joke" upgrade "Mean" replaced with "Welcoming"
"Loyal Heckler" upgrade "Sacrificial" replaced with "Protective"
"Well Branded" and "Branded" upgrades give -2 and -1 hype respectively.
"Drinks On The Band" upgrade "Well Branded" replaced with "Welcoming"
"Moment To Prepare" upgrade "Attractive" replaced with "Informative"
"Relax" upgrade "Mean" replaced with "Aggressively"
"Fortified Fill" upgrade "Sacrificial" replaced with "Fast"
"Echoing Beats" upgrade "Safe" replaced with "Defensive"
"Calming Brush Taps" now has "Defensive" upgrade
"Dramatic Break" upgrade "Intense" replaced with "Safe"
"Little Mallets" upgrade "Pensive" replaced with "Building"
"Soft Sticks" upgrade "Helpful" replaced with "Extra"
"Comping The Band" upgrade "Happy" replaced with "Speedy"
"Hot Hook" upgrade "Wicked" replaced with "Exploding"
"Up Beat" upgrade "Quickly" replaced with "Safe"
"Exciting Beat" upgrade "Quickly" replaced with "Fast"
"Jazzy Hook" (Drums) upgrade "Incredible" replaced with "Building"
"Jazzy Jaunt" upgrade "Wicked" replaced with "Insulting"
"Exhaustingly Long" gives 1 more hype.
"Engaging" effects all "Quick Riffs" not just those in hand.
"Genius Opener" upgrade "Safe" replaced with "Welcoming"
"Calming Riff" upgrades replaced with "Burning" and "Protective"
"Verse Devoted To The Crew" upgrade "Intense" replaced with "Welcoming"
"Riff Of Genuine Appreciation" added upgrade "Patiently"
"Sacrificial Riff" upgrade "Safe" replaced with "Attractive"
"Well Timed Quiet" upgrade "Incredible" replaced with "Selectively"
"Calming Lick" upgrade "Safe" replaced with "Protective"
"Awe Inspiring Refrain" upgrade "Attractive" replaced with "Protective"
"Sad Notes" upgrade "Mean" replaced with "Ruthless"
"Warming Up" (Keys) upgrade "Attractive" replaced with "Burning"
"Instrumental Jam" upgrade "Wicked" replaced with "Warm"
"Muted Keys" upgrade "Burning" replaced with "Attractive"
"Thought Out Prep" upgrade "Attractive" replaced with "Speedy"
"Overwhelming Lick" upgrade "Too Fast" replaced with "Speedy"
"Intro To The Jam" upgrades replaced with "Speedy" and "Attractive"
"Reckless Prep" upgrade "Well Branded" replaced with "Attractive" also "Aggressively" upgraded added.
Bug Fixes & Quality of Life Changes:
Band Name Editing no longer has self deletion issues, and also has a max character limit.
Card description text spacing improved.
Fixed issue where non-band leader in a multiplayer tour gets their save overwritten.
Van noises continuing everywhere has been fixed.
Chat bubble in band setup screen no longer covers player faces.
Card Drawing sounds no longer repeatedly play when swapping hands during a match.
Flea vfx added to Rex.
Grand Royale now has its own Opening Moment image.
Local Legends page in the compendium now defaults to showing the first entry. This applies to the Moments, and Gear pages as well.
Sounds Added for redeeming Milestones and leveling Prestige.
Steam Deck on screen keyboard should now open automatically when entering text.
Band Name now highlighted in Opening Moments and Tour Outro text.
On Sweep Section in Guidebook has been clarified.
Added New Iconic Bot to Royale. "Xander" From the "Party Moment" in Tour!
Added Iconic Bot Collection to Compendium.
Added the variant Arenas (Parking Lot, Beach, and Scrapyard) into the Royale rotation!
Moments have been balanced to usually have one option that doesn't take away Morale.
Make a Music Video Moment now has a free option.
Added 5 New Gear built around Exhausting Bummers. These appear in Vendors and Moments.
Final Arena Updated with some Riff City related advertisements!
"Good Friend" Moment typo fixed.
"Laser Focused" option now correctly displays the card removal amount.
Video resolution settings should be more stable on most devices. Text labels no longer collapse.
Siren's Royale Opening Moment option "Built a Boat" adjusted to reward cards correctly.
