In just a few months since launching Apple Arcade, its multiplatform gaming service, Apple has amassed over 100 titles that cater to gamers of every ilk. On Thursday night at The Game Awards, Apple revealed Arcade's first major sports franchise, Ultimate Rivals: The Rink.

Inspired by arcade action sports games from his childhood like Blades of Steel and NBA Jam, Bit Fry CEO and founder Bian Freidlin wanted to update the category for a new generation to enjoy. But instead of slapping a glossy veneer on an old title, or even creating a new game that plays by the traditional rule book, Friedlin and his team collaborated to reimagine the arcade sports experience for today.

Ultimate Rivals: The Rink lets you create your own team for two-on-two NHL hockey matches. But here's where things get interesting: Instead of creating a team with only NHL players, you can choose from 58 different athletes from all the major leagues including the MLB, NBA, NHL, WNBA, and US Women's National Soccer Team. Of course, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky is included in the mix. Each player is assigned hockey attributes that are based on real-world characteristics and strengths.

When you start the game, there are a limited number of athletes to choose from. As your skill level increases, additional athletes are unlocked. As more athletes become available, you can create more team combinations.

Each match is six minutes, consisting of three two-minute periods. Matches become more difficult as you progress, and you learn different ways to take advantage of each athlete's talents and abilities. Short matches make gameplay fast, so even beginners can pick it up quickly. That said, you can spend a lot of time learning how to master the game and even play it competitively.

The Rink is set the future with three stages at launch in New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. The futuristic theme is reflected by the stylized athletes and backdrops. There's an extreme attention to visual detail, thanks to hand-drawn animation with absolutely no motion capture. Gameplay is supported at up to 60fps on newer Apple hardware.

Like nearly all Arcade games, The Rink is multiplatform and works on all Apple hardware. There's a multiplayer mode where you can compete with friends, as well as an offline mode so you can play without a data connection.

Created by Bit Fry Game Studios, Ultimate Rivals: The Rink is six years in the making and received major funding from 1Up Ventures, MLB All-Star Ryan Howard, and other executives from multiple leagues. The studio plans to release a title for every league, with Ultimate Rivals: The Court coming in 2020.

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