With Ubisoft Forward dropping later today at 3 pm EST, gamers are preparing for some big announcements from the French publisher/developer. But Nintendo had other plans for one of the presumed big reveals for the press conference. A now-taken-down eshop profile for Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope revealed the forthcoming sequel to the popular Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle title that released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch back in August of 2017.

The listing, posted on Nintendo’s own online commerce portal, included a brief blurb about the game’s plot, describing it as a “galactic journey to defeat a malevolent entity and save your Spark companions”. The sequel will reportedly feature a similar combat style to the original game which could be described as Mario-meets-XCOM. The aforementioned sparks will offer unique powers to your team of characters, a roster that has expanded to nine and will allegedly include Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Rabbid Peach, Rabbid Luigi, and Rabbid Rosalina, the last of which being a new addition.

The leak also revealed a release window of 2022 for the game. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was a huge surprise when it was announced at Ubisoft’s E3 conference back in 2017, heralding a new age of Nintendo allowing other developers to work with their coveted IP. The game released to critical acclaim and received a Donkey Kong-themed DLC in June of 2018, so it makes sense that we’ll see a new title in the series soon.

EDIT

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope Officially Announced, Cinematic Trailer and alpha Gameplay Revealed at Ubisoft Forward. After a leak earlier this morning, Ubisoft officially unveiled Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, the sequel to their 2017 Nintendo crossover, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. The reveal confirmed the details of the leak such as the special powers of the “sparks” while in combat and the addition of Rabbid Rosalina, as well as the return of Ubisoft Milan as the developer with some help from Ubisoft Paris.

Some new information was also given including the name of the main villain, Cursa, and that she seems to have control over residents of the Mushroom Kingdom alongside some new enemy units. A new, seemingly original Rabbid not based on any Mario characters was also shown off, with stylish green and black hair and a slick sword. The presentation ended with alpha gameplay footage showing off some more versatile movement within combat scenarios before confirming the 2022 release window.

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