More GG chats added for Players and Royale bots.
Deck Button now more prominently available on the Tuning screen.
Added more basic chat variations for bots.
Bracket Screen in Royale made more readable with color tint layer.
More chat options added for Band Setup Screen.
Guidebook accessible from the Tuning Screen.
Instrument Experience is doubled so unlocks happen faster!
And that's it for today's update! A big, big thanks to everyone giving us the feedback we need to keep the jams flowing- especially everyone rocking out in our Discord! Be sure to check it out if haven't already and thanks for listening!
Battle Bands: Full 1.0 Release!
Denizens of Riff City, after around 2 years of Early Access, Battle Bands 1.0 is here! It has been an incredible journey and we are so excited to share this version of the game with both new players and the absolute legends who have helped us along the way by providing crucial feedback during Early Access.
Lets start off with the updated trailer:
Here's a taste of what we're dishing out for the 1.0 patch!
The Shadow Band's Reign
The Shadow Band is a mysterious and unique new reigning final boss in tour mode. Unlocked after you've won a Tour, the Shadow Band will take on the look, deck and gear of the band you most recently beat a Tour run with!
The Metal Moon Rises
The moon over Riff City's got a strange new sheen, and it has bestowed us with a brand new Backstage Pass, new items in Joe's Variety Shop, and a hard rocking look to the streets of Riff City.
Grand Royales Get an Update
Grand Royales will now happen every two hours, and they have their own unique Radio Interview moments, plus SUPER VENDORS with the widest assortments of gear Riff City has ever seen! They also will have 9 iconic bots hidden among the ranks, giving you more chances to beat them for unique rewards. Speaking of Iconic Bots, there's 9 new ones for players to track down in Royales Grand or otherwise, so go ready up for the next tourney!
Leaderboards Have Been Reset
The Tour High Score Board and the Royale Rankings have both been reset, plus there's new License Titles to unlock for ranking in the top 100 for either board.
Looking back, it's amazing to think of how different Battle Bands was and was shaping up to be before we entered Early Access. The road has been full of twists, turns and a few potholes, but the friends in our community we've picked up along the way have helped us keep our tour van on track to deliver what we truly believe is the best version of Battle Bands.
This is a shot of one of the earliest prototypes for Battle Bands And this is what the game looks like now!
Here's some of the many major updates we made during Early Access:
Completely Removed all micro transactions from the game
Added a fully offline mode
Added ability to save Tour runs
Countless balance tweaks and bug fixes
The ability to switch between automated bot bandmates and manually controlled bandmates
A LOT of work on making both friendly and rival bots well oiled machines
Added leaderboards
Added several new rival bands to face off against
Added new arenas to rock out in
Added a bunch of alternate Final Bosses and Reigns to increase replayability
Added the compendium and guidebook to better track your progress and keep players informed
3 full, free Backstage Passes with 50 levels of gameplay-driven unlocks each
TONS of additional cosmetics to unlock and use to create a unique look for your band
Added difficulty modifiers so players can play their way
Early Access may be coming to an end, but now is the beginning of a new era of Battle Bands! Going forward we'll continue fixing bugs, tweaking balance, and improving quality of life features. We also hope to tackle things like controller support, additional languages and EVEN MORE rad content to jam to!
Wrapping up...
We're not just being sappy when we say we wouldn't be where we're at without the love and support we've seen from our community. It's a tough thing to play to an empty room, so your showing up really means the world to us. If you haven't already, please consider helping the 1.0 launch really pop off by leaving us a review on Steam, telling your friends and favorite streamers about Battle Bands, and hitting us up in our Discord server to give us feedback.
Now go get some snacks for the road, and we'll see you in the Riff City streets!
Battle Bands: The Final Early Access Patch!
Like a rainbow in the dark, you're listening to Riff Radio!
The Final Early Access Patch for Battle Bands includes the Shadow Band reign, a new Backstage Pass and a whole lot of metal!
Shadow Bands
Once players have pulled out a victory in Tour Mode, they'll be able to take on the Shadow Band- a group of four shadowy figures imitating the last band you won a Tour with! The Shadow Band reign combines reign-specific moments, cards, gear and upgrades from all of the other available reigns, opening up all sorts of crazy strategies. They'll use all your best moves against you, so you'll have to be clever to win and get your hands on a sweet new van!
