Mario + Rabbids director Davide Soliani has teamed up with Red Dead Redemption lead designer and writer Christian Cantamessa to found a new studio, Day 4 Night.
Day 4 Night’s first project, a new IP co-directed by Soliani and Cantamessa, is described by Xbox co-creator Ed Fries – whose 1Up Ventures is financing the studio alongside publisher Krafton – as “easily the most creative thing we have seen in quite some time”.
Beyond that, details of the team’s first game are limited, although Soliani calls the studio’s work “a reflection of everything I’ve ever wanted to experience as a player – joy, adventure, poetry, action, wonder, and the pleasure of working with friends.”
“It’s a lullaby for my soul and a serenade to our industry,” he continued, “to the magic and the madness of creating worlds from nothing. It’s a story about triumphs, challenges, dreams, to light the path we walk together.”
More broadly, Day 4 Night – which will operate across offices in Los Angeles and Milan – says it’s “committed to creating new content that pushes the boundaries of storytelling and game design”. Other members of the team include Luca Breda, Gian Marco Zanna, and Cristina Nava, who all worked on Mario + Rabbids at Ubisoft Milan, and who have credits across the likes of Ghost Recon and Star Wars Outlaws.
Soliani, whose 25-year stint at Ubisoft included 11 years on both Mario + Rabbids games, announced his departure from the publisher back in July, teasing a “new adventure” to come.