Ubisoft Milan's Next Chapter: From Mario to Star Wars and Beyond

The final DLC for Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is set to release this month, marking a significant milestone for Ubisoft Milan as it welcomes back a beloved character from its past. The DLC, titled Rayman in the Phantom Show, sees the return of Rayman, a character that holds great significance for the team. According to producer Cristina Nava, 'We've managed to come full circle, returning to our roots in a way.' 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 with Ubisoft Milan, including creative director Davide Soliani, art director Mauro Perini, and lead artist Fabrizio Von Stibiel. The team's history and stability are unique within the gaming industry, with Nava recalling, 'When I joined Ubisoft Milan in 2008, we were a team of 35 people. Now, we have around 130 team members, but many of the veterans from the early days are still with us.' Managing director Dario Migliavacca attributes the team's distinctive style to its stable core team, stating, 'One of our greatest strengths is our historical and strong core team. This stability allows for a strong chemistry among senior team members, which is essential.' The team's approach to game development is distinct, with a focus on creating tangible, real-world objects, such as puppets and plushies, and a passion for drawing by hand. As Nava explains, 'We like to build things in the real world. Our concept artists draw by hand, and we have a surplus of passion that drives us to create unique and engaging experiences.' With the release of Rayman in the Phantom Show, Ubisoft Milan is closing a chapter that began with the 2017 release of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. Although Sparks of Hope didn't quite meet sales expectations, CEO Yves Guillemot has hinted at a potential second life for the game on Nintendo's next console. The team is now shifting its focus to other projects, including supporting Massive on the ambitious Star Wars Outlaws. As Nava notes, 'We're moving from one important IP to another, which is very exciting, but also challenging. We're always looking to experiment, learn, and share knowledge with other studios.' Migliavacca adds, 'Working on Star Wars is a fantastic opportunity for us to work on a different pipeline and with different teams. We're discovering new things that will be useful in the future.' Despite the conclusion of the Mario + Rabbids chapter, Ubisoft Milan is committed to creating more colorful, non-violent, and lighthearted games. As Nava concludes, 'With Sparks of Hope, it's the end of an adventure, but also the beginning of a new one. We're already thinking about the future and working on new projects. We want to build on our successes and continue creating original experiences as a studio leader.'