Mario + Rabbids and Red Dead Redemption Leads Form New Studio, Day 4 Night

Industry veterans Davide Soliani and Christian Cantamessa have formed a new independent game development studio subbed Day 4 Night. The studio has been established with funding received from Krafton and 1Up Ventures.

Co-founder Davide Soliani is best known for his work as the creative director on Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and its sequel Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. Prior to that, Soliani also worked on Beyond Good and Evil, the Rayman franchise, and more. He left Ubisoft earlier this year, in June.

Fellow co-founder Christian Cantamessa, meanwhile, served as co-writer and lead game designer on the original Red Dead Redemption, having previously also worked on Manhunt, Manhunt 2, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Later on, he would go on to work with first-party Xbox studio The Initiative in a consulting role on the upcoming Perfect Dark.

The duo are joined by fellow co-founders in executive producer Cristina Nava (Ghost Recon, Mario + Rabbids, Star Wars Outlaws), managing director Gian Marco Zanna (who was at Ubisoft for over 16 years until July earlier this year), and design director Luca Breda (who spent over 13 years at Ubisoft).

Details are currently scant on Day 4 Night’s first project, but the studio describes it as “an entirely original game”. The studio itself, meanwhile, says it is focused “on originality and innovation” and “committed to creating new content that pushes the boundaries of storytelling and game design.”

“When I first fell in love with video games at the start of my career, I saw the power of this new medium to tell stories never told before and create worlds that could transform people,” said Cantamessa. “Day 4 Night is a return to that innovative spirit, to that innocence, to that unbridled creativity.”

“What we are crafting at Day 4 Night is a reflection of everything I’ve ever wanted to experience as a player – joy, adventure, poetry, action, wonder, and the pleasure of working with friends,” said Soliani. “It’s a lullaby for my soul and a serenade to our industry, to the magic and the madness of creating worlds from nothing. It’s a story about triumphs, challenges, dreams, to light the path we walk together.”