From a TikTok Trend to the App Store in 16 Days: The AURADUEL Story

In August 2026 the aura battles left TikTok and reached the street. Two teenagers stand face to face in a plaza, a circle forms around them, someone plays a beat, and each one tries to win with presence, gestures and nerve. No rap, no dance routine, no equipment. The crowd decides who has more "aura".

I watched dozens of those videos and I saw two things at once. The first was a real sport waiting for a scoreboard. The second was a lot of kids being laughed at in front of a camera.

I decided to build the scoreboard, and to make the laughing impossible.

The first commit was on August 20, 2026. The app went live on the App Store on September 5. What follows is what happened in between.

Research first: what "aura" actually is

Before writing code, I spent a day on cultural research: press, academic pieces,...

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