Ghost of Tsushima got a new game mode on September 3, “Rivals”, which expanded the gameplay into a supernatural world from the Japanese mythology. It’s a completely free add-on, which is now available as a standalone title; however some of the unlockables are only available if you finish the single-player story campaign

PVP or PVEVP?

In Rivals you compete with another team in order to win. You control a team of two competing against another team to defeat waves of enemies. With each defeated foe, you’ll collect Magatama that you can use to harm the other team.

Both teams start in their own identical gauntlet. You hunt the demonised Mongol soldiers, who drop the in-game currency Magatama when killed.

This ethereal currency can be spent in shrines where you can drop distractions and curses upon the enemy team. For example, you can spend Magatama on Shades to block your opponents’ purchases, Curses (health drain, exploding bodies, etc), Hwacha fire, and more.

Each of them will vary as you rotate between the Rivals maps currently available.

You also can not just hold onto your Magatama. To progress to the second half of a Rivals match, you and your partner need to spend a total of 65 Magatama. This will unlock a control point that you need to defend for three waves, each wave packing stronger foes.  

Complete these before the opposing team to win!

From 110 to 120!

Rivals introduces a new mastery gear mechanic to the game. This is a new expansion of the progression systems and rewards for Legends. Players who’ve earned 110-level gear will now be able to bind it to a class and activate “Mastery Challenges.” This will allow a piece of gear’s Ki level to be upgraded to 120 and eventually unlock a second perk slot! As you activate Mastery Challenges, you can also unlock a new Ability and new Techniques for each class

Uncover the Tale of Iyo

“The Tale of Iyo” also came with the update, a three-chapter raid that will require four players who are geared up and ready to coordinate. However, “The Tale of Iyo” will not support matchmaking, so players will need to find their group outside of the game, either through online meetings or real-life friends. Also, your gear level needs to be at a level minimum of 100.

This raid rolls out with a new set of weekly challenges. There will be two-player story missions and four-player survival missions with weekly modifiers. Those missions will reward gear, which is a great way to get ready for the Tale of Iyo raid and leaderboards. These missions can also get tougher if players complete bonus objectives, and they reward better items in return.

Rivals builds on what is already such a groundbreaking PlayStation hit, and game producer Sucker Punch Productions has promised there’s even more to come!

J.V

João Victor, most commonly known as JV, is a Brazilian writer and musician who currently lives in Ottawa. He loves Basketball, good vibes and sleeps way too much. Twitter: @blognotfortnite