“It’s worth noting that the Mario + Rabbids team have largely disbanded,” said Dring. “Although Ubisoft Milan still exists, the people behind that game have gone and formed a new studio. I know they had pitched another title that didn’t get approved. I don’t know why, but it just never happened, which was again, I think, tied to Nintendo.”

The third game’s pitch being turned down and the team largely being disbanded might have led Ubisoft Milan to start working on a new Rayman game. Job listings were spotted back in May with Ubisoft Milan looking for a 3D gameplay animator and a senior game designer, indicating that the studio might be working on a new 3D title that would fall under the “Rayman brand”. While the listings have been taken down quickly by Ubisoft, they can be viewed on the Internet Archive.

“Ubisoft Milan is looking for a Senior Game Designer who will work on the Rayman brand,” said one of the listings. “The ideal candidate has a proven and solid experience as Game Designer in the videogame industry with an in-depth understanding of how to define, prototype and implement game systems within the scope of the project and following the Game direction, making sure to capture the gameplay feel, while still being fun and accessible.”

Outside of the Mario + Rabbids series, the Rayman brand has largely been dormant at Ubisoft. The Rabbids themselves were spun off from older Rayman titles where the characters first made their debut. However, a report from back in October indicates that Ubisoft might be looking at the Rayman series back in the form of a remake.

According to the report, a remake of one of the older Rayman titles is seemingly at work, involving developers that have worked on side-scrolling metroidvania title Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, alongside developers at Ubisoft Milan. Rumours also indicate that Rayman creator Michel Ancel is serving as a consultant on the project. However, there have been no details revealed yet about which Rayman game will be the subject of the remake.

Ubisoft confirmed that a new Rayman game might potentially be in the works through a statement shortly after the report came out. In its statement, Ubisoft said that its Montpellier and Milan studios have started “an exploration phase” on the Rayman brand. The company noted that the project was still in early development.

The last mainline games in the Rayman franchise were side-scrolling titles Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends. Both titles were praised at the time for their art direction and gameplay. For more details, check out our reviews of Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends.

Speaking during a recent podcast episode, the leaker claimed that Ubisoft has “more than half a dozen” games in development for the Switch 2. These include ports of upcoming games, recent releases, and older titles. Assassin’s Creed Mirage will allegedly be available for the console within its launch window, while a version of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is also in development. However, the latter allegedly won’t be ready for release until later. 

The insider also claims Switch 2 versions of Rainbow Six Siege and The Division franchise are in development. The idea of a combined Mario + Rabbids pack containing Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope has also been internally considered. 

Past leaks have also claimed that Ubisoft also intends to release the next Far Cry for the Switch 2. 

Given the publisher’s support for the Switch, it wouldn’t be surprising to see an increase in efforts for its successor. The Switch 2 itself is allegedly going to be revealed later this week, so we might have more official details sooner rather than later. 

Meanwhile, as per NateTheHate, other major third-party titles like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are also headed for Nintendo’s next console. 

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

It’s safe to say that Nintendo knocked it out of the park with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, knitting together a complex web of intertwining systems with mechanics that let you express your creativity to the fullest resulting in an experience like no other. It takes everything that worked in the original, and amps it up to eleven – be it Link’s powers, the size of the open world, or the many options for tackling a dungeon or boss fight. Despite a few technical hiccups owing to the hardware limitations, Tears of the Kingdom is easily one of the best games that you can experience on Nintendo’s hybrid handheld.

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.”

“After 25 years, 11 of which beautifully spent working with Nintendo on Mario + Rabbids along the company of our incredible community of players, I have decided to leave Ubisoft to embark on a new adventure,” Soliani wrote in a statement on Twitter. “I can’t say more now. Thanks a lot for everything, truly.”

Ubisoft Milan, the lead developer of the Mario + Rabbids series, also confirmed Soliani’s departure on Twitter, writing, “After more than 20 years, Davide Soliani and Ubisoft Milan part ways, as friends. Davide and the teams at Ubisoft Milan still share the same quest — to make gamers have fun, scream with delight, and dream – but we will now be on a different path.”

“We hope that he will like what we will work on in the future, as we will definitely keep in mind his best teaching: surprise players with unexpected experiences,” the studio added.

In addition to serving as creative director on both Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Soliani has worked on a number of other titles during his tenure at Ubisoft, including Rainbow Six, Just Dance, Beyond Good and Evil, Open Season, and more. Soliani has yet to announce where he’ll be headed next after Ubisoft.

Nintendo has announced that Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is free to play for all Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, and will remain so for a week- until July 14, 11:59 PM PT, specifically.

In the aftermath of Sparks of Hope’s release, Ubisoft remarked that being available on the same platform as its predecessor had likely led to lower sales for the strategy title. However, the game’s developers remain confident that thanks to strong word of mouth, it will see consistent sales “over a number of years”, with leaks claiming earlier this year that it had sold nearly 3 million units.

In our review of the game, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, “Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a massive leap over its already-excellent predecessor, making a whole host of changes and improvements and delivering an utterly charming and mechanically dense tactics experience.” Read the full review through here.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.