Metal Moon Rising
Also in this patch is a brand-new Metal themed Backstage Pass, brought along by a strangely shiny new Moon hanging over Riff City. Along with those 50 new levels of rewards to rock through, there's also a whole host of new cosmetic items to grab in Joe's Variety Shop! The Metal Moon has also provided a terrifying new login reward for us and all of Riff City is decked out in a new hard rocking aesthetic, so go check out their killer outfits! Just don't hit any of those big spikes sticking out of the ground with your van...
Grand Royales get more Grand!
Grand Royales will now happen every 2 hours and have their own unique opening Radio Interviews, as well as Super Vendors, which are uniquely large vendors with 16 gear options for you to spend your winnings on! They also have 9 iconic bots waiting to take you on. Speaking of iconic bots, there's also 9 new ones for you to track down and win unique cosmetics from in all Royales!
Bug Fixes, Balance changes and Quality of Life:
Leaderboards have been reset
New titles for players that rank in the top 100 for both Tour and Royale leaderboards- Founding Genius and Founding Champion respectively
More "Info" buttons added throughout game for easier Guidebook access
Credits screen added to Guidebook
For new players, "Manual" is now the default control mode for bots
Guidebook typos fixed
"Snackrificial Sharing" card description fixed
Sound fx added to Joe's Variety navigation arrows
That's all for today's broadcast! This may be our last Early Access update, but tomorrow will mark the official 1.0 release of Battle Bands, so jump in our Discord and lets get this party going for real!
Joe's Variety Shop Changes
New Cosmetic Shop Layout!
Joe's Variety, also known as the cosmetic shop, is undergoing a minor remodel.
Our primary goal is to eliminate the fear of missing out (FOMO) in the game, so we've chosen to redesign Joe's Variety to showcase all available cosmetics simultaneously.
Use the filters on the right to specify the type of cosmetic you'd like to browse for. Then, using the directional arrows, flip through and purchase a ton of cosmetics for your band. From a Pineapple Head to a Dead Fish keyboard, there are tons of outfits to unlock.
This change comes just in time for the Metal Moon Rising event which adds over 45 new cosmetics to Joe's Variety, making for a grand total of over 150 outfits to collect!
We hope this update will empower players to create their ultimate band, without any FOMO!
We're also renaming in-game currency from Credits to Tokens!
Bug Fixes
Gear Getter now has the Disruptive upgrade.
Switching between Remove and Upgrade during the Tuning screen now displays correctly.
Audio for all Opening Moments (Tour and Royale) fixed.
"Man with a sign" Moment now has correct roll percentage.
z-fighting fix on player dress mesh.
in-match chat command display bug fixed.
Tour Mode turn-timers are set to "Off" on default settings.
All Tokens used to buy cosmetics are obtained exclusively through gameplay!
FOMO! FOMO! FOMO!
Battle Bands Early Access Patch 30
You're listening to Riff Radio, and it's time to feed your head!
Early Access Patch #30: The Information Amplification Update brings Match Summary and a Guidebook to help teach players all the ins and outs of Battle Bands, as well as Rockers' Licenses! The Information Amplification Update is also full of bug fixes and balance updates as we prepare for full release!
The Guidebook
The Guidebook comprehensively shows new and old players alike all the information needed to master Battle Bands. Become an expert in all the terms, icons and game mechanics you'll need to rock Riff City to its core!
Match Summary
Another other big feature of this patch is the Match Summary screen, which will now pop up after every match you play! The Match Summary screen lets players learn more about their challenger and where their own weaknesses may be by breaking down key strategies of both bands on the first page, followed by a more granular break down of raw stats on the second page. Remember, the pen is mightier than the guitar (or something like that)! You can also view the Match Summary for any player bands in any ongoing Royale. When on the bracket screen just click the new "Match Summary" icon to view a completed match summary.
Rockers' Licenses
Finally, as you may have noticed from the Match Summary screenshots, we've added customizable Rockers' Licenses! Choose your title, background and sticker to add a little flair to your proof of residence in Riff City. You can change up your license on the Player page of the Compendium.
Credits as a reward for a Tour Victory! We wanted to add another way for players to earn credits, and decided to award them in Tour Mode. Right now, if you win a Tour run you'll earn 150 credits to spend on outfits in Joe's Variety Shop.
