The rumors are all true- it sounds like Ubisoft is indeed developing a brand new Mario RPG, which is a crossover title with Rabbids. It’s called Mario+Rabbids Kingdom Battle, and today, we got key artwork for the game leaked, as well as (roughly translated into English) internal marketing plans, and details about the game.
For starters, the game will be a turned based strategy RPG. It is being described by those in the know as a Mario skinned XCOM. The game is apparently going to be irreverent, wacky, and over the top funny, evoking pop culture, Ubisoft, and Nintendo references, and self awarely commenting on the ludicrousness of the game as it is existing at all. It is being developed on the Snowpoint Engine (the same engine that was used for The Division), by Ubisoft Paris, and it sounds like Ubisoft themselves are having some fun with the game- the internal documents refer to ‘surprise at [the game’s] reveal’, followed by a period of ‘convincing media and gamers’.
The game is apparently due for a reveal at E3, with a release following rapidly afterwards, in August. If so, we can probably expect to see it at either Ubisoft’s, or Nintendo’s, E3 show. We’ll keep you posted.
[Thanks WWG ComicBook and Nintendo World Report]