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“Hi all folks. 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. I can’t say more now. Thanks a lot for everything, truly,” Soliani writes.
The departure of Soliani could be the final nail in the coffin for the Mario + Rabbids series. Since the release of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, there have been several signs that the series could be coming to an end. Last year, composer Grant Kirkhope noted that his “8 years of writing music for Mario is at an end,” following the completion of the game’s DLC. The sequel’s slow sales had already seemed like a bad sign for the future, and now it seems the creators are moving on to other projects.
Soliani’s passion for the Mario franchise made him a perfect candidate to helm the Mario + Rabbids series. At E3 2017, he quickly endeared himself to Nintendo fans when an emotional Soliani teared up at the game’s announcement. In an interview with ComicBook in 2022, Soliani seemed to express a lot of hope for a third game in the series, though it seems now that it’s simply not meant to be. Of course, given his love of Mario games, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Soliani taking a job at Nintendo! Until Soliani makes an announcement, there’s no way of knowing his plans, but hopefully he’ll find a place that can take advantage of his talents.
Do you think the Mario + Rabbids series is dead now? Where do you think Soliani will end up next? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
[H/T: Nintendo Everything]
