Ubisoft Milan: From Mario to Star Wars and Beyond

The final DLC for Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is set to arrive this month, marking a significant milestone for Ubisoft Milan as they welcome back a beloved character. The DLC, titled Rayman in the Phantom Show, sees the return of Ubisoft's iconic platforming star, holding considerable significance for the Milan team. According to producer Cristina Nava, "We've managed to return to our roots in a way, and it feels like we've come full circle." This sentiment is echoed by the fact that many of the original team members who worked on the Game Boy Color game over 23 years ago are still part of Ubisoft Milan, including creative director Davide Soliani, art director Mauro Perini, and lead artist Fabrizio Von Stibiel. Nava reflects on her time at Ubisoft Milan, which began in 2008 when the studio had just 35 people. Today, the studio has grown to around 130 team members, with many of the original veterans still on board. The team has faced challenges in the past, working on casual games and Just Dance, but they have always strived to create something that showcases their unique DNA. The stability of Ubisoft Milan is a rare find in the gaming industry, and managing director Dario Migliavacca attributes this to the team's strong core. "One of our greatest strengths is our stable, historical, and strong core team," he says. "We have one of the most stable core teams within the group, which helps us immensely because there is a huge chemistry between all the senior team members." Despite being composed mainly of Italian developers, Ubisoft Milan works on global games, including Mario + Rabbids, which was supported by numerous Ubisoft teams from around the world and features characters created in Japan and France. The team's approach to game development is distinct, with Nava noting, "I think what sets us apart is our love for building things in the real world. We create puppets, plushies, and other material objects, and our concept artists draw by hand. We have a surplus of passion, and you can see it in the way our team members perform and animate their characters." The release of Rayman in the Phantom Show marks the end of an era for Ubisoft Milan, which began with the 2017 game Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. Although Sparks of Hope may not have sold as well as expected, CEO Yves Guillemot has hinted that the game will have a second life on Nintendo's next console. Ubisoft Milan is now shifting its focus to other projects, including supporting developer Massive on the ambitious Star Wars Outlaws. Nava expresses her excitement, saying, "We've moved from one important IP to another, and it's very exciting. It's challenging, but it's always challenging in game development." Migliavacca adds, "Working on a game like Star Wars is fantastic. It's different, but we enjoy experimenting, learning, and sharing knowledge with other studios. Star Wars is a great opportunity to work on a different pipeline and with different teams, and we're discovering new things that will be useful in the future." Both Migliavacca and Nava emphasize that Ubisoft Milan is not just wrapping up Mario + Rabbids and working on Star Wars; the team is committed to creating colorful, non-violent, and lighthearted games, and fans can expect more of these in the future. As Nava concludes, "With Sparks of Hope, it's the end of one adventure, but it's also the beginning of a new one. We're already thinking about the future, and there's no time for nostalgia. We want to build on our successes and continue creating something original as a studio leader. We're working on that, and we're not stopping. We have new projects in the works while we contribute to Star Wars."