One distinction Nintendo holds when compared to many other video game publishers is how close they keep their IPs. While generally speaking they do tend to keep their larger franchises to themselves, that hasn’t always been the case. Take the Mario + Rabbids series as an example, which is a crossover between the Super Mario universe and Ubisoft’s Rabbids. A total of two games were made for the franchise before the team disbanded, but that might not have been all they planned. Rumor has it that there was a third Nintendo-related project being considered that ultimately never came to be.
The Mario + Rabbids series began in 2017 with the release of the first game, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. The game saw impressive sales and reviews, which ultimately led to a sequel game in 2022 with Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. While Sparks of Hope reviewed even better, it saw less than half of the sales of the previous title, which is likely what led to the team behind it going their separate ways.
While the Mario + Rabbids franchise may not have much chance of seeing a return, that doesn’t mean the team behind it were lacking in ideas. In a recent episode of The Game Business Show, Christopher Dring shared a tidbit he had heard in regards to the Mario + Rabbids team:
“It’s worth noting the Mario & Rabbids team have largely disbanded. Although Ubisoft Milan still exists, the people behind that game have gone and formed a new studio. I know they had pitched another title but didn’t get approved, I don’t know why but it sort of never happened which was again I think tied to Nintendo.”
What exactly this could imply is still open to interpretation. It could have been a pitch for a third Mario + Rabbids title, or even another crossover between Ubisoft and Nintendo entirely. Either way though, it seems that whatever it would have been wasn’t meant to be. Even still, it’s fun to speculate and imagine what could have been had things shaped up differently for this surprising collision of video game universes.
More Mario + Rabbids
Review: Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle – Donkey Kong Adventure
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Written by Abbie Maxwell
Lifelong Nintendo fangirl, Abbie holds a special place in her heart for video games. She has always strived to provide tips and tricks to make the experiences of those who share her passions that much better.
