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Hey Rival Stars community!
Hope you’re enjoying the recent Cross‑Country update—we’ve enjoyed seeing you try out the latest features! Now we’re bringing that same energy to Steeplechase with a brand‑new story arc, fresh race skills, expanded Photomode, and our first Team Limited‑Time Event. Ready to jump in?
Saddle Up for Steeplechase Story Mode – Act I
A prestigious Steeplechase tournament is rolling into town—and it’s your ticket to glory. Guided by Francis and TJ, you’ll train, breed, and race your way through three brand‑new story chapters that unlock at the start of Prestige Level 3. Everything looks set for victory… until an unexpected face from the past appears at the Homestead. Friend? Rival? You’ll find out soon enough!
Act I lands with Update 1.65, and it’s just the beginning. Acts II and III will gallop in later this year, so keep those horses limber and your eyes peeled.
New Steeplechase Skills—Champions Charge and Closing Surge.
As part of our Steeplechase expansion, we’re introducing two new skills that add even more ways to fine‑tune your race strategy.
Champion’s Charge – Kicks off the race with a +7 % max-speed burst for the first 10 seconds. Perfect for grabbing pole position or settling into your horse’s preferred spot.
Closing Surge – Delivers a +10 % max-speed boost after the third-to-last fence, ideal for dramatic finishes and last-minute overtakes.
Both skills roll out July 21st. You’ll find them in the revamped pre‑race horse select screen, and any skills that aren’t compatible with Steeplechase will appear greyed out, so you’re appropriately prepared for the next race.
Skills pricing change
Starting July 21st, once everyone’s updated to version 1.65, we’re smoothing out how skills work and what they cost. First, we’re introducing single‑use skills—simple, one‑race boosts you can slot in without touching your three‑use stash. A handful of existing three‑use skills are also switching to this single‑use format, making them quicker to buy, lighter on your gold, and perfect for testing out new tactics.
Second, cross-country skill prices are dropping to match Flat Racing, and the new Steeplechase skills will launch at that same lower price, so you’ll spend less gold no matter where you race.
These tweaks should make it easier—and cheaper—to keep your versatile horses competitive.
We’re still hard at work polishing Steeplechase, so keep an eye on our social channels and the in‑game Event Hub for future updates, events, and races.
Photo mode Comes to Steeplechase & Flat Racing
Last update, Cross Country riders got a camera upgrade—now it’s your turn!
Photo mode is rolling out to PvE Steeplechase and Flat Racing, so you can capture every soaring leap, turf‑kicking sprint, and heart-pounding moment in glorious slow‑mo.
How it works
- Tap the camera icon on the left side of the screen any time during a PvE Steeplechase run or Flat Race (Rival & Live races excluded).
- Pan, zoom, or drag the time slider to dial in the perfect angle—even slow the action to a crawl for that dramatic mid‑air shot.
- Use your device’s screenshot tools to save your masterpiece.
- Hit Back to snap right back into the race—the timer keeps the pace you set when in photo mode.
Photo mode will auto‑close if you cross the finish line, get disqualified, or minimize the game, so remember to snap responsibly!
We can’t wait to see your favourite horses in their element! Share your best shots in the Rival Stars Horse Racing Facebook Group, on our Discord, or tag us on Instagram with #RivalStars and show off those perfect jumps!
Team Up for Bigger Rewards in Limited Time Events!
Limited Time Events just got a co-op upgrade! When an LTE supports Teams, you’ll now see two tabs on the overview screen, one for Solo rewards and a brand-new Team track that everyone in your squad contributes to.
Every Solo task you finish still advances your own track, but those points now also add to your team’s progress bar. Team-only challenges appear, too, letting you contribute even more points into the shared pool. Each time the bar crosses a milestone, a reward unlocks for everyone in your crew—take note, players can only claim prizes once per event; switching teams won’t reset what you’ve already collected.
You’ll get your first shot at this new format on 28 July, when the Sovereign’s Stride Anglo-Arab event lands with its own Team tab. (Future events won’t always include one, so keep an eye on the Event Hub banner before you rally the squad.) Grab your riding crew, knock out those tasks, and enjoy the shared spoils!
What’s Coming Up Next?
While you’re getting acquainted with everything in this update, we’re working on a few extras in the background—improvements to Show Jumping and the next chapters of the Steeplechase story are on their way soon. We’re also partnering with a local organization on something special we can’t wait to share. Keep an eye on our social channels for the reveal, and remember: the Event Hub is still the easiest way to check which Limited-Time Events and races are on the calendar.
Thanks for riding with us—see you at the starting gates! 🐎✨
Changes and Fixes
Steeplechase Story Mode – Act I
- Three new chapters unlock at the start of Prestige Level 3.
- Sets up a prestigious tournament storyline and introduces a mysterious rival.
New Steeplechase Skills
- Champion’s Charge: +7 % max speed for the first 10 s of a race.
- Closing Surge: +10 % max speed after the third‑to‑last fence.
- Both skills available in Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond rarities starting July 21st.
Skill Pricing & Single‑Use Skills
- Some three‑use skills converted to single‑use for cheaper, one‑off boosts.
- Cross Country skill prices lowered to match Flat Racing; Steeplechase skills launch at the same new rate.
Photomode Expansion
- Photomode now available in PvE Steeplechase and Flat Racing (excludes Rival & Live).
- Pause, pan, zoom, and capture dramatic screenshots without missing a beat.
Other notable changes and bug fixes:
New Coats
- Stippled Tovero
- Tobiano Jacket
- Radiant Leopard
- Belly Dapples
- Rusty Dapples
- Starry Dapples
- Diamond Badger Face
New Exotic Trait
- Noble Braid: Tightly sewn braids that add refined charm to your horse’s presence. (Does not stack with Majestic Mane.)
Other notable changes and bug fixes:
- Fixed skills not recording properly in the Hall of Fame when their final use happened in the same race.
- Corrected several Appaloosa base colors so they now display the intended blue eyes.
- Adjusted select foal muzzles to match their adult appearance better.
- Adjusted white pattern color to be more consistent across all base colors.
- Fixed an issue where tack sometimes remained on the horse in the share screen.
- Improved lighting when viewing horses in the pasture.
- Fixed a bug that caused team points to display as zero for some team members.
- Various minor stability and visual improvements throughout Golden Dunes.