#NintendoSwitchOnline members! From 7/8 at 10am PT to 7/14 at 11:59pm PT, you can download and try the MARIO + RABBIDS SPARKS OF HOPE game at no additional cost. https://t.co/luwlniw3yQ pic.twitter.com/4jHjL5GZWj

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 7, 2024

Fortunately for the game, its makers, and its fans though, it seems that steady and consistent sales over a prolonged period since its release have resulted in something of a turnaround. As per a report published by VGC, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope has sold nearly three million copies to date, which is roughly in line with how its predecessor Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was performing at this point in its life. Kingdom Battle would go on to accumulate over 10 million players.

As per what sources have told VGC, discounts on the Switch eShop have been partly responsible for the game’s continued sales. The tactics game also received three expansions following its release in The Tower of Doooom, The Last Spark Hunter, and Rayman in the Phantom Show, though how much of an impact they had on sales (if any) isn’t mentioned.

Back in August last year, when asked about Sparks of Hope’s disappointing sales, Mario + Rabbids series producer Cristina Nava said Ubisoft was “confident” the game would be a “slow burn” and enjoy growing sales “over a number of years”. Sure enough, that’s what seems to be happening, though as VGC points out, it’s likely that Ubisoft will still have performed Sparks of Hope to perform better than Kingdom Battle did, something that it doesn’t seem to be doing up to this point.

In our review of the game, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, “Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a massive leap over its already-excellent predecessor, making a whole host of changes and improvements and delivering an utterly charming and mechanically dense tactics experience.” Read the full review through here.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is available on the Nintendo Switch.

However, the turn-based tactics title’s development at Ubisoft Milan doesn’t seem too worried about how the game has performed since its launch last October. In a recent interview with VGC, series producer Cristina Nava said that being a turn-based tactics game, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is likely to see a “slow burn” of increased sales over time, and that even though it’s got off to a slow start, the developer remains “coinfident” that its numbers will increase “over a number of years.”

“The first Mario + Rabbids had more than 10 million players,” Nava said. “Even though it’s Mario, it’s also a genre game: turn-based tactical adventure. So we cannot expect to sell high numbers at the very beginning, because a game like that is a slow burner.

“Even if at the beginning it seemed like Sparks of Hope didn’t meet expectations, we are confident that over a number of years it will grow. Because it’s been received, by both the press and the public, very, very well. It’s just a matter of giving it time, with word of mouth etc.”

Nava went on to add that reception for Sparks of Hope has been positive from critics and audiences alike, and that, in addition to the game being much more accessible than its predecessor with the introduction of real-time mechanics, has helped word of mouth grow.

“It’s more accessible than the first game, because we introduced real-time combat, so for less experienced players we take them by the hand and guide them,” she said. “So I am sure, and have already witnessed that, the word of mouth will grow. We’re not worried on our side, because we know that we achieved what we wanted with this sequel. On our side, we’re not worried and we’re satisfied with what we did.”

Of course, it remains to be seen whether Ubisoft will have things planned for the coming months and years to help increase the game’s sales. Reports have strongly suggested that the Nintendo Switch successor will launch in the second half of 2024, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see an enhanced re-release of Sparks of Hope for the next-gen platform at some point in the future.

In our review of the game, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, “Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a massive leap over its already-excellent predecessor, making a whole host of changes and improvements and delivering an utterly charming and mechanically dense tactics experience.” Read the full review through here.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. Its third and final DLC, Rayman in the Phantom Show, is due out on August 30.

The DLC sees Rayman teaming with Rabbid Mario and Rabbid Peach in a battle against the Phantom (who appeared in Kingdom Battle). The latter now has a television studio and news “true stars” to help low ratings. Cue the trio to lend their expertise across new levels with new music by Grant Kirkhope and Christophe Heral (known for Rayman Origins and Legends).

With vertical traversal being important, Rayman’s Haircopter comes in handy and can carry his allies. You also have the Plunger Blaster for some new tactics. Stay tuned for more details ahead of the DLC’s release. Check out our review for the base game here in the meantime.

Guillemot states that he believes that the turn-based strategy title would have seen better sales if it weren’t released on the same platform as Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

“We had already released a Mario Rabbids game [on Switch], so by doing another we had two similar experiences on one machine,” said Guillemot.

“On Nintendo, games like this never die. There are 25 Mario games on Switch. Nintendo [has advised] that it’s better to do one iteration on each machine,” Guillemot continued. “We were a bit too early, we should have waited for [the next console].

“Because you could play a great game. And we think it will last for 10 years, because we will update it for the new machine that will come in the future.”

Ubisoft had revealed back in January that sales of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope did not meet expectations. The game was released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch back in October 2022. Since then, it has seen one major DLC release—The Tower of Doooom—and is slated to get more DLCs later in the year, including a final one bringing Rayman to the game.

If you’re interested in checking out Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, there is a free demo of the game available on the Nintendo eShop. For more details on the title, check out our review.