"Freeto's Four Piece" Changes: "Freeto's Four Piece" has been updated so they do not rely on energy generation but instead "Snackrificial Sharing" buffs Freeto's cards, on top of that the energy levels and costs of some cards have been changed to fit the new crew and buff based Freeto's Four Piece"
Bug Fixes, Balance changes and Quality of Life: Royale Bot gear updated removing all activatable gears and replacing with bot useable gear. "Gear Getter" upgrade "Aggressive" replaced with "Protective" Vendors have been updated to have more variety. Tutorial text updates to help clarify a few things. That's all for today's broadcast! Go get on your thinking caps, check out these illuminating new features, and be sure to drop by our discord if you have any notes!
Battle Bands Early Access Patch #30
You're listening to Riff Radio, and it's time to feed your head!
Early Access Patch #30: The Information Amplification Update brings Match Summary and a Guidebook to help teach players all the ins and outs of Battle Bands, as well as Rockers' Licenses! The Information Amplification Update is also full of bug fixes and balance updates as we prepare for full release!
The Guidebook
The Guidebook comprehensively shows new and old players alike all the information needed to master Battle Bands. Become an expert in all the terms, icons and game mechanics you'll need to rock Riff City to its core!
Match Summary
Another other big feature of this patch is the Match Summary screen, which will now pop up after every match you play! The Match Summary screen lets players learn more about their challenger and where their own weaknesses may be by breaking down key strategies of both bands on the first page, followed by a more granular break down of raw stats on the second page. Remember, the pen is mightier than the guitar (or something like that)! You can also view the Match Summary for any player bands in any ongoing Royale. When on the bracket screen just click the new "Match Summary" icon to view a completed match summary.
Rockers' Licenses
Finally, as you may have noticed from the Match Summary screenshots, we've added customizable Rockers' Licenses! Choose your title, background and sticker to add a little flair to your proof of residence in Riff City. You can change up your license on the Player page of the Compendium.
Credits as a reward for a Tour Victory!
We wanted to add another way for players to earn credits, and decided to award them in Tour Mode. Right now, if you win a Tour run you'll earn 150 credits to spend on outfits in Joe's Variety Shop.
"Freeto's Four Piece" Changes:
"Freeto's Four Piece" has been updated so they do not rely on energy generation but instead "Snackrificial Sharing" buffs Freeto's cards, on top of that the energy levels and costs of some cards have been changed to fit the new crew and buff based Freeto's Four Piece"
Bug Fixes, Balance changes and Quality of Life:
Royale Bot gear updated removing all activatable gears and replacing with bot useable gear.
"Gear Getter" upgrade "Aggressive" replaced with "Protective"
Vendors have been updated to have more variety.
Tutorial text updates to help clarify a few things.
That's all for today's broadcast! Go get on your thinking caps, check out these illuminating new features, and be sure to drop by our discord if you have any notes!
Full 1.0 Release November 13th!
It's time for Battle Bands to take center stage, and we want YOU in the limelight with us!
Battle Bands is leaving Early Access and going 1.0 on the 13th of November!!
The Moon Rises
The Metal Moon Rising event will start simultaneously with the launch of Battle Bands 1.0. This ongoing event includes an all new, totally free, Metal themed Backstage Pass. We've also added 30+ new cosmetics to Joe's Variety Shop, and of course, new Metal skins for all the NPCs you'll be challenging in Riff City.
A Shadow Falls
The Shadow Reign creeps into Riff City on release. This new Reign mixes the other Reigns together for all sorts of possible Card, Moment, and Gear combinations. Battle the Shadow-version of your band as the Final Boss. The Shadow Reign uses your previous winning run to create a Shadow-version of your band, complete with your Cards, Gear, and style. Can you best yourself?
Grand Royale Expands
Grand Royale will now have it's own Super Vendors, as well as unique Opening Moments at the start of the Royale. There are also 9 new Iconic Bots scattered amongst competitors in both the Grand Royale and the normal Royale. Defeating an Iconic Bot rewards players with a unique cosmetic.
Now that we're headed to the big show, we could use your help more than ever to get the word out about Battle Bands! If you like our game, tell your friends about us! Thanks to everyone who has helped us make Battle Bands the best it can be and we can't wait to share more with you all!
Now go get in your van and make sure you're all tuned up, because it's almost show